There are many benefits to sealing pavers, but it’s not absolutely necessary. It really depends on your expectations of pavers and how long you would like them to look great. Pavers that aren’t sealed will be more likely to grow weeds in the joints, they will fade and loose their color from wear and UV breakdown, and because most newer paver sealers include an additive that will harden the joint sand it is less likely that you will have settling or shifting caused by joint sand loss.
All that being said, yes you should seal your pavers. Most paver manufactures will tell you that it’s not required to seal your pavers, however, it is highly suggested.
Typically, a customer comes to us requesting to either have their pavers sealed or stabilized with polymeric sand. Rarely does the client know both options exist. So, I wanted to put this informational article to share what the differences are and which is the best for your situation.
A joint stabilizing sealer is a liquid product that penetrates into the surface of the concrete paver as well as the sand in the joint giving the paver protection from stains and an enhanced look as well as hardening the sand in the joint. The joint stabilizing sealers come in a natural or matt sheen, enhanced or semi-gloss sheen and a high gloss sheen.
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