Paver cleaning, re-sanding and sealing in Beach Haven

How this shows up

• White haze across the surface that appeared after the patio was new
• Joint sand washed out and weeds or ants coming up between the pavers
• A driveway apron sinking where the sand has gone

Why this comes up in Beach Haven

Here is what makes Beach Haven particular: ocean salt across the eastern blocks and sheltered, humid bay air through the marina district. The historic core sits in between, heavily planted and shaded, which is exactly the condition that keeps painted woodwork damp.

Beach Haven is the borough at the south end of the island, with the only Victorian historic district on Long Beach Island and its largest marina and downtown, and that shapes what turns up on these walls.

Practicalities in Beach Haven

Downtown streets are narrow and busy from June, and the historic properties have porches, bays, brackets and railings that cannot be worked quickly. Marina-side work is dictated by the tide as much as the calendar.

Any permit for this runs through Beach Haven. State registration has to be current before one is issued.

What a crew will actually do

Cleaning is the easy part; what happens next is what the job is actually for. Joints get refilled with polymeric sand and then sealed, and on this island the sealer is doing two jobs — holding the sand in place against wind and hose, and keeping salt out of the paver face. The white haze is usually efflorescence, mineral salts migrating out of the pavers themselves, and it needs a specific treatment before sealing rather than a stronger wash.