Paver Sealing & Sanding
Stoneybrook

Where irrigation water carries minerals, orange or brown overspray arcs on unsealed pavers are a frequent issue in communities like Stoneybrook.

Pavers from the early 2000s have usually lost joint sand to many storm seasons, letting pavers shift and weeds take hold. Polymeric sand refills and locks the joints.

A sealer then closes the surface so the next round of overspray, oil or leaves stays on top and cleans off easily, and restores color the sun has faded.

A Lennar community from 2000 to 2005. Stoneybrook is a gated community of about 400 homes built by Lennar between 2000 and 2005 around the Stoneybrook Golf Course. That puts most drives here past twenty years old. Many have been sealed at least once, and some have old sealer that has turned white or flaked in high-traffic spots. We check for that on the walkthrough, because a fresh coat needs a sound surface to grip.

Across from Grandezza, next to Wildcat Run. The community sits just east of I-75 along Corkscrew Road, across from Grandezza and next to Wildcat Run. We work all three neighborhoods regularly, but each has its own paver styles and builders. In Stoneybrook, Lennar’s original pavers tend to be warm, blended tones that respond well to an enhancing sealer once they are clean.

Single-family, villas and low-rise condos. Homes range from about 1,200 to more than 3,000 square feet across single-family homes, attached villas and low-rise condominiums. Villa and condo entries often fit our up-to-400-square-foot tier, while single-family drives use the standard driveway rate. Shared walks at condo buildings are quoted to the association, and side-by-side villa drives can be booked together so the color matches across the pair.

Low-rise condo walks and entries. At the low-rise condominium buildings, the paved entries, walks and parking-side paths are shared and usually maintained through the association. Those walks carry every resident and guest, so joint sand wears out faster there than on a private drive. We quote them per building with each surface on its own line, work in short coned sections, and keep a dry path to each stairwell while the sand and sealer cure.

A long Gordy Lewis and Jed Azinger course. The par-72 course, designed by Gordy Lewis and Jed Azinger, is described as one of the longest in Southwest Florida. With that much fairway, many homes back onto golf and catch fertilizer, clippings and course irrigation. Fertilizer granules can leave rust-colored dots on pavers, which we treat along with any sprinkler staining before sealing.

Families and active amenities. The renovated clubhouse has a fitness room and library, and outdoor amenities include basketball, bocce, pickleball, a playground, a roller hockey rink, horseshoe pits and soccer and baseball fields. A lot of households here have kids, bikes and sports gear moving across the drive every day. Bike tires and scooters are tough on joints near the garage, so we compact those areas carefully and suggest a joint-stabilizing sealer where traffic is heaviest.

Weeds, ants and open joints. On drives this age, open joints along the garage apron and walkway edges are where weeds sprout and ants build mounds. Distributor Mutual Materials describes SEK Surebond’s joint-stabilizing sealers as helping hold sand in place and discouraging weed seed germination and ants. New polymeric sand with a sealer over it is the combination that keeps those joints closed longest.

Pool decks and lanais. Many single-family homes have a paver pool deck or patio behind the house. Sunscreen, pool chemicals and grill grease leave a film that sealer will not stick to, so we degrease those areas first. Around pools we use a slip-resistant sealer, applied in one coat, since manufacturers note that a second coat on dense pavers can be slick.

Refilling the joints. Sanding starts only once the pavers are dry all the way through. Polymeric sand is swept until it sits about an eighth of an inch below each paver’s upper edge, run over with a plate compactor, swept again and compacted a second time. Then each section is soaked with a soft shower so it never dries mid-watering. Joints whose sand has broken down are cleared at least an inch and a half deep first, which Alliance Gator recommends over topping off old sand.

Rain windows and wait times. Some polymeric sands are rain-safe after about 15 minutes on a free-draining base, while others need a full day. Sealer makers then set their own wait after sanding, from about a day on some products to a month on others. Sand cure before sealing follows the label, so some homes are done in one visit and others need a return trip. Once sealed, the drive can usually take cars again after about 24 hours, per the product label.

Picking a sealer. An enhancing or wet-look sealer brings back the warm color that two decades of sun have faded. A natural, penetrating sealer leaves a matte look and lets shaded pavers breathe. If you are undecided, we seal a small corner with each so you can compare.