Interlock Cleaning
in Gatineau and Ottawa

Moisture, shade and our winters grow moss and lichen between the joints. Here are the signs we see most often at our customers' homes:

• Greenish moss or lichen settling between the joints, especially in shaded corners.
• Black or greyish stains caused by organic grime building up over time.
• The pavers lose their original colour and look dull, even with minimal upkeep.
• Ants are settling into the gaps, even if the sand hasn't degraded yet.
• The surface gets slippery or smells musty after rain.
• Whitish residue left behind by winter de-icing salt.

When interlock is washed thoroughly, the old joint sand goes out with the dirt. That's why we always refill the joints with new polymeric sand after washing. Otherwise, empty joints quickly fill up with dirt, moss and weeds.

There is no need to wait until the pavers are damaged. Maintenance done early usually costs less and takes less time than a full repair once the pavers have really given out. These are the early signs that it is time to book a visit:

• It has been 2 to 3 years since the joints were last redone. Polymeric sand loses firmness before it shows.
• A few weeds or a bit of moss are showing between the pavers, but they are not everywhere.
• The colour is getting duller, with no clear stain.
• The sealer has lost its gloss but is not peeling yet.
• You are selling or hosting soon and want the pavers looking their best.

It is the same job as for badly worn pavers: pressure wash, new polymeric sand, sealing as an option. Only the timing changes. Regular maintenance reduces wear and can delay the day a full repair is needed, but we cannot promise an exact number of years: every property ages at its own pace. We do this maintenance visit in Ottawa as well as Gatineau.

Before booking a cleaning, look at what your pavers are showing. With us the wash always comes with new joints, but some problems call for something else.

• Moss, black stains, weeds or dull pavers: that is an interlock cleaning. The pressure wash removes everything, including the old sand in the joints. That is why we never stop at the wash.
• Empty joints, sand washing away, ants or weeds in the joints: the joints need new sand, covered in our article on redoing joints. With us it is the same visit: after the wash, we put in fresh polymeric sand.
• A few low spots or pavers that move: these are small spots for releveling, done during a restoration once the cause is found. Why interlock pavers sink.
• The whole driveway is uneven, with highs and lows everywhere: that is no longer a cleaning or a releveling. When the base is uneven almost everywhere, the pavers have to be laid again, and that is not a job we take. Restore or replace.
• The pavers are clean and you want to protect them: that is sealing, applied about 30 days after the sand. Never over dirty pavers, because the sealer would lock the dirt in.

Not sure what your pavers need? A free visit is enough to find out, and we tell you straight.

Clean pavers stay clean longer when you make it easy for them. Few people do, but here is what counts:

• Keep plants away from the pavers and clear wet leaves and excess dirt. A few dry leaves do no harm.
• Notice the shade and the damp: near a pool, plants or a shaded corner, moss and mold show up faster.
• If you wash it yourself: low pressure and a flat nozzle, never a narrow jet aimed at the joints, it wrecks the polymeric sand. Washing interlock yourself.
• A stain is still there after your wash? Do not force it: show it to us. Where black stains come from.

For the rest, see how to maintain interlock pavers.