Can I seal my pavers myself?
Yes: Angi prices a do-it-yourself paver clean-and-reseal at about $220 for a 200-square-foot patio, against about $400 for a professional.
The saving is real and the ceiling on it is low. Angi's DIY figure covers 1-gallon jugs of sealer at about $40 each, each covering roughly 200 square feet, plus a pressure washer rental at about $50 a day; its table reads $90 DIY against $200 pro at 100 square feet and $130 against $600 at 300. HomeGuide's professional rate is $1.50 to $3.25 per square foot including the wash and the joint sand. On a patio-sized job the difference is a few hundred dollars and a weekend.
What the job is, step by step
- Wait. Techniseal says 60 to 90 days after a new installation, and Belgard says 30 days before a film-forming sealer, so efflorescence can work out and the joints settle.
- Remove stains first, then clean the whole surface with a cleaner made for concrete pavers — the association's order, and Techniseal's, with its Paver Prep about 24 hours ahead.
- Pressure wash with a wide nozzle at a low angle so the joint sand stays put, per the association, and top up the joints where it does not.
- Let it dry: at least 24 hours without dampness before most sealers, per the association; a few hours in hot sun or about 24 in shade, per Belgard.
- Apply a sealer made for concrete pavers to saturation — generously, wait four to five minutes, repeat until a little stays on the surface, then back-roll the excess, per Techniseal.
- Stay off it: 24 to 48 hours for water-based sealer and up to 72 for solvent-based, per HomeGuide.
Sealing is the easy half. Cleaning is the job — and a sealer over dirt or efflorescence is a sealer you will be stripping.
Where a homeowner goes wrong
The association's whitening list is the DIY failure list: joints or surface not dry, a new patio sealed before its moisture has worked out, efflorescence under the pavers still rising, or a non-breathing sealer. When it happens, the association says the sealer has to be removed or re-dissolved, with the supplier's advice on how. The other two errors are product and quantity. Belgard warns against trusting a big-box brand from another category, and both manufacturers warn that a fresh coat every year builds a film that discolors in sun or delaminates and fades the color.
Sources: Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association, Belgard, Techniseal
The part the association says to leave to a pro
The cleaning, on most jobs. Its Tech Note says that for most jobs cleaning should be handled by a professional company experienced with cleaners and spray equipment, because the acid-and-detergent efflorescence cleaners change paver color slightly depending on concentration and dwell time, and a pressure washer at 1,000 to 4,000 psi in the wrong hands strips the joints. It recommends testing any cleaner on a small area first, and wearing protective clothing and goggles with acids. HomeGuide prices a stand-alone professional pressure wash at $0.35 to $0.80 per square foot — the hybrid route, where the pro cleans and the homeowner seals.
Sources: Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association, HomeGuide
Which sealer to buy
One made for concrete pavers, in the chemistry that fits the patio. HomeGuide's comparison: solvent-based for shine and 4 to 5 years of wear, but not breathable, prone to a white haze, slippery when glossy, and needing 1 to 2 bone-dry days after the wash; water-based for breathability, joint-sand stabilization and application on a damp surface, at a higher price and less shine. Angi prices solvent-based at $32 to $55 a gallon and water-based at $40 to $90. Belgard's brand recommendation is Techniseal, printed as Belgard's.
The full pros-and-cons of sealing at all, from the trade association and both manufacturers: is there a downside to sealing pavers.
Questions people ask next
- How much sealer do I need?
- Angi's coverage figures: about 200 square feet per 1-gallon jug and about 1,000 per 5-gallon bucket, and it suggests buying more than the math says for touch-ups. Techniseal's saturation method uses what the pavers absorb, so porous pavers take more.
- Do I have to pressure wash before sealing?
- The association says all dirt, oil stains and efflorescence must be removed before sealing, and describes the pressure washer as the tool professionals use. Angi says dirt, moss and efflorescence left under the sealer cause bonding problems. A clean patio is the prerequisite, whatever the tool.
- Can I seal pavers with a garden sprayer?
- Techniseal describes roller and sprayer as the two methods professionals use, with the sprayer needing more setup and less application time. The rule for either is saturation, then back-rolling the excess.
- What if I already sealed and it turned white?
- The association says the sealer must be removed or re-dissolved and the sealer supplier consulted on treatment. It is the one outcome that costs more than hiring the job out would have.
Written for homeowners by Most Recommended Pavers, which measures which paver contractors AI assistants actually recommend. Nobody can pay to be on those lists. How we measure.