7 Most Common Reasons for Polymeric Sand Failures
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- On today's video, we discuss 7 reasons why polymeric sand fails. From the sweeping to the watering, these are the reasons why polymeric sand may fail.
Learn more about polymeric sand installation, as well as problems and solutions with polymeric sand with this article:
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You did a great job on this video. We are considering pavers around the pool vs stamped concrete on our remodel. I'll go look at more of your videos now. Thanks.
Glad it helps!
Super helpful explanations and the supporting B-roll was great. Thanks!
Glad it helped!
One of the best video-based presentations I've ever watched. Thank you for sharing. I'm applying your knowledge to a current project.
I appreciate that!
Very well explained in detail. I have watched many videos, but this video claimed 5 stars.!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very helpful! Thank you so much.🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thank you!
Guys 100% correct, this was great - senior engineer and builder. Good job man,
Really appreciate that!
Good video, but shouldn't you use a blower to make sure no sand is left on the pavers after the sweeping is completed? The sand will harden on top of the pavers if left behind. Thanx
Yup! Maybe it wasn't captured in this video (it is an older video) but we definitely always do that before activating with water.
I watched this a day AFTER installing my polymeric sand 😂 fortunately I did exactly as you recommended. The instructions on the bag were followed closely as well. This video put me at ease about the job done. Thank you!
Nice! Hope it turns out well
Same, but didn’t do exactly as recommended lol
You know your what your talking about. I wish the contractor that did my paver install watched your video first. Would have saved me a headache.
Ah I am sorry to hear! Polymeric sand can be really tricky.
I've always used 21AA crushed limestone and it holds up for a long time. I run a blower after sweeping the sand in and compacting to remove any dust on the pavers and I use a mister most of the time when watering the poly sand so it doesn't run out over the pavers and leave that nasty haze. This was a fantastic video though, well done. I still learn new things from your videos all the time!
Thank you for the comment!
Thank you for the hints.
👍👍
Thank you for the fine explanation. Have you ever done a video where you install or build a pergola on a paver patio start to finish?
No, I have not but hopefully before the end of the year I will have that video up.
Excellent tutorial.
Thank you!
I install 30000+ square feet of concrete/natural stone/porcelain pavers every year. I have used every type of polymeric sand there is and every time I have used this product it fails. Not only does it fail it also stains natural stone and concrete pavers. I have even had reps from polymeric sand companies come out to professionally install their product on my jobs and have had them fail. I have had to replace material that was stained by this product on several projects and it has cost my company tens of thousands of dollars over the years. It also does not allow water to drain through the surface of the pavers and if the pavers are not sloped enough water will pool up on the surface.
People think this is some kind of miracle product and it is the farthest thing from it. If you are using pavers with a smaller joint just use regular jointing sand and if your project has larger joints use a crusher dust (Fine crushed limestone). If you need to repair the joints you just sweep more product into them, very simple. If you have a client that specifically wants this product specify on your invoice/contract that you are not responsible if it fails and have advised against using it.
If you are thinking about using a product and come across a video describing 7 ways it could fail that alone should be enough of a reason to steer clear of it.
We blow off before activating and don’t get staining. Seems like a lot to fail, I have had two projects in my time that I have had fail in spots. But great advice on the contract. Gotta do what works best for you in and your business and covering yourself with that makes a ton of sense. Have you tried the semi permeable jointing compound like EASYJoint or Nitro?
Well said, it only works once in a while. Mostly it flakes out or washes out. Pure junk
In this vid there were two different brands of polymeric shown. It appears that the Gator G2 was not the one used and am assuming you were referring to the other brand, HP NextGel? I typically use the Gator G2 and haven't had the issues you referred to.
@iamahardscaper Nitro is what I use. It's fantastic. He's right about the slope though, we always do that. It doesn't take much to get the water to run off and you don't even notice it on large patios.
I'm making a DIY patio. I've always used stone dust to fill the spaces between the bricks. You mentioned using regular joint sand. Can you please give me a brand name or a more specific reference to what that is, please? Much appreciated!
Thanks so much for all the great content and sharing your wealth of experience and knowledge!
I’m installing a 300 sf patio with 1/8” inch joints…. What is the best polymeric sand that you would recommend for such small joints?
Thank you for watching and commenting! Most polymeric sands are good for 1/8” joints. I use Alliance or TechniSeal
Thanks, ......a lot of good information !
Thank you!
