Brick is designed to withstand harsh winter weather.
Many people ask what they need to do to “winterize” their brick pavers. Good news: Interlocking brick pavers are designed and installed to be able to withstand even the harshest winter climate and frost cycles. That said, here are a few tips to further ensure the long-term success and aesthetics of your brickwork.
- Remove heavy items and vehicles from brick pavers during the winter time. Areas beneath these heavy objects will not be able to flex during the freeze thaw cycle, which can cause sunken areas as the base shifts below. Heavy objects that are left over brick pavers may end up leaving a slight indentation.
- If necessary, add some joint sand in all the joints. Resweeping joint sand between your brick paver joints each Spring and Winter will help ensure their continued longevity. When brick paver joints are properly filled they can drain late season rains better and hold the pavers in place. While you should keep your brick pavers filled year round for optimum success, doing a quick sweep heading into winter is always a good idea.
- Try to redirect water and ice sources to prevent drainage on your brick pavers. Check gutter spouts to see if they are draining onto your pavers. If possible, connect a solid corrugated pipe to the end of the spout and run it into the grass or a nearby plant bed. The rapid freeze and thawing of snow and ice that hits your brick pavers can cause tremendous stress. It’s always a good idea to address drainage issues at the time of installation, but it’s worth doing a second check to make sure no new problems have arose.
While there’s no need to cover up your beautiful pavers or shovel off the snow right away, following these tips can increase the lifespan of your brick paver installation.
Masonry Repair and Restoration from Del Prete Masonry
For all of your questions regarding masonry repair and restoration, feel free to contact Del Prete Masonry. Our masonry restoration professionals have the experience and history of satisfied clients to prove that we’ll get the job done right, and cost-effectively. To get started with your masonry restoration project, please contact our office today at 410-683-0650 or email us at mike@delpretemasonry.com. We serve Baltimore City, County, Harford County, Carroll County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County.
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