Paver Patio in the Woods

We just finished up a paver patio at a wooded property. The site will cause a number of issues that require more regular patio maintenance. The trees will drop leaves, seeds and tannins. The shade creates more humidity and moisture for moss and growth. Regular care routine will be required to keep the paver patio looking it’s best.

Soap and water are the first line of defense. At least once a year the patio will need to be scrubbed. A hard brush and light soapy water mix will do the trick. If done carefully, they won’t disturb the polymeric sand joints. Every few years they will need to pressure wash the patio. This will blow out the polymeric sand joints. Then new polymeric sand will need to be installed.

A paver sealer is an option to reduce maintenance and preserve the pavers. It does add significant cost to the initial installation and the ongoing care. The sealer is costly and the labor to apply it correctly is significant. We generally do not encourage opening this pandora box.

The pavers on this project are Techo-Bloc BLU 60 smooth Champlain Grey. Technically these are ‘concrete slabs’ according to ICPI. But the colloquial paver term is preferred by most. We love this paver. The smooth texture is elegant and much easier to keep clean. The color is a three tone blend so it easily coordinates with a range of other surrounding colors. BLU 60 is a best-selling concrete slab range that delivers a clean finish in a lighter, more cost-effective format. With numerous finishes, colors, and layout options, it’s a go-to choice for elegant, low-maintenance outdoor areas.

Techo-Bloc came out with the HD2 finish several years ago. This finish is both an aesthetic and a pragmatic improvement. The look is noticeably more refined and the durability to demonstrably better. HD² adds a finer-grain surface layer with a coarser base in one fused piece, increasing strength and surface refinement. Being much more dense it has less pores and thus translates to less water absorption. This improves resilience to freeze-thaw cycles and environmental factors such as tannins from tree leaves in a wooded lot.