Polymeric sand is one of those products that sounds good in theory but in practice is a pain in the ass to use and even if you follow the manufacturers instructions carefully, the residue of bonding agents is highly likely to change the appearance of your pavers. Especially if those pavers have a rough or textured surface. Wherever there is fall on surface- which there should be on every outdoor paved surface- getting even coverage is very difficult because the water will follow gravity and likely wash sand out of joints in the lower areas and make a mess.
You also need to start with everything including base pretty much completely dry. As if the surface is damp the bonding agents will stick immediately. If the base is too damp the water will rise up when you compact and cause the polymeric sand to expand and expell onto the surface.
Additionally whenever we used this stuff it made us feel sick, probably owing to the bonding agents (that they don't list on the bags) becoming an extremely fine dust when swept and compacted and seemingly finding a way in through our dust masks.
As a landscaper of 2 and half decades, I say don't use polymeric sand, except on very smooth finished paving. Instead go for a standard wet mortar mix and grout gaps of 7mm or more and simply use a fine grade, kiln dried sand, which will expand in gaps when wet anyway and carry out occasional maintenance and top ups for finer joints.
Also always wear a quality filtering mask when applying dry silica sands.
👍👍👍
Thanks my friend
Wow... what a great comment thanks so very much !!❤❤❤
Wow, I learned a lot. Thanks,
Glad it helps!
Hey there I really enjoy your videos and they have been super helpful when paving my backyard. I have just laid all of my pavers and my question for you today is.. Should I put my concrete edge on before doing the polymeric sand or should I do the polymeric sand process before my concrete edge? Thanks!
Concrete edge first. Be careful when compacting after installing the polymeric sand if you are not waiting for it to cure, just stay away from the edge.
Watching the compaction really validates my roller tamper purchase lol
haha yeah i love my roller tamper now!
Very good video.
Thank you!
Great video! What if you are installing porcelain pavers and you can't use a packer over the surface to vibrate the polymeric sand?
There are roller compactors for this. Otherwise you’d likely need to use a rubber mallet on each one.
I built a patio using 1'square pavers,I got a large piece of used carpet,flipped it over and used construction adhesive to glue the pavers down. A couple of days later I brushed in the sand and used boiled linseed oil to bind the sand. A plastic drink bottle with an 1/8" hole in the cap is what I used to apply the oil. It has been 6 years so far and it is still good.
Interesting
@@iamahardscaper Thanks!
Doesnt the carpet decompose under ea paver tho ??
@@zoezzzarko1117 It's a synthetic carpet. Nylon I believe.
@@dolphincliffs8864 interesting 😲
Thank you so much for an extremely helpful video; and I really appreciate your direct and clear approach - no attempts to be clever or talk about extraneous stuff. I just want to add one thing about this stuff - if your pavers have significant texture (as mine do), it's really hard to clean off the excess polymeric sand with a blower without it coming out of the joints, as well. So I ended up with joints that will need to be "topped off," maybe even with some kind of direct applicator (a straw??). Any thoughts about that situation? (And btw, this was a re-do of an existing patio whose pavers were sinking; if I had started from scratch, I probably would not have chosen these pavers!)
So you shouldn't have to blow off a whole lot. Most of it should be swept. Then it is just a matter of finding the right power on the leaf blower and distance away from the pavers to be able to blow off the remaining dust. There will be some sand that comes out of the joints, but that is just sand that is over-filled (not 1/8" below the top of paver or bottom of chamfer). Hope that helps!
Well done!!!
Do you find consistant failure with pavers that have false joints such as pavers made to look like flagstone? I have experienced many of these problems in this video. Your right on the money!
Thank you! I have had luck with one particular brand on those false joints. But even it can have some problems for sure.
Very logical and useful information! During replacing sand, can I use hand tamper?
Thank you! And hand tamper will work in a pinch. Put something with a larger surface area down like a clean piece of plywood to spread the impact over a wider area. Ideally you’d use a compactor though
@@iamahardscaper Appreciate that would help, I can rent compactor from Home Depot but my project will run for multiple days in section, so need to do it with tamper but your suggestion of using sheet of plywood will help a lot. God bless.
Good stuff!
Thank you!
I am installing pieces of cut out scrap granite for my patio. The thing that worries me is the packing of the sand. Granite stone is strong but 1 1/4 granite is not always the most resilient stuff. I guess I could try it on just a section of the patio but it still makes me nervous.
You can also try a rolling compactor which works well with 1” material
@@iamahardscaper ty. I will see if my local equipment rental place has one.
