Winter Care for Your Clay Brick Pavers

Winter has arrived and you have clay brick pavers in your plaza, sidewalks or driveway. Congratulations! You have selected one of the most durable products you can use for decorative paving. Clay pavers have low absorption (less than 5%), high compressive strength (16,000+ psi) and will withstand freeze thaw cycles. Here are some tips for treating your pavers for ice and snow:

1) Use calcium magnesium acetate for ice removal. Rock salt is not recommended since it contains calcium chloride that can cause efflorescence. (That ugly white stuff you sometimes see on pavements)  Sand or grit can be used to provide traction on ice but should be swept up after the freezing cycle to minimize grinding on the pavers.

2) For snow removal, you can use plows, snow blowers, shovels and brushes.  Rubber or urethane blade edges are recommended on plows to prevent damage to the pavers. It's also important to maintain a proper blade height above the pavement surface using guide wheels to avoid scraping the paver surface.

3) For Permeable Pavers, DO NOT USE SAND OR GRIT.  These products will clog the permeable joints and prevent stormwater runoff. No. 8 or No. 9 aggregate can be used for traction control but should be swept up after the freezing cycle. Deicing salt (calcium magnesium acetate) does not clog permeable clay brick pavements, nor cause any deterioration to the pavers. Deicing agents dissolve readily and then flush through with melt water, without accumulating on the pavement.

You can find out more about maintaining your beautiful clay brick pavers from the Brick Industry Association Technical Note 14 Paving Systems Using Clay Pavers or Technical Note 14 D Permeable Clay Brick Pavements.