For several months, your interlocking stones were beneath snow and ice. They have almost definitely undergone a lot of wear and tear throughout this time, especially during the freeze-thaw cycle of Ontario’s harsh winter.
Interlocking driveways, walkways, and patios are beautiful and add curb appeal now that spring has arrived in Mississauga. However, they quickly become unsightly when weeds grow between the stones or pavers begin to sink or loosen.
Spend some time once the snow and ice have melted to prepare your interlocking stones for the spring and summer season.
The interlock driveway/walkway should be power washed:
- Use a garden hose or power washer to clean the pavers.
- Combine household detergent and water in a bucket.
- Pour it over the pavers and allow them to sit for 20 minutes.
- Scrub your pavers with a broom or scrubbing brush.
- Rinse well with a hose.
- Use a paver cleaning solution like Techniseal to remove tough stains like oil, grease, rust, paint, tar, dirt, and rubber.
- Use polymeric sand between the paving stones.
Over time, all patios settle, wear, and disintegrate.
Instead of just filling the spaces between the pavers with regular sand, use polymeric sand to provide long-lasting beauty to the surface. If you don’t, much of the sand you put in will wash away after a few heavy drops of rain, and weeds may develop before you pack up at the end of the project.
Sealing paver joints properly can help to ensure more quality for your clients, lower maintenance, and overall enjoyment.
Mist the stone driveway, walkway, or patio with water.
To allow the polymeric sand to “set,” it must be soaked in water so that the polymers may do their function.
If you use too much water, you risk washing away most sand and polymers, leaving a massive mess to clean up.
If you don’t use enough water during this process, the polymeric sand won’t form a strong bond, resulting in weak connections between the pavers.
Only a little mist or spray of water is required to wash the joints.
Apply water until it starts to pool on top of the joints, then stop and allow it to soak in.
You may need to repeat that technique based on the size and depth of the joints between your pavers or bricks.
You can always take sand from a different spot to see how deep the water is penetrating and then refill it.
STONE FOR INTERLOCKING SEALING
- Use a paint spray to apply the sealant onto the pavers, especially if you have a large area to seal. Strokes should be long enough, smooth, and regular. Remember to spread any excess sealant evenly over your interlocking pavers.
- If you are starting from scratch, you should wait 60-90 days for the interlock to weather. That is how the efflorescence will appear (and not be trapped under the sealant, giving your interlock that milky, hazy appearance).
- Apply another layer of sealant when the first application has dried.
- Maintaining Patio Edges.
MAINTAINING PATIO EDGES
Due to wear and pressure, patio slabs can fracture, break, or fall away from their rigid structure. No amount of paver patio maintenance will hide the unsightly defects of a cracked or fractured surface. The only solution is to replace the defective pavers entirely.
Remove the broken paver from the patio (with a hammer and chisel if necessary), then chip away at any old mortar on the bed.
Make new mortar, apply it to the bed, and install your replacement paving slab.
These are the paver repairs that you will most likely need on occasion. A few hours of effort once or twice a year should be plenty to keep your interlocking concrete pavers in good condition. Consult with the experts at Toroz Contracting if you are unclear about how to start with a repair. We can answer your questions about residential or business paving as the best GTA landscaping company.
We offer Interlocking, Sodding and Artificial turf installation specialists and carry out almost all your landscaping needs. We do custom patios, driveways, walkways and steps. We also work year-round. We remove snow and ice in the winter. When you need landscaping services, we will be there. We work throughout the GTA and are very competitive in terms of pricing. Please contact us straight away for a free estimate quote!