Nice video! I am running into a situation where the joints are too small in places the stones actually touch, but weeds have overtaken the pavers.
I wonder what you think of partial install of poly sand where the joint widths right?
You can do partial installs. Where the stones are touching, if you vibrate it into the joint you will get some of that sand working it’s way down into the joint. It’s not a lot but you do get some
Great info!
My patio's polymeric sand is 5 years old and one end of the patio (about 10 to -15 percent of the whole patio) is starting to show its age and needs a repairs.
Can I refresh only the areas that are in need of replacement rather than doing the whole patio?
If I heard correctly one has to remove 1 to 1.5 inches of the existing polymeric sand before "refreshing" the joints...is that right?
Now that we're into October, would you recommend waiting until spring to do this work to get the best result?
FYI...I'm in Wisconsin and the temperatures will be in the upper 50s to low 60s during the day and down in the low 40s to upper 30s at night.
Thanks.
You do not have to do the whole patio. Do the area that needs to be fixed and expand it out a little bit further maybe a few inches. The rest of the questions depend on the poly sand. Typically it is 1 inch or 1.5” of depth that you need. But the deeper the better. Temperature is also dependent on the poly sand. At this time of year you need to pick the right time to do it.
. My case is different than most because I made a mosaic path with granite pieces. I used 2 different layers of sand under granite . The first section I barried the granite into sand & didn't leave the edges exposed for the polymeric sand to bond. Maybe I need to use a different product altogether. The next section I applied sand twice inbetween pounding it over & over with that square tool.some areas hardened & some didnt. I saw an ad for a quick-crete product.??
Oh I think you need at least 1.5” in depth for most polymeric sand to bond properly. I don’t know a quickcrete product for this application unfortunately
I have a question, what about placing weight on top of recently joint filled pavers? I’m planning building a stone fire pit on top of brick pavers. Should I wait the full 30 days it takes to completely cure? I’m using techniseal poly sand.
Just wait 24 - 48 hours.
I'll be setting a flagstone sidewalk this afternoon with large joints 2"- 4". Which product should I use? I know I could probably research on the web but after watching your video I figured I would just ask you! Thanks!
You should use a polymeric sand that is rated for wide joints. 4” may be the max you could go for this product though
@@iamahardscaper Thank you for the swift reply!
Just finished pressure washing the patio in preparation of applying polymeric sand. Unfortunately I don’t have a power tamper, what other tamping options do you recommend?
A rubber mallet or a hand tamper on top of plywood to protect the pavers. It is not ideal and won’t get the same results. A compactor will be best.
Love ❤your videos mate 🏁🇦🇺👏👏👏
Thank you!
What do you use to protect the pavers from the compactor? My compactor does t have a rubber plate attachment and I’m trying to think of alternative ways. I noticed you used some kind of board in your video
We bought one on Amazon (link is in the description on this video) that has clamps for most compactors. We’ve used plywood in a pinch but it softens the blow too much. I’ve seen people use carpet but the same is true
I learned a lot thanks to your video. I appreciate you. You're very handsome and very knowledgeable.
Thank you!
We have allot of brick walks, patios, and areas that are in need of repair and replacement of broken bricks. I also treat every year for weeds and someone recommended power washing our areas and using Polymeric sand to seal everything up. Based on the information in this video and others it sounds like this is not a good idea and might cause more issues in the long run? Thanks
It depends. Hard to say without seeing it in person. If you pressure wash, you want a good pressure washer to be able to blow the weeds and their roots away. If the weeds have grown extensively, their roots are likely worked well around under the pavers so they would just grow back.
Thanks - how about if I'm not able to compact pavers per manufacturer instructions (porcelain)?
They have roller compactors for those situations.
Paver Roller Compactor Review
th-cam.com/video/CK1VFL--z9k/w-d-xo.html
extremely informative video...I wished I had discovered years ago. You said not to use stone dust as a base...what do you suggest?
I’d check this video out:
Best Base for Pavers | 4 Base Preparation Methods with Different Applications
th-cam.com/video/Zn8eODTY-QI/w-d-xo.html
@@iamahardscaper thanks
I live in Westchester County, NY. Temperatures are fluctuating between highs of daytime 50's to 60's and overnight temps dipping down as low as 30's. I know about watching for rain, but is it not good to fill in my pavers now? Pls respond. Thanks.
