· By Dan Kessler · 1 min read
Your paver drive’s first winter
Salt, plows, shovels and the sand in the joints: what to do and what to skip the first winter after we lay your drive.
A new paver drive is at its best the first winter, but a few habits keep it that way.
Salt
Rock salt is fine on concrete pavers, in moderation; calcium chloride is gentler still. Skip anything with ammonium, which eats at the surface. Sweep up what is left in spring.
Plows and shovels
Ask your plow to set the blade a hair high or fit rubber or poly shoes; a steel edge can catch a paver or the border. A plastic shovel is kinder than a steel one.
Joints
Polymeric sand sets hard, but a few joints may open over the first freeze and thaw as everything settles. That is normal. We come back in spring and top them up as part of the job.