Maintenance Needed for Pavers

Broken Pavers

• Broken pavers are often caused by direct force, such as car tires or hard objects being dropped on the brick. Usually, though, only one or two pavers are damaged. These can be easily repaired using a brick chisel, hammer, thinset mortar and a small mason's trowel. The chisel and hammer are used to remove the broken pavers and any residual cement from the old installation. New pavers can be installed directly back into the old slot using a small amount of thinset cement placed in the opening with a small trowel. After pressing the new paver back into the old paver slot, use a trowel to remove any cement that has squeezed out.

Ice Damage

• Water that enters paver joints can sometimes freeze, causing the paver joints to crack and crumble. Using a screwdriver to remove the crumbled joints is the best do-it-yourself method. Remove only the damaged paver mortar joints for replacement. Wetting the joints before replacing them with new mortar will help the mortar stick. Using a small trowel, press the newly mixed mud into the paver joint until it is full.

Cleaning

• Cleaning the pavers involves a two-step process. First, you must remove any sealer previously applied to the surface of the pavers. Apply stripper with a stiff bristled brush, allowing it to set for 15 minutes. After the pavers have dried, clean them with a mixture of washing powders and hot water, scrubbing hard to clean areas with a wire brush.

Sealing

• Pavers that have been sealed often do not soil deeply. However, they may need to be resealed. Sweeping the pavers with a broom before sealing helps prepare them for the sealing process. Applying the sealer can be done with a pump-up garden sprayer. Sealer can be found at any hardware store.