Hi, I would check with the manufacturer. They will have a weather range for their sand that will be specific to the manufacturer
I have an area 4' x 8' where pavers have to be relayed. The spot is surrounded by other pavers. The new base has been installed, (3/4 crushed stone 4" deep, 1/4 clear/A.P.B. stone 3" deep & bedding sand 2"). Do I need to compact the base before I lay the new stone? Or should I just lay the stone, apply the polymeric sand and then compact?
The base should have been compacted before installing the bedding sand. And then you would screed out the bedding sand, lay the pavers, install the sand, and then compact the pavers. Protect the pavers with a mat though.
I live Colorado and am having a flag stone walk way installed. We are debating on weather to us a siliconized sand or just small pebbles between the flagstone. I’m not sure if they are going to us rock chips or not for the base. What would be the best choice? I was also wondering if we should just us normal sand and then spray a sealer over both the flag stone and the sand. We are just afraid of using the pebbles and the flag stone not staying in place. What would you suggest. We can’t spend a ton but we don’t want to cheap out either.
If the pebbles are not angular crushed, they will move around likely. If your base material is not an open graded material (no sand) there’s not point to use that either. Both other options would work in any scenario. Just depends which you prefer
I do landscape flower bed maintenance. Overtime after many seasons of raking leaves, and plant debris from beds surrounding paver patios &/or driveways pavers (that never had polymer sand by original installer) organic debris builds in cracks. I’m constantly having to weed spray. Recently my employee power washed a 2000+sq. ft.
paver patio that has flower beds and trees surrounding. I’m hiring a experienced landscaper to install poly-sand. Will certain amounts of poly-sand and activating process injure landscape plants?
Btw great video.
That is a great question. In my experience it does not, but I would reach out to the manufacturer to see what they say
No not at all
Love your videos! I am scraping out gravel between existing irregular edged pavers with an 1/2 to 1 inch spacesI want to do a more solid even fill to prevent weeds, moss, and I can use barefooted. Extends off concrete area and often in shade. Suggestions on what type fill?
That is tough. If it is in shade, you want to make sure that water runs off of it quickly if you are going to use polymeric sand. If you were to use just regular jointing sand, it will wash out and be susceptible to weeds. You can apply a joint stabilizing sealer to the regular jointing sand to prevent both of those. Ultimately those are your two best options, it is just a matter of weighing the pros and cons to each.
@@iamahardscaper
Is joint stabilizing sealer the same as mulch glue?
I just finished an 8’x8’ area with these 2 3/8” thick pavers from Lowe’s that have those separation nubs on the sides but my pavers barely have a 1/16” gap. They have the recessed edges but where they butt up together there’s hardly any gap. Should I avoid polymeric sand or what could I use?
Polymeric sand should be able to get in there. Contact one of them to double check
@@iamahardscaper thanks for the quick responses. Appreciate it!
Excellent video. I didn't rinse off the pavers enough. they now have a greyish color. is there an acid cleaner I can use? Thanks
There is. Most poly sand manufacturers have a haze cleaner. Or you can check with the manufacturer what product they recommend for their sand
@@iamahardscaper Thank you! I'll call Techniseal. that's what I used.
I know they have a Haze cleaner for sure
I have a paver patio with vertical bricks in the steps down, how would I sand & seal them?
I think I know what you’re referring to. I tape my edges so the sand doesn’t spill out and then activate it. I wouldn’t expect it to last a long time if it is not contained though.
What type of polymeric sand would you recommend for Travertine pavers with very tight joints? What color of polymeric sand would you used for Classic Ivory Travertine pavers.
You would likely opt for a tan color. Grey and tan are the two biggest colors. It depends on how tight the joints are. If they are touching, it will be hard and time consuming to get anything between those joints. I’d say Alliance has the finest sand. But I like techni seal sand
Got a travertine patio here with 1/8” gaps. Was going to grout conventionally except my travertine has hollows such as quartz inclusions I don’t wish to plug full of polymeric sand or conventional grout. Can I use poly sand with a grout bag or tape over these surface characteristics in order to preserve their beauty? Or poly sand conventionally a pinpoint blow out these recesses with an air compressor before sprinkling with water. I’m thinking tape would just come loose from the brooming/sweeping process? Please help
This is an interesting one. it may be a matter of using a funnel with polymeric sand and ensuring it is landing in the joint and not on the surface of the stone.
Is it possible to pre fill with cheap paver sand half way, then come back with the polymeric sand? Brick paver application
No, that will fail
Question: should installers saturate the sand at the same time as spreading it into joints? One person spraying the hose while another is spreading the sand slush with a broom....all at the same time? Leaving the project covered in dried sand within hours? With some pavers completely filled in between while others have gaps?
There are new products that are not polymeric sand that are installed wet like you described. If it is polymeric sand that they are installing, it is not supposed to be installed like that.
@I Am a Hardscaper Thank you- I wondered if it might be a product installed that way. But still, the sloppy install is evident😕so I will have to pursue it. I do not know the company yet, as they were pool company subs. Ugh.
Why wouldn't someone want Moss growth on the joints?
What kind of a world is this becoming!?
Sweet viddy.
Thanks for the content!
Thank you!
I'm installing a flagstone patio and I'm concerned about using the G2 joint filler. I noticed in your video that it needs to be just below the stone edge. My priority is to have the surface be as smooth as possible from the flagstones to the joint filler so chairs don't rock when sitting. Some joints are 1"-3" wide and about 1" deep on average. The flagstones sit on a crushed clean stone base. Would you suggest I use a mortar mix instead of the G2 polymeric sand?
I probably wouldnt use the mortar on an open graded base. I'd rather use that on a concrete or dense graded base. Event with mortar you still want that to sit lower than the flagstone when you strike it so it wouldn't quite solve the problem you are referring to.
Well, riddle me this Batman :) I had our pool redone and the pool company suggested we do pavers over the concrete patio around the pool. The issue now is, the polysand is failing. No one wants to touch it with a 10 foot pole since most of the other pool companies believe it will fail again since we chose to do the pavers over the concrete. Any GREAT suggestions as to what I should do about replacing the poly sand? Do I pull up all the pavers and redo it from scratch? Any advice from you is greatly appreicated.
Yeah if it is installed directly on top of concrete it will cause poor drainage and cause the sand to fail. When we do this, we lay it on a layer of sand on top of nonwoven geotextile. I’d have to see it to be able to give advice on what to do moving forward though
I assume you use several inch’s of a stone base like crusher run. Do you the set your pavers in concrete sand? Since you don’t use stone dust .
We use a variety of different methods depending on the application. This video sums it up:
th-cam.com/video/Zn8eODTY-QI/w-d-xo.html
Way more than I never new about magic sand.
Definitely!
I agree with your points here, but what do you do with XL slabs that aren't supposed to be compacted after installing sand?
Everything needs to be compacted after installing sand. You should look into getting a roller compactor for slabs. Weber and Bartell both have one specifically for this. I’ve even use my small compactor with a pad on slabs though there are some that break.
@@iamahardscaper yeah now that you mention it I think in the future I'd rent a roller compactor.
We are planning to lay a Fon du Lac natural flagstone patio in Michigan. The design includes an antique brick bordered walkway/path that meanders through the patio. The interior surface of the bordered path will be same flagstone material. A contractor will be excavating & preparing the base for us. The proposed base material is either 4" or 6" of 22A dolomite stone (compacted) topped with an inch of 3/8" crushed pea stone. The patio will get dappled sunlight, but no direct hot sun. We will instruct the Contractor to adhere to a minimum 3/16" per foot slope (or more). We are debating between using Techniseal NOCO or GatorDust for the joints.
Question 1: is this a good base to use for our application? Suggestions?
Question 2: what material do you think is best for the joints, especially since we will have a mix of joint sizes (3/8" to 3") in the flagstone, and tight joints in the brick border that defines the pathway?
Greatly appreciate your help and the awesome videos!
1: I don’t know 22A. If that is a 3/4” fractured clean stone, I like that. But at 6” minimum. 3/8” shouldn’t be pea stone it should be a fractured clean stone as well. We call it HPB here. If it is round it will not lock up.
2: I’ve never used either but I know Gator dust is for wider joints and NOCO sounds good and if it is for wider joints too that would be a good choice. Just follow the install instructions very carefully
Thank you very much! @@iamahardscaper
I wish I had seen your videos before I started my project. I used 10 limestone as my base (as recommended by supplier) and I’m getting ready to lay the pavers/polymeric sand, but it sounds like the sand might be a bad idea. Any recommendations on how to proceed?
you have a few options:
1) remove and start fresh (probably not ideal considering the work you put in)
2) continue with what you've got and try polymeric sand and take a chance
3) continue with what you've got and just use regular jointing sand
Hope that helps
@@iamahardscaper😢.
....
