Although brick pavers are usually more durable than poured concrete or wood when it comes to patios, they are not maintenance free. There are a few steps that you can take every few years to maintain your patio and keep it looking like new. You may find that after a few years your patio has faded, become stained by rust or dirt, or is just generally looking dull. If you take your time to treat your patio you will have a patio that looks like it was just installed in no time flat.
You are going to need to wash your paver surface before you can think about applying a sealer. Using a masonry cleaner like MasonrySaver Safer Masonry Cleaner clean the patio of any stains and rinse thoroughly. Power washing is an option but a garden hose is also acceptable if the stains have been completely removed before rinsing. If you choose to power wash refer to this article for exactly how many pounds per square inch (PSI) is safe for rinsing the pavers without damaging them. Regrouting the stones is usually a step that must be taken because over time the grout may erode away. Play box sand works great so using a push broom sweep sand so that all the joints between bricks are sealed completely.
Your patio needs about 72 hours with no rain and a lot of sun to try and remove as much moisture from the pavers as possible. There is a small percentage of water in the form of vapor that naturally exists in the pavers, however hot and dry it is outside. After the patio has had time to dry sufficiently you can safely seal your patio, sealing the grout as well. This will protect water from damaging the patio as it expands and contracts with temperature changes and will prevent standing water from eroding the patio.
I recommend MasonrySaver Paver Sealer, which does alter the look of the pavers a slight bit, giving them a rich and silky look after the product dries. This product is water based so that cleanup of the materials is just soap and water. It seals the sand in between the pavers as well. It is important to remember to wash the patio before applying the sealer because you will not want to seal any stains onto the patio permanently. To apply this product you will want to use a sprayer, whether you use an airless sprayer or a pump sprayer is up to you. When it comes to how much to apply you should follow these standards: one gallon of MasonrySaver Paver Sealer covers 150-200 sq. ft. of clay pavers or 75-150 sq. ft. of cement pavers. If you finish applying the product and you have more left than your calculations say you should you’ll want to apply more. The finish may make the patio slightly slippery when wet but not excessively so if you apply the product correctly.