Do sealed pavers still get dirty?

What makes a driveway look dirty arrives from above: dirt, pollen, leaf litter and the start of biological growth. Some of it stays on the surface and some works into the paver. A sealer is written about the second half only. ICPI's verb for it is reduce, and the object of that verb is intrusion into the paver surface.

Nothing in ICPI's sealer paragraphs says a sealer keeps that material from settling on top, and no document cited here says so. Even ICPI's acrylic entry expects it, describing pavers with acrylics that “become soiled or worn.” On a sealed surface that material still sits on top, which is why a sealed driveway still gets dirty. How much easier it is to lift from there is answered at are sealed pavers easier to clean.

Growth is the same case. ICPI's sealer verbs are reduce and resist, and its weeds and insects line is about the joints, not algae or mold on the surface. Whether that growth returns on a sealed paver is answered at can algae come back after sealing.

The reduction a sealer gives is not permanent. ICPI: “Sealers normally require reapplication after a period of wear and weather. The period of reapplication will depend on the use, climate, and quality of the sealer.” As a sealer wears, less of its reduction is left, and a worn area takes in more of what lands on it.

A sealed surface also starts out looking different. ICPI says most sealers darken the paver surface and enhance its color. That is a change of color, not a layer that keeps dirt off. How long a given sealer holds up is covered at how long paver sealer lasts, and its own label and maker set its recoat timing.

Another coat of sealer does not clean a dirty surface either. Whether pavers can be resealed too often, and what peeling of a sealer film means, are answered on pages of their own.

Because the dirt sits on top, cleaning is what removes it. ICPI's order for cleaning a pavement puts stains on specific areas first and a cleaner for the entire pavement after.

A hand cleaning of a sealed patio, and the label that decides which cleaner it takes, is covered at how to clean sealed pavers by hand.

The sealer families themselves are compared on the paver cleaning page under paver sealing and its finishes. A cleaner made to dissolve oil and grease is defined under degreaser.