Hello, I am going to reapply polymeric sand as over time, some of it has lifted out of the groves. Should I power wash it or just blow it off, and re apply some sand and follow the instructions?
You can scrape it out or power wash it, but you will want to get down at least 1.5” and not have small patches, but rather larger areas to be able to allow the polymeric sand to bond properly
How do you get down 1 1/2 inches between pavers with a pressure washer??? 🤔
Do I need to use the compactor if it’s a refill and not a new installation?
I still do. The sand still needs to be vibrated down to the bottom of the joint
I thought this was a drinking game. I took a shot every time he said polymeric sand. I probably need to take the next week off work.
😂 at least you had some fun
Do you compact pavers to set them in the concrete sand below prior to starting the polymeric sand process or just compact as part of the polymeric sand process?
The correct way to do it is to set them into the concrete sand before polymeric sand is installed
@@iamahardscaper Appreciate the quick reply and the way you share your expertise! I've been glued to your vids throughout our 900 sq ft DIY project.
Glad they have helped!
What if we don’t have a vibrator or compactor? I seen someone say you can grab a rubber mallet to settle the sand as well. Thoughts?
It works fairly well in a pinch. You don’t get the same consistent impact and the plate spreads that vibration out over a wider area which also helps to level minor imperfections in height differences between pavers.
Don't use a rubber mallet, I did this and initially it looked great but only held up a couple of months and now I have to removed it as its failing and looking at hiring a compactor to re-do it all again..
😂 I just read through the comments.
I want to thank you. Though it was a great video and I like the poly sand even more now!
😂😂 Thank you!
I’m about to finish laying my pavers, and I planned to use polymeric sand but there’s rain in the forecast for all of next week. Should I wait until after the rain to install the sand? Will that risk damaging the work I’ve already done? This is a small project so I’m willing to pivot and get Easy Joint (I didn’t know about it before I ordered supplies), but I’m not sure where to buy it locally in California or if there similar products I should look for
Hold off installing until it is dry. The rain is not going to damage the project
@@iamahardscaper Thank you so much! I'm a homeowner, not a professional, and your videos have been THE MOST HELPFUL thing I've found on the whole internet.
Glad that they have helped
I have flagstone on a base of sand installed by a local contractor. Some joints are up to 4" What would be a good sand for that size joint????? What the contractor put in came out within a year and we have tried two other times with various sands recommended. Obviously we are not using the correct sand.
Most polymeric sand companies have a special sand that is rated up to 4”. Alliance has a stone dust polymer as well. Techni seal has HP
My guy used grey polymeric on brown pavers. He set the water on it without properly brooming the excess sand away. It took me 8 gallons of muriatic acid to clean the pavers. 12 x 20 area. What a waste of time and money. All looks good now.
Oh man that’s a headache
After sweeping/compacting, my workers left some lightly dusted areas of sand on the TOP of some pavers…so after watering, there is some hardened sand residue on some pavers. I can see how it might be hard to remove all sand dust prior to watering. How do I remove this hardened layer, without damaging paver surfaces?
Hot water will reactivate the polymers and the sand can be removed
@I Am a Hardscaper ….Ahhhhh‼👍I’m going to try that, they’re only a handful of pavers, but it bugs the hell outta me. Thanks!
No problem!
When removing existing failed polymeric sand (contractor didn't watch your vid! lol), is it ok to use surface cleaner attachment on the pressure washer? Thanks in advance!
Is the surface cleaner attachment the one with a circular end to it that contains the water? If so, yes
@@iamahardscaper yep, thanks again!
What is the best way to remove polymeric sand and then replace it?
If it is a large area, using a pressure washer is best. Smaller areas you may be able to get away with just scraping it out with a tool.
I’ve installed flagstone over sand and ab3. What should I use for the joint compound?
Depends on the joint widths. Likely polymeric sand is the best bet if the widths are minimal and you have at least 1” depth. Just needs to be installed properly.
@@iamahardscaper ok thanks for the reply. Your channel has been very helpful.
Glad it helps!
I just bought my first house with a brick paver pathway and patio that appears to use mortar in the joints. Unfortunately a lot of it has cracked or chipped. Large gaps have appeared in places and weeds are growing all over the place. Once I deal with the weeds and cleaning everything, would polymeric sand be a viable solution to fill in the gaps?
You would need to get at least 1.5" of depth or whatever the manufacturer of the poly sand suggests. You also want to make sure the gaps are not too wide or the sand wont bond properly. This also depends on the poly sand manufacturer.
