How to prevent moss on brick pavers?

[yve]

My red brick pavers have moss that is so bad. We have used regular bleach, power washing and other products to remove the moss but it is just temporary. It just comes back in 3 months. I want something to eliminate the moss forever preferably - I’m thinking of sealing it or any other ideas welcome.

 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @yve. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about preventing moss growth on bricks.

Sealing your brick pavers can definitely help reduce moss and algal growth on the surface, as it creates a barrier that makes it harder for moisture to penetrate and for moss to take hold. However, a lot of moss growth tends to come from the tiny gaps between the pavers, and most sealers, due to their fluid nature, won’t fill these cracks. To address this, you could use a pavement-locking or jointing sand brushed into the gaps to help stabilise them and limit moss growth. Keep in mind that many gap fillers aren’t fully compatible with sealers, so you’d usually seal the pavers themselves and leave the sand to settle naturally. 

Even with sealing and filling, moss can still reappear in damp, shady, or poorly draining areas. Periodic treatment with an outdoor moss or algae cleaner, such as a spray-and-leave product like 30 Seconds Spray and Walk Away, can help manage regrowth. Ultimately, if the location is very conducive to moss, as it's shaded, consistently damp, or has low airflow, it may be difficult to eliminate it entirely, and a combination of sealing, gap filling, and periodic treatment is usually the most effective long-term strategy.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[yve]

Hi Mitchell

1. Remove all the moss

2. Use a power lock to go between the joints (in the past we have used Bunnings river paving sand)

3. Let it settle 

4. Then use the Crommelin sealant

I don’t quite get “you’d usually seal the pavers themselves and leave the sand to settle naturally” When I use the sealant it would be painted on so would go on the gaps at the same time.  

does that sound right? 

[MitchellMc]

So, it would be:

1. Remove the moss

2. Seal the pavers

3. Use paver locking sand

Paver sealers are not designed to be applied over jointing sand, only the paver surface. The statement about letting the sand settle is regarding bedding paving sand. To bed paving sand (standard sand, not Pavelock), you first spread and broom the sand between the bricks. Then wet down with water to help the particles settle and compact, before repeating the process to ensure the sand is trapped in place.

Mitchell

[yve]

But Mitchell if you look at my photo - the moss is particularly prominent in the joints between the bricks. If I seal the bricks and then put paving locking sand wouldn’t the moss grow on the paving locking sand?

thanks So much for your advice?

[JacobZ]

Hi @yve,

Unfortunately, sealing sand of any kind would not be effective due to its granular nature and the slight movement that these joints experience. A sealer would not be able to bond well to the sand, and even if it did, the slight movements would cause it to crack and fail quite quickly. Sealing the joints would also cause water to pool, which is not a great idea if you are looking to prevent moss growth, as moss thrives in moist environments. The unfortunate truth is that the joints between your pavers are always going to be a bit of a weakness in terms of moss's ability to grow. 

When activated with water, polymeric paving sand (also called paver locking sand) hardens due to its polymer additives. This forms a more stable surface that makes it harder for moss to establish, ants to tunnel, and weeds to push through. While it won’t make the area completely moss-proof, it offers much better protection than regular sand, though occasional maintenance will still be necessary.

To minimise regrowth, keep the surface as dry and clean as possible by improving drainage, trimming back nearby plants to increase sunlight and airflow, and regularly sweeping away debris that holds moisture. For ongoing maintenance, apply 30 Seconds 5L Spray And Walk Away Concentrate every few months to stop spores from taking hold.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob