Should You Seal Your Pavers? An Honest Answer

Almost every paver owner gets the same pitch at some point: you need to seal those. Sometimes it’s true. Often it’s optional. Occasionally it’s a bad idea.

The honest answer depends on three things: what your pavers are made of, how the surface gets used, and what you want sealing to do. Here’s how to think it through.

What sealer actually does

A paver sealer is a coating or penetrating treatment applied to the surface. Depending on the product, it can:

Make oil, grease, food and organic stains easier to clean up before they soak in
Deepen the color, or give a “wet look,” if that’s what you want
Help reduce fading on some products
Help stabilize joint sand

What it doesn’t do is fix anything structural. Sealer won’t stop pavers from sinking, spreading or rocking. Those problems come from the base, the edge restraints or drainage, and we cover them in why pavers fail. Sealing over a failing base just gives you shiny pavers that are still sinking.

It depends on the material

Concrete pavers: usually optional

For most concrete paver patios and walkways, sealing is a choice, not a requirement. A properly installed concrete paver surface does fine unsealed. Many owners seal for appearance or to make stains easier to clean. Others never seal and are perfectly happy. On a driveway, sealing can help with oil drips, though concrete pavers have an advantage over poured concrete either way: a badly stained paver can be pulled and replaced. Our concrete pavers page covers the material.

Travertine: recommended, and required on driveways

Travertine is natural stone, and it’s porous. It absorbs oil and organic stains more readily than manufactured pavers. That’s why we recommend sealing travertine every three to five years, and why we consider it required on driveways. Patios benefit too. Pool decks should be sealed with a product suited to wet, barefoot areas. More on the stone itself in travertine pavers.

Porcelain: no sealing needed

Porcelain pavers are non-porous. They resist staining and clean easily without a sealer, which is one of the main reasons people choose them. See porcelain pavers.

Brick and clay

Clay brick pavers vary by product. Some are dense and need nothing. Others are more absorbent. Check what the manufacturer recommends for your specific brick before you decide. Our brick pavers page has more.

When sealing makes sense

Outdoor kitchens and dining areas. Grease and food spills are a real staining risk. Our outdoor kitchen pavers page covers material choices for these areas.
Driveways, especially travertine, or any surface that sees oil drips.
When you want a specific look. If you like the richer color of wet pavers, a color-enhancing sealer can give you that.
Under trees that drop fruit, berries or sap, where organic staining is constant.

When to skip it, or wait

Right after installation. New concrete pavers often show efflorescence, a white powdery haze that comes from inside the paver and fades over time. Sealing over it can lock it in. It’s usually better to let it work its way out and clean the surface before sealing.
Before the joint sand has cured. If your joints have polymeric sand, it needs to be fully set before a sealer goes on.
Around pools and other wet, barefoot areas, unless the product is chosen for it. Some sealers, especially high-gloss film-forming ones, make pavers noticeably more slippery when wet. If slip resistance matters, choose accordingly or skip the gloss.
On permeable pavers, check first. The whole point of a permeable paver system is that water drains through the joints. Make sure nothing you apply interferes with that.
When the surface has a real problem. Fix settling, rocking or drainage issues before spending money on sealer.

Doing it right

Most sealing complaints, like cloudy haze, a blotchy finish, or a slick surface, come from how it was applied, not from sealing itself.

Clean first. Remove dirt, stains and any efflorescence. Sealer locks in whatever is on the surface.
Re-sand if the joints need it. If joints are low or washed out, top them up before you seal, not after. Our polymeric sand guide explains how joint sand should be installed and when it needs replenishing.
Let everything dry completely. Moisture trapped under a sealer is a common cause of white haze.
Use the right product for the material. Natural stone, concrete pavers and clay don’t all want the same sealer. Penetrating sealers soak in and leave a more natural look. Film-forming sealers sit on the surface and can add gloss.
Apply thin, even coats in the right weather, following the label. Heavy coats and direct midday heat are how you get streaks and haze.

How often?

For surfaces where sealing makes sense, every three to five years is typical. The real answer depends on sun, traffic and the product. A good test: if water stops beading on a sealed surface and soaks in quickly, the sealer has likely worn off.

A caution about pressure washing

Pressure washing is the usual first step before sealing, and it’s where many problems start. A tight, high-pressure stream aimed at the joints blasts out the joint sand. Once joints are empty, pavers loosen, weeds move in, and water gets into the base. If you pressure-wash, keep the pressure moderate, keep the nozzle moving and angled, and plan to re-sand afterward. Our paver repair page covers re-sanding and the repairs that follow when joints have been neglected too long.

The short version

Concrete pavers: sealing is optional. Do it for stain resistance or looks, not because you have to.
Travertine: seal it, every three to five years, and always on driveways.
Porcelain: no sealer needed.
Never seal over efflorescence, uncured joint sand or damp pavers.
Sealer protects the surface. It doesn’t fix the base.

Not sure whether your surface needs sealing, or whether something underneath needs attention first? Get a free estimate. We work across Los Angeles, including Pasadena, Sherman Oaks, Santa Monica and Glendale.