@@iamahardscaper Gotcha so if the gaps are too shallow, it isn’t viable? Thanks for the quick response!
Yeah it depends on the manufacturer. Some say 1” minimum others say 1.5”
@@iamahardscaper Got it, thanks again
Some joints with polymeric sand has the black thing(mold I think?) do you know how to keep it away? especially around the downspout water from the rain.
It would need an appropriate slope to get that water off of it as fast as possible. Especially if it is a place that does not get a lot of sun. Otherwise you’ll need to clean it to maintain it
@@iamahardscaper yes it doesnt get alot of sun only few hr during afternoon and some of the sand is already loose not even a year yet. If I reapply the sand should I remove all the old ones or I can just add the new one on the old ones. thanks
You need the scrape out most of the sand. And at least 1.5” in depth. The new sand will not bond to the old sand
I had my driveway done in November 2022. Everything was done "by the book", except for the watering of the polymeric sand. I misunderstood. Instead of 30 sq. ft. in 30 seconds, I did 30 sq. ft. in 3 minutes. Five times the ideal time. Nothing has happened, except for some efflorescence. Should I bother to clean it? Is it something permanent? Or can it be removed? If so, how? Also, when would I be able to apply a sealer? Thanks for your attention to this.
That wouldn’t have affected the efflorescence. That could be a paver issue or a base issue with not enough drainage. If it’s not bad, it should work itself out. If it is, you’d likely need to address it by using an efflorescence cleaner. You won’t want to seal it before the efflorescence is gone.
@@iamahardscaper Thank you soooo much for your response. Just so that you know, for drainage, we did lots of 1 ft deep holes which were filled with pebbles. So I guess it could be, as you say, a paver issue, in which case, I will have to use an efflorescence cleaner. Thanks for letting me know that I should address the issue before I even think about sealing it. 😊
Great tips! Thank you so much! Are you based in Burlington? 7:40 looks like Legends Landscaping Supply 😂
Based out of Toronto 👍
I had my pavers installed almost 2 weeks ago. They used polymeric sand, but I feel like it can use more in some spots. Can I give the whole paver area another pass of polymeric sand?
No, it needs a depth of at least 1" for most manufacturers. It may look low but it does need to be 1/8" below the top of the paver or bottom of the chamfer on the paver. It should not be all the way to the top of the paver.
@@iamahardscaper ok.... Thanks bud. Then it's time to apply the sealant.
Cambridge pavers states do not use stone dust
💯 most manufacturers do
Thank you, I agree with all your points but not with compactor, poly sand is so fine it can reach down to the bottom, if you sweep it diagonal then all done. Compactor can move/ dislocate pavers . Thank you
I’d urge you to try it. You’d be surprised as to how much that poly sand settles. And those would just be air voids that would cause your poly to fail. If you sweep in the sand first and then compact it won’t move your pavers 👍
It would be great if you talked just a bit slower for the newbs doing backyard installations. Obvs you’re a pro tho, thanks for the tips!
You’re not the first person to say this 👍
After watching video and reading all comments I am probably not going to install polymeric sand. Seven pitfalls does very much seem like an accident waiting to happen! In my case the big-box home improvement store designer recommended poly for use with 16x16” imprinted concrete “cobblestone” pavers, to fill joints between pavers AND imprinted pseudo channels/gaps between simulated cobblestones - for a finished mortared look between every “cobblestone“. I’m guessing it’s wishful thinking this will last more than a season. Soils removed to a depth of 12”. Installed 4” of road gravel (mixed crushed+fines), then 6” sub-base using 3/4 crushed stone (no fines), final base is 1” 1/4 crushed stone (no fines). Due to site constraints need water to drain into the base, not laterally on surface away from area. Poly sounds like it would prevent drainage. Should I sweep sand into joints or just let nature accumulate organic debris? A mossy seam is aesthetically desirable in this shaded location, will need to control weeds using mechanical removal or herbicides in long term.
considering the base material you are using, i would consider a semi-permeable jointing compound: th-cam.com/video/LctDY0tpaGc/w-d-xo.html
can you strike the joint, refill and strike again and not plate compact?
Need the vibration of the plate compactor to move the sand down to the bottom of the joint
Hi I have a situation where the hardscapers did a polymer sand fill and then the following day it rained a little so it was still sandy looking. They then watered it but it had grains of polymer sand still on the surface. They then put a low luster brick sealant that wasn't made for papers so it now has a dullish surface. Is there a way of removing this surface ?
