Hardscape maintenance

The highest-value maintenance task is the least glamorous: check that water still drains where it is meant to. Clear debris from surface drains and the outlet of any wall drain pipe. Confirm the ground still falls away from the house. Drainage is the failure mechanism Fixr names first for retaining walls, and a blocked outlet turns a working drainage system into a bathtub behind your wall.

Joint sand needs topping up. Rain gradually softens and washes out polymeric sand, and once enough is gone, weeds get in and pavers start to move relative to each other. Doing this every few years is far cheaper than the repairs it prevents — Fixr prices paver repair at $7 to $30 per square foot.

Sealing is a finish decision, not a structural one. Fixr puts patio sealing at $3 to $10 per square foot. It helps with stain resistance and color depth and has to be redone periodically. It does not stop settlement, does not fix drainage, and is not a substitute for maintaining joints.

Cleaning should be gentle. Pressure that is high enough to strip a patio clean is also high enough to blast joint sand out and etch softer stone. If you are cleaning masonry or natural stone, start with the lowest effective pressure and a suitable cleaner. The National Park Service's guidance on cleaning historic masonry notes that water at too high a pressure is very abrasive and can easily etch marble, other soft stones and some types of brick — and that grains of stone or sand appearing in the runoff mean the pressure is too high.

Annual wall walk. Look along the face of every retaining wall from one end. You are looking for bulges, courses that have shifted out of line, cracks, and staining that shows where water is escaping. Photograph it so next year's look has something to compare against.

How to choose

Top up joint sand before weeds arrive

Weeds are the symptom, not the problem. Once you can see them, sand has already washed out. Check joint level annually and refill on a schedule.

Keep drain outlets clear

Find where your wall drain daylights and check that it isn't buried under mulch or grown over. This is a five-minute job that protects a five-figure structure.

Clean at the lowest pressure that works

High pressure strips joint sand and can etch soft stone and brick. Test in an inconspicuous spot and step pressure up only if you need to.

Do not seal to hide a problem

Sealer will not stop a patio settling or a wall moving. If the surface is uneven, fix the base first — sealing over it just makes the eventual repair more expensive.

Keep the original spec sheet

Paver model, color, joint sand product and base spec. When you need matching units or a warranty claim in year six, that piece of paper is worth real money.