Yes, you can apply sealants after a few hours of cleaning if the climate is sunny and warm. Pavers will be dried up within a few hours and will be ready for sealant. However, if the climate is wet, better to wait for twenty-four hours. Your pavers need to be completely dried up before sealing.
Pavers should be cleaned and sealed every two to three years depending on how often they are exposed to traffic, liquids, sunlight etc. Paver surfaces can also be power washed between cleanings but paver sealing is still necessary after paver cleaning has occurred.
Most experts recommend waiting for at least 24 to 48 hours before sealing the new pavers after installation. This gives the pavers time to settle and ensures that they're completely dry before being sealed.
The first day, a chemical wash is done followed by pressure cleaning with a 5,000 P.S.I pressure cleaner, getting almost anything out(stubborn penetrating stains like oil and rust may not come out). The second day, given that the surface to be sealed is completely dry, a sealer is sprayed on the pavers.
It is recommended to wait between 60 and 90 days after pavers were laid to clean and seal them. By doing so, your installations can experience a full weather-cycle that will allow any naturally occurring efflorescence to emanate from the pavers.
Allow at lease 48 hours of drying time before sealing (72 hours if power washing has been done or if temperature is cool). New concrete pavers should cure 14 days or more before sealing. Applying sealer to a damp or incompletely cured surface may cause a hazy appearance or loss of adhesion.
An effective pressure wash cleans the pores of your concrete. Make sure to apply concrete sealer after pressure washing.
Concrete is porous which is why your pavers come standard with a sealant built-in. This sealant is waterproof and provides protection from staining. High powered pressure washers have multiple thousands of PSI (pounds per square inch) so if your setting is too high you will strip away the sealant.
You pressure clean the pavers, re-sand the paver joints and then apply two coats of your favorite paver sealer and the job was complete.
However, “too much of a good thing” can come into play, and you should be wary of over-applying paver sealer by reapplying too often, which could create a haze.
The culprits of blotchy concrete after sealing
When you find yourself staring at discolored concrete that has already been sealed, there are usually three potential sources of blame: The sealer was applied poorly. Not enough sealer was applied. The concrete itself had varying absorption rates.
If a white haze appears on sealed pavers, it is less likely that the white spots are efflorescence but rather, water condensation collecting underneath the sealer. Removal is still possible, but a chemical solution is required. If your sealer is oil-based, the fix is to re-emulsify the sealer with Xylene.
Blotchy and Dark Concrete: Blotchy concrete can result from over application. In order to prevent over application, apply sealers in thin, even coats. If over application does occur, use Xylene to correct the problem.
1000 to 1500 psi pressure is easy to mange and will not cause damage to pavers and paving stone. A low pressure washer is also safe for mortared flagstone and slate patios and walls.
A professional driveway cleaning company will always insist on re-sanding any block paving drive that they work on, and for very good reason. It is a critical component of the process, and failure to re-sand will cause structural problems in the future.
Once you've pressure washed your concrete, it's important to wait at least 24 hours before applying a sealer.
Pressure Washing: Start by having the whole area pressure washed before sealing pavers. Grime and dirt can inhibit the paver sealant from penetrating. As a result, the paver stones may start pitting, and discoloration can happen. You are also likely to seal dirt beneath the coating.
If it gets saturated, then there's a good chance you'll have to go through the whole sealing process again, from the beginning. However, even a light shower after, say, four hours of the sealant being applied might mean that you need to put down another coat once the weather dries up.
The pressure washer in combination with a dirt cutter is an excellent option. This removes not only weeds and moss from the surface, but also from indentations. Keeping up with this type of cleaning means that there is less time for weeds to grow. It also helps to maintain the beauty of the paving stones' surface.
Traditionally, concrete paver manufacturers have recommended waiting at least 90 days after polymeric sand installation to apply a protective sealant to a paver surface. Nowadays, a 30 day delay is sufficient to allow the evaporation of any remaining natural efflorescence contained in the pavers.
Enhanced aesthetic: The paver sealer enhances the curb appeal of your properties and provides perfect finish to the paved areas and at the same time stabilizes the joint sand by locking it in place. It protects the pavement against harmful UV rays and prevents fading.
Using a nap roller for sealer application will take several times longer than using a paver sealer sprayer and joint stabilization is difficult to achieve. Spraying is the preferred method of applying water based paver sealers as it allows enough sealer to get into the joints.