Paver restoration question

[mitch08]

Hey all,

So I have a paver patio, pool surround, fire pit area, Etc. Typical Cambridge pavers. You know the kind that has that special coating that is supposed to never wear off, which wears off in about 2 years

So anyway they are about 12 years old and definitely looking their age. Very worn out.

I'm getting quotes from companies to power wash, new special sand, and seal.
But we are talking between $1,500 and $2,000.

Anyone with experience with this that can tell me if it is worth it and what to expect? Obviously they are not going to look brand new but will the power wash and seal make a significant difference?

Not a huge fan of the wet look but if something in between can give them some life back I would be willing to spend the money.

Thanks in advance

 

[ajw22]

They will look good the first season and then look dirty within 2 years.

We have some outdoor rugs on areas of our pavers. When we pull them up in the fall we can see the difference between clean under the rugs and dirty pavers that were exposed to the elements.

So decide if you want to accept the dirty look or budget for power washing every other year.

 

[setsailsoon]

Hey all,

So I have a paver patio, pool surround, fire pit area, Etc. Typical Cambridge pavers. You know the kind that has that special coating that is supposed to never wear off, which wears off in about 2 years

So anyway they are about 12 years old and definitely looking their age. Very worn out.

I'm getting quotes from companies to power wash, new special sand, and seal.
But we are talking between $1,500 and $2,000.

Anyone with experience with this that can tell me if it is worth it and what to expect? Obviously they are not going to look brand new but will the power wash and seal make a significant difference?

Not a huge fan of the wet look but if something in between can give them some life back I would be willing to spend the money.

Thanks in advance

We did the power wash and seal. It worked just like Allen indicated. In 2 years it needed cleaning again. I bought a real good power washer for $600. Once a year we clean it and it costs about $3.00 in gas. This year we had to level a lot of the pavers around the pool and patio... made a HUGE mess in the pool. Took me 2 hrs in scuba gear to get all the mess off the bottom but the power washer was invaluable again on the surface.

Good luck!

Chris

Chris

 

[kimkats]

Power clean them on your own and move on.

 

[mitch08]

Thanks all. What about the sealers? Are there any that give it a great fresh look after cleaning?

 

[bmoreswim]

You now have regular pavers. I'd just get comfortable with the new appearance and only pressure wash. No sealer will put the ArmorTec appearance back on the pavers. Sealers may change the appearance by darkening the surface but it will only be temporary and not really worth redoing frequently in my opinion. I imagine what is making it look not so great is that the ArmorTec is not wearing off evenly in all areas, so some areas look better than others. Honestly, the consistency may improve with time as more or all of the ArmorTec wears away.

Our pavers are Techobloc and look just like Cambridge pavers with no ArmorTec as in the picture on this page after 9 years. ArmorTec Difference | Cambridge Pavingstones Mine need a good powerwashing (in the areas without very full sun) and reapplication of polymeric sand after those 9 years.

 

[setsailsoon]

We thought about a sealer but we tried without first. We've found they look great just cleaned up. Down here I could probably do it every 9 months or so but it's more impressive at how good it looks if I go to a year... don't tell Robin! (my wife)

Chris

 

[Revlus]

You can stain concrete pavers... just search youtube for some examples.