If you have recently installed a brick paver driveway or patio, you know that you should probably seal the surface. Sealing a brick paver patio or driveway will provide a barrier for the brick against the Michigan elements, preventing weathering and protecting against stains. But if you are looking at sealers, there is a solvent-based sealer, but also water-based paver sealing. Water-based paver sealing offers a number of benefits that you should consider when you are thinking of which type of sealer to go with.

Here are a few of the benefits you can enjoy with water-based paver sealing:

• The sealer will provide a darkened, “wet” look to your brick. When you apply a sealer, it enhances the color of the brick. Sunshine and elements can wear down a brick paver surface, and one of the most noticeable ways this happens is the fading of the color of the bricks. This makes the job look poor and cheap. Applying a water-based paver sealing to the surface will protect it from fading and give it a deeper, more enhanced coloring, as if it were wet.
• It is easier to apply than solvent-based sealants. Most solvent-based sealants can only be rolled on, which is very time-consuming, especially if you are trying to seal a large area. Water-based paver sealing can be done with a sprayer or a roller, giving you different options to get the sealant on quickly. You do not even need to pick up a special piece of equipment to apply the sealant – most garden sprayers will work just fine in applying the sealant.
• They dry quickly. When you finish your paver brick patio, the first thing you want to do is go outside and spend some time enjoying it. But if you still need to seal it, you may be frustrated at the long wait time of solvent-based sealers. Some advise you to wait up to 24 hours before you start using it regularly. Instead, water-based paver sealing dries in just a couple hours. Most water-based sealants dry in two to four hours, and then you are able to enjoy your new patio or walkway much sooner.

It may seem like a trivial decision to make, but choosing between solvent-based or water-based paver sealing is an important decision, and factors like the ones listed above are very important to consider before making your decision.