Brick pavers are one of the most popular options to remodel an existing deck (and for new decks too). This rise in popularity is a combination of the aesthetic look of the pavers—which can suit styles ranging from modern to rustic, their durability, and their resistance to cracking. Unlike solid decks—such as concrete, kooldecks, and acrylic spraydecks, interlocking pavers allow the substrate beneath it to expand, contract, and move, making paver decks a solution to remodel decks with extensive cracking or areas prone to settling.

Customers who opt to have paver decks have a range of colors and styles to select from and they also have the option to seal their new pavers or leave them unsealed. To seal, or not to seal—this is the focus of this blog: what are the benefits to sealing their new brick? Are there any downsides? We hope this blog will touch on some of the different factors customers want to consider when deciding if they should seal their new paver decks.

Sealing brick pavers offers several advantages over leaving the bricks unsealed. Brick pavers are very porous and absorbent. Applying a quality sealer helps to smooth and fill in some of the pores in the bricks, which helps to make them more resistant to stains, mold, mildew, and dirt. Sealing the pavers also helps make them easier to clean as the brick itself has a smoother texture versus unsealed brick. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that prior to sealing the bricks must be extensively cleaned otherwise any stains or dirt will be trapped on the brick by the sealer, which is very difficult, if not impossible to remove. As such, it is critical that the pavers are thoroughly cleaned prior to the sealer application.

Additionally, because the sealer changes the texture of the bricks, they can become slightly slippery. From time to time depending on who the primary users are of the area (e.g. kids or elderly), homeowners may want to add some Shark Grip or other texture to the sealer to minimize slipperiness. Cement brick pavers are not slippery if left unsealed. Natural stone pavers, such as marble and shellstone, can be slippery when wet if left unsealed due to the dense and smooth nature of the product.

Another major consideration for homeowners sealing your pavers will change the appearance of the pavers. Sealing pavers will give them a “wet” look. This wet look gives the pavers a slightly shiny appearance and deepens the color of the pavers. Unsealed pavers will look more muted than sealed pavers until they are wet.

Occasionally, a brick or coping piece may crack or break from use. This leads to another consideration owners must make when it comes to sealing… if you need to replace any brick pavers, unless you seal them ahead of time (when your deck is being sealed) the sealer may look different on the newly replaced bricks and/or it can become a hassle if you do not have sealer on hand or to purchase sealer to seal a small number of bricks. Therefore, we recommend keeping several pavers and/or coping stones on hand and if you are having your brick sealed, have the extra pieces sealed as well so that any replacements made (if needed) will match the existing deck.

Paver sealer, in most cases, should be reapplied every 5-7 years. The frequency of this reapplication varies greatly depending on several factors including but not limited to, the amount of sunlight the bricks receive, the amount of traffic/use, and how frequently the bricks are cleaned.

If you are considering remodeling your pool and deck, we would love to help you on that journey!

Advanced Pool & Spa is a family owned and operated, fully licensed, bonded, and insured pool remodeling company located in Land O Lakes, Florida. We have been in business for 39 years and take pride in our work. We hope to be able to help answer your pool related questions and would love to help make your remodeling dreams a reality! Give us a call or send us an email today for an estimate on resurfacing or remodeling your residential or commercial pools and spas. We can be reached at 813-995-2939 or by email at aps59246@gmail.com.