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HomeBuildHow To Clean Patio Pavers Without Removing Sand

How To Clean Patio Pavers Without Removing Sand

Build Concrete Footers Below The Pavers

Patio Paver Restoration – DIY Step by Step How to – Easy

This last method is highly effective for homeowners who live in harsh weather climates.

The problem is that it is also one of the most tricky methods to securing your gazebo.

Luckily, we can walk you through the whole process.

What Youll Need

Youll need the following materials and tools for this method:


  • A flathead screwdriver
  • Safety gloves
  • A safety mask

Alternatively, you dont have to use concrete in order to secure the planting pot to the ground.

Homeowners have also found that placing bricks, sand, and gravel will provide the same stability as concrete.

So, if you want to skip the hassle of mixing your concrete and letting it set, then you should try another method.

What You Should Do

The right steps to attach the gazebo to your patio pavers are as follows:

Step #1: Remove Pavers

Start by positioning the gazebo the way you want it to look.


Next, youll want to count each brick that the gazebo posts have.

From there, take your chalk out and mark each one of the bricks that rest underneath each gazebo post.

Now, pull out your flathead screwdriver and tap it using a rubber mallet.

After that, lift the marked pavers carefully to avoid damaging the others.

Step #2: Dig Holes and Insert Posts

Take out your shovel and dig 10 inches into the ground.


After that, take the gazebo posts and lower them into each hole.

Step #3: Mix and Lay Concrete

First off, youll want to put on your safety gloves and mask to prevent the chemicals from coming into contact with your skin.

Top 5 Things You Need To Know About Getting Rid Of White Haze On Your Pavers

TOP 5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING RID OF WHITE HAZE ON YOUR PAVERS

That white haze on your outdoor pavers its called efflorescence. And the process of removing it can be a true test of your patience. Before gearing up in your rubber gloves and going to town on those pavers, stop and read this. Were going to share the top 5 things you need to know about getting rid of the white haze on your patio or walkway.

1. Do your homework.There are many different types of paver cleaning products on the market. And its critical you use the right one for your particular situation. Make sure to carefully read the instructions and recommendations for any efflorescence product. Youll also want to verify the product that youre cleaning with wont damage your pavers. Material properties of pavers come in about as many varieties as Ben & Jerrys ice cream. Face mix vs. regular pavers, wetcast slabs, natural stone , clay brick, Chunky Monkey . Unfortunately cleaning is not a one-size-fits-all process for pavers. For example, masons will use muriatic acid on clay brick to remove mortar. However, muriatic acid could do serious damage to a concrete paver. The take-away here: know what type of pavers youre working with, use a cleaning product thats safe for them, and carefully follow the instructions for said cleaning product.


Choose A Cleaning Method

To begin, you should power wash your patio annually. You may need to purchase a basic cleaning solution for your pavers or you can simply create a homemade water and white vinegar solution to remove stubborn dirt and stains well have more on this later. Be sure you test this solution on a small area before you clean the whole patio. This way you know that the solution won’t discolor the entire surface.

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Saturate The Paver Surface

Now that youve cleared away any vegetation, youll want to hose down the entire area with water before you apply any sort of soap or detergent to it. Theres no need to power wash the surface at this time, thatll come later. At this point, they just need to be wet so they dont soak up the cleanser and form a murky film.

How To Clean Pavers

Patio Paver Repair

This article was co-authored by Scott Johnson. Scott Johnson is the Owner and Lead Design Consultant for Concrete Creations, Inc., an award-winning landscape and design company based in the San Diego, California metro area. He has over 30 years of experience in the pool and landscape construction industry and specializes in large estate outdoor environment construction projects. His work has been featured in San Diego Home & Garden Magazine and on Pool Kings TV Show. He earned a BS degree in Construction Management with an emphasis in Architecture and CAD design from Northern Arizona University.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 89% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 352,548 times.

Paving stones, also called pavers, add a decorative element to any setting. Whether your pavers are used as a walkway through your garden, a patio, or driveway, your pavers are bound to lose their luster over time. Luckily, you can restore your pavers with a mild cleaning solution, stiff bristled broom, replacement sand, and sealer.


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Things To Do Before Sealing Your Pavers

4 THINGS TO DO BEFORE SEALING YOUR PAVERS

Sealing an outdoor patio or walkway will help protect your investment. But before diving straight into the process, youll want to perform the tasks on this pre-sealing to-do list.

1. See what the manufacturer has to say.Before even making a trip to your local hardscape supply store, take time to review the paver manufacturers specifications for sealing. This will give you important insight on the types of sealing products that are safe to use on your pavers and the appropriate waiting period before applying sealer to new pavers.

2. Check the weather.In most cases, a sealer should only be applied to pavers that are completely dry. So confirm there wont be any rain in the forecast for a full 24 hours prior to starting your project. You also wont want to perform a sealing job in extreme temperatures. As a rule of thumb, 60-80 degrees is usually ideal. You also dont want any rain for 24 hours after a sealer application.


