WINTER SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE

To help you get prepared for winter, here are some helpful "do’s and don’ts" maintenance tips cleaning brick pavers and concrete sidewalks.

  • Low-pressure hose washers can be helpful when removing soil.
  • Detergents added to the water stream might speed the removal of soil.
  • Acid cleaners should not be used (acid cleaners must never be used on clay pavers).
  • High pressures may cause damage to clay pavers.
All de-icing chemicals tend to cause efflorescence (white powder crust), snow should be removed by mechanical means:
  • Power brushing is good -there is little or no metal to paver contact.
  • Brooms and elbow grease work well, too.
  • Plows can be used if the blades are flexible or if the blades to not ride on pavers. Pads or rollers should be used to raise the blades above the slight imperfections inherent in segmental paving systems. Chamfered edges help.
  • Snow blowers can also be used, but the steel guide pads at the mouths of the snow blowers should be coated with rubber to reduce the possibility of damage when the guides hit the odd-raised or canted paver.
  • Shovels are fine.
  • Ice scrapers are not; they will damage concrete sidewalks and may damage clay pavers.
  • Snow plows and ice scrapers will damage truncated dome pavers.  Rotary power brushes are acceptable.
  • Ice is best handled by spreading sand on the surface of the pavement.
  • Salts such as magnesium chloride, can be mixed with sand to speed melting. Remember, however, that any de-icing chemical is a soluble salt that may cause temporary bouts of efflorescence until spring rains wash away the remnants of the de-icing salts. Sodium chloride will not harm clay pavers.
  • Calcium chloride can cause deterioration of concrete pavers. The instructions on many chloride bags contain warnings that calcium should not be used on Portland cement concrete products or on clay pavers.
  • Urea also may be used if there is no concern about killing plants.
  • Urea does not cause efflorescence, but it is very expensive compared to calcium chloride and concentrations of nitrogen at the run-off points may kill vegetation.

GENERAL PURPOSE MAINTENANCE

If you feel the need to clean Whitacre Greer Pavers after they are installed, we would suggest the following:

DO NOT CLEAN PAVERS WITH MURIATIC ACID

Use a cleaner and weatherproofer made specifically for this paver.  Follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

Exterior

Clean Exterior Pavers with:

SURE CLEAN Vana Trol

  • Safely softens and removes excess mortar and job dirt
  • Slow-drying so it rinses clean without streaking
  • Controls vanadium and manganese staining on color-sensitive pavers
  • Safe for use on colored mortars
Weatherproof Exterior Pavers with:

CONSOLIDECK Saltguard WB
  • Penetrates to produce long-lasting protection
  • Water-based formula
  • Low odor
  • Treated surfaces 'breathe' - doesn't trap moisture
  • Effective protection against deicing salts and salt air
  • Complies with all known national, state and district AIM VOC regulations
Interior

Clean Interior Pavers with:

ENVIROCLEAN Safety Klean
  • Effective for cleaning mortar smears and other common construction soiling
  • Replaces traditional mineral and organic acid products
  • Low odor and water-rinsable
  • Environmentally responsible
Protect Interior Pavers with:

STANDOFF SLX100 Water & Oil Repellent
  • Provides long-lasting protection against water, food and oil staining
  • Won't change color of treated surfaces
  • Treated surfaces 'breathe' - doesn't trap moisture
  • Higher coverage rate than typical water repellents or stain resistant impregnators
  • Complies with all known national, state and district AIM VOC regulations
By PROSOCO Cleaners should be applied with a pump sprayer not to exceed 50 psi.


Permeable Clay Pavement Maintenance
  • Keep pavement free of soil, mulch, grass clippings, leaves and like material
  • Remove any weeds
  • Do not use sand for winter maintenance.  Sand will contribute to clogging.  If traction 'grit' is needed spread #9 stone
  • Visually monitor pavement infiltration of water during periods of rainfall.  Larger jobs should have observation wells installed to observe how well the system is functioning.
  • Crusting of sediment in the joints or any ponding of water are indicators that vacuuming and replacement of the open graded joint material may be needed.  Best management practices suggest that vacuuming once or twice a year will keep the permeable clay paver system operating at a high infiltration level for many years.

     
Download Cleaning and Maintenance Instructions
Download Winter Paver Maintenance
Download Permeable Paver Maintenance