Brick paver walks and patios are becoming more and more popular each year. Our customers like the appearance, texture and charm of the many styles and colors offered in brick.
As with almost everything, brick pavers do require some maintenance to stay looking nice. Each year we suggest our customers sand the joints in their brick. Sanding the joints will help prevent erosion between bricks. Erosion between joints exposes the compacted base material and can lead to settling. Without sufficient joint sand, they can and will settle over time. The expansion of ice and snow as it freezes during a Michigan winter is enough to cause movement in brick pavers. Remember, moisture and water can be detrimental to a brick paver walk or patio. If you keep the joints sufficiently sanded you can help prevent brick movement and settling.
If settling does occur in your brick pavers – do not get overly concerned. They are designed to be reset and re-leveled as necessary. This is why bricks were so popular in road building years ago. If you do not want to tackle a project like re-leveling, we suggest you get serviced by a professional.
There are a few different types of brick sand on the market. Standard sweep sand is the most popular. All you need to do is pour the dry sand over your pavers and sweep it in place. If you are going to seal the brick, be sure to sweep any remaining sand off the brick faces.
Another sand that was very popular for a few years is called polysand or polymeric sand. Polysand has a binding agent (polymer) in it that helps keep it in place and offers resistance to moisture. As a quality control manager for a landscaping company, polysand can be a great product if it is properly installed. If improperly installed, it can leave a haze or film on the pavers. Polysanded bricks must be gently flooded with water to thoroughly hydrate the joints and to rinse the fine powder off of the brick faces. It is very important to remove any hazing before the brick is sealed.
Brick paver sealer or joint stabilizing brick sealer is highly recommended on all brick paver applications. A quality brick sealer will protect the brick from weathering and help retain its color longer. Brick sealer comes in gloss and matte finishes. Joint stabilizing sealer will seal and protect the brick while hardening standard sweep sand between the joints, locking the bricks in place.