3. Clean!We truly cant stress the importance of this step enough! Not only will you want to clean stains from your pavers prior to sealing, but youll also want to take care of any efflorescence. This cleaning step preps the pavers to allow the sealer to bond properly. Note: Be sure to read our blog post, 8 Facts About Efflorescence, prior to beginning your project.;

Once youve checked these four important steps off your to-do list, youll be ready and set to seal!

Fallback On Commercial Cleaning Products

If vinegar or bleach do not work, or you would prefer to move directly to a commercial solution, you should have no trouble finding effective products at your local garden center or home improvement store.

You can opt for a simple patio or deck wash-type of product that is used for general cleaning if your mold or algae problem is mild. If your hardscape has been stained from the mold or algae, you may need to opt for a mold stain remover. For example, if you just purchased a home where mold or algae has been allowed to flourish for an extended period of time on concrete, brick or paving stones, there may be stains that require a product specifically designed for mold and algae stain removal.

With most of these products, you will spray the area, allow it to work its magic for a few minutes, scrub with a deck brush or push broom, and then rinse the area with water.


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Keep Mold And Algae At Bay

Mold and algae arecommon patio paver problems that tend to pop in the spring and summer months.These are particularly problematic in damp areas like around your swimming poolor on a patio space thats exposed to the elements around the clock.

A mixture of about1-part white vinegar to 5-parts to 10-parts water can go a long way towardgetting rid of mold and algae before it becomes a serious problem. Applyingthis mixture with a garden sprayer is also a simple solution that you canhandle in a matter of minutes a few times each spring and summer.

If you find thatvinegar isnt strong enough you can move to a solution of water and bleach.However, youll need to make sure that your patio pavers wont be damaged bybleach before you begin. Most natural materials wont be, but testing a small,hard-to-spot portion of your patio before covering large quantities of stone isrecommended.

Polymeric Sand Prevents Weed Growth Between Patio Stones

Options for Cleaning a Paver Patio

There are two reasons why you want to use polymeric sand

  • it prevents weeds from popping up between stones
  • it stops bugs from living between the stones and possibly finding a way into your house
  • Whos going to argue that weeds and bugs are annoying? Anyone?

    Case closed.

    Ants and other bugs can use cracks between your stones to find a back door entrance into your house. I know first hand because we have issues with sugar ants making their annual pilgrimage across our kitchen counter.

    You can find polymeric sand at any home store. I bought Sakretes polymeric sand during my weekly trip to Lowes. It was located in the landscaping section near the patio stones.

    Before applying the polymeric sand you need to remove existing weeds or moss from between patio stones or pavers. I used a power washer but you can pull the weeds by hand and scrape off moss with an old flat head screwdriver. Sakrete also recommends cleaning the stones before applying polymeric sand. This makes sense because any power washing or stain remover will likely dislodge the sand you just installed.

    You can approach the first step of the application process by

    • using a yogurt cup to pour polymeric sand directly into stone or paver joints
    • or pouring a large quantity of sand directly onto the stones or pavers

    Its critical to remove all left over polymeric sand from the top of the patio stones. Otherwise the sand might stain them since it has colorant in it.

  • Remove existing weeds & moss
  • Avoid puddling of water
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    How Do I Stop My Pavers From Sinking

    Compacting causes the stones to form a tight bond with the bedding layer, which reduces the chance of your pavers sinking again. Sweep joint sand into the joints between the pavers. Do this by pouring a pile of sand on your hardscape and sweep it over the stones until your joints cant hold any more sand.

    Directions For Cleaning Brick:

    It’s best to clean exterior brick on a cloudy day. The cooler it is outside, the less you will have to worry about your cleaner evaporating or drying on the surface. Spray all nearby plants, shrubs and grass with clean water before cleaning.

    Pressure Washer Application:

  • Wet. Use a garden hose to thoroughly wet the brick surface before cleaning.
  • Prepare your cleaner. Drop the siphon tube and filter of your pressure washer into the Simple Green container or pour full strength Simple Green Oxy Solve Concrete and Driveway Cleaner into the detergent reservoir.
  • Apply Simple Green. Use the pressure washer’s detergent setting to spray Simple Green onto the bricks. Be careful not to use pressure above 3,000 psi. Higher pressure can damage the surface of the brick and actually wash away the joint sand between bricks.
  • Soak. Allow the cleaner to soak the surface for 3-5 minutes. Do not allow the cleaner to dry on the surface before rinsing.
  • Rinse with clean water. Rinse using your pressure washer’s high pressure setting.
  • Rinse surrounding areas. Use a garden hose to saturate plants, shrubs and grass after cleaning to wash away any residue.
  • Manual Application:

  • Wet. Use a garden hose to thoroughly wet the brick surface before cleaning.
  • Mix your cleaning solution. Mix 1 measure of Simple Green Oxy Solve Concrete and Driveway Cleaner with 20 measures of water in a bucket .
  • Allow each section to soak for a few minutes. Allow the cleaner to sit on the surface for 3-5 minutes.
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    Remove Paint Tar Or Rubber From Pavers

    This product will dissolve paint, tar, and rubber from pavers. Directions are clearly printed on the product. This involves applying to the affected areas and waiting 5 to 10 minutes before reapplying and scrubbing with a nylon brush. It is important that this product does not have the chance to dry. It will also remove sealer, so if the stones are sealed they will need to be re-sealed. Follow the safety instructions on the container when using it.

    How Often Should You Pressure Wash Your Patio

    How do you Clean Concrete Patio without Pressure Washer ...

    For the best results, clean a driveway every six months this can be done on a DIY basis or by hiring a professional cleaning company. Frequent pressure washing helps to prevent dirt and grime from settling into cracks. Consider a Spring and Autumn spruce up to get rid of the build-up of dirt, grime, mold, and algae.

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    Refill The Joints With Sand

    After cleaning and your paved area is now dry, refill the joints with sand. Open up your bag of sand and pour some of it onto a small area of the paved surface. Use a stiff bristled brush to sweep the sand all over on the paved surface.

    Once you have spread out all the sand into the brick paver joints, mist some water over the brick pavers. This will allow the sand to settle in between the paver joints. While misting the sand, avoid saturating the pavers to prevent washing away the newly laid sand.

    Remove Weed And Moss Growth

    Weeds and moss tend to grow between brick paver joints especially when there is plenty of decomposing matter, soil or dirt on your patio or driveways. Use a brush to agitate and remove moss and gently pull weeds using your hands or with the help of any tool without damaging or separating the pavers.

    You may also use other methods of killing weeds between pavers if they are many or tough to remove manually. A commercial weed killer or a homemade roundup may also be applied to permanently get rid of any vegetation prior to cleaning. Remember to uproot and remove all the dead weeds after using a weed killer.

    Use a broom to sweep all the debris from your pavers including leaves and twigs. Sweeping your paved areas on a regular basis when the weather is dry is all you need to keep your pavers clean, strong and beautiful.

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    Prepare Your Paved Area For Cleaning

    Start by removing any furniture and potted plants sitting in your paved area so you can get to the pavers underneath. At this point, use a tarp to cover any surrounding landscaping that might be damaged by water or chemicals in the cleaning products. Be sure also to cover metal objects.

    Use a stiff-bristled hand-held push broom or brush-broom to agitate and brush away any moss growth on or in between pavers. Gently pull weeds out from between paver joints. When all of the organic growth has been loosened, brush the debris off of your paved surface. If you remove a lot of underlying sand by pulling weeds , you will have to re-sand your pavers once after youve cleaned.

    Does Jeyes Fluid Clean Patios

    How not to seal patio paver joints

    Jeyes Fluid Outdoor Cleaner: The most versatile patio cleaner. This ultra-concentrated detergent is great for all kinds of jobs, cleaning not only patios and driveways but outdoor drains, greenhouses, plant pots and tools. A great all-rounder, it also disinfects and stops the patio surface being slippery.

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    Regularly Maintain Your Pavers

    Follow the steps below to keep your pavers looking as good as new.

    Step 1 Sweep your patio pavers regularly. Dirt and dust can quickly build up in your space, creating a build-up of debris that can break down your pavers. Just a quick sweep once a week will keep the area tidy and presentable.

    Step 2 Consider using a paver sealer if your patio is exposed to the elements. This is an effective way to protect many types of materials, from concrete to stone pavers. You should use a sealer as soon as you have your pavers installed. Youre likely to regret not filling them in when your pavers have faded or seem to require more maintenance than you thought they would.

    Step 3 Spot clean stubborn stains with a deck brush and a mild detergent. Cleaning patio pavers can be a real pain when dealing with really bad stains on some pavers.

    Step 4 Replace broken or stained pavers. If you have damaged or severely stained patio pavers that you cant clean or fix, no matter how hard you try, you might be able to remove and replace individual stones without damaging or disturbing the surrounding pavers. This can give your patio a refreshed look and make sure your patio space always looks brand new.

    Step 9 Repair grout. Just as time and activity can damage your patio pavers, the grout can take a beating, too. In some cases, you may need to regrout your patio. In other cases, doing a simple repair is all you need. All you have to do is either re-sand areas that seem disjointed.

    Mix Up A Mild Cleaning Solution And Apply

    As durable as brick is, its also a fragile material that can be severely damaged if you use harsh chemicals to clean it. Start by thoroughly mixing up a bucket of warm water and a mild degreaser detergent. Once youve got that all mixed up, pour some onto the paver surface and use a stiff-bristled broom to scrub it, working in small areas.

    As you work in small sections, the broom bristles will loosen up dirt and stains on the surface, but the bristles can also be harsh on the pavers so make sure you are scrubbing in different directions to avoid wearing down the same spot.

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