They let it sit in the rain before they watered it? That won’t be good for the sand. It depends on the sealer. If it is a water based breathable sealer the sand should dislodge from the surface fairly easily. If it is a solvent based sealer it will be a lot more difficult
Thank you very much for your reply. It was a low lustre acrylic solvent from Behr premium. I have a photo of the product but I don't see a way uploading it and I don't have the product handy to take a photo of. What product would you recommend?
Its more that the polymer on the red bricks made it dusty looking as they didn't wash it off right away and I am presuming the light rain that occurred caused it to react and click to the unistone
I saw a negative review where Behrman suggested using a power washer or a paint stripper..
I have 10 years pavement. It looks like there is is less sand in the joints. What is the correct procedure to repair/resand the joints?
any areas you want, you need to scrape out the joints / pressure wash to get to 1 - 1.5 inches in depth and follow the instructions of installing polymeric sand. larger areas work better rather than small areas throughout.
You dont scuff the paver using the compactor on top with sand still under it?
These pavers I am not too worried about, but others I would not have sand on the pavers while compacting.
What do you do if you're in an area that gets rain often and you barely ever get a morning that's completely dry?
In rainy areas, is probably opt for an open graded base and a semi permeable jointing compound so that water can just flow through the system as opposed to polymeric sand
@@iamahardscaper yeah I live in NJ and had a company put polymeric sand last year....looks like it didn't work at all. We got so much rain this past year.
Polymeric sand: bad for the environment, bad for your health, doesn't' stop weeds, doesn't keep bricks from spreading, labour intensive, expensive, and generally unnecessary except for certain situations. Personally installed interlock using regular sand and stonedust that look fine after 15+ years. I watched your video on stonedust. They had a 10 inch layer of stonedust. Obviously the installers had no idea what they were doing. Also never had problems with efflorescence, even in harsh Canadian winters with road salt.
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Some more data for my memory banks. Use TBD. ...thanks
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Confused. I have used sand to level my stones. Are you saying this is a no-no?
No, not at all. Something I don’t prefer to use, but sand has been used as a bedding layer with great success for a long time
Hello I just install polymeric sand and unfortunately it rain ( it was not in forecast), it wash away from some joint little bit so can i resend it or i need to power wash again and take it out all sand?
You will have to wait and see. Give it some time and see how it cured.
I am attaching video can you please tell me what should I do ? Can I re sand it or not? where can i send video
I like to seal it too
Sorry, it is too difficult to come to a conlulsion with a video. if the sand is not hard, it is likely a problem that you would need to pressure wash out and re-do
The hardscapers who did my yard cut every corner, making it a high-maintenance nightmare. These guys put turf over rocks, used half the rocks I bought, laid cloth over untreated fester crabgrass and more.
Is there an alternative to renting or buying a compactor?
I live alone, can't afford my back surgery - but I can do 10- 20 minutes using a cane or walker -- and more with a short, rolling stool I made. Yes, I have rolled right in to my pool. Lol
I'm afraid I'll have to hire someone, and hiring someone for every little thing I used to easily do is disheartening and more than I can afford.
Monsoon season is over, and I can wait a few months.
I’m sorry to hear that! You need some sort of vibratory force. A compactor is best. Some people get away with a hand tamper and something to protect the pavers.
@@iamahardscaper Thabks.
Can you use polymeric sand on less than 1 inch thick pavers? Im using 24x24 porcelain pavers with the Brock Paver Base. Also why don't people use a funnel to get the polymeric sand within the joints instead of sweeping, then blowing the excess off? It seems like a lot of sand is being wasted by blowing off the sand left on the top of the pavers. I understand it may take a little more time using a funnel.
TechniSeal sells a polymeric sand specifically for porcelain. That funnel comment is a really interesting idea.
@@iamahardscaper I just added TechniSeal EZ Polymeric sand today. I used a funnel first and it worked out great. Then I compacted the area by walking/stepping around and light jumping. I then added more polymeric sand using the funnel and finally brushed off the excess. I used a leaf blower very lightly at the end, however it was not really needed. I watered it as directed on the container. I'll keep you posted how it turns out tomorrow.
@@iamahardscaper it came out great! I gave it a full day uncovered and ended up using a tarp to cover it up tonight since we're expecting rain this weekend. I read that the Polymeric sand can take 30 days to fully cure. This was my first paver project and it was quite the work, however well worth the effort! I plan to have a good time outside with the family this summer. 😎
Nice!
What do you do if