Paver Restoration in Voorhees, Marlton, & Moorestown, NJ

After 25 years cleaning and restoring pavers across South Jersey, I have a system that brings even bad looking patios back. It is not a wand and a magic chemical. It is methodical, deep cleaning, fixing what is broken underneath, refilling the joints with the right material, and sealing if it makes sense for your patio.

Deep Cleaning The Surface

I start with a full surface cleaner pass, not a wand. A surface cleaner uses two spinning jets under a shroud, which keeps the pressure even across the whole paver and avoids the zebra striping you get from waving a wand back and forth. The right detergent goes down first to break the algae and embedded grime loose, then the surface cleaner pulls it out of the pores. Pavers that looked dark gray come back to their original tan, red, or charcoal color.

Lifting And Resetting Sunken Sections

Sunken pavers are almost never the pavers themselves. The base under them failed, either from poor compaction during the original install or from water washing material out over time. South Jersey clay is not great drainage soil, and once a low spot starts holding water, it accelerates. I lift the affected pavers, rebuild the base with proper stone and bedding sand, regrade to drain away from your house, and reset the pavers tight. Done right, that section stays flat for the long haul. Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel patios near downspouts and pool decks are the ones I see sink the fastest.

Polymeric Sand In The Joints

Once the surface is clean and the base is right, the joints get refilled with polymeric sand. This is sand mixed with a polymer binder. You sweep it into the joints, blow off the excess from the paver faces, and activate it with a careful water spray that triggers the polymer to harden. Done right, the joints lock the pavers in place, block weed seeds from sprouting, and stop ants from tunneling under your patio. Done wrong, and the sand washes out by next spring or hazes the paver faces. The careful part is the activation step.

Sealing For Long Term Protection

Sealing is optional but worth it for most homeowners. A good penetrating sealer locks in the polymeric sand, deepens the paver color slightly, and makes spills from food, wine, grease, and grill drippings much easier to clean. There is a wet look gloss and a matte enhancer. Most folks around Sicklerville, Mantua, and Mullica Hill prefer the matte for a natural look. I will walk you through both before we decide. Sealed patios go longer between deep cleans and look fresh through the back half of the season instead of getting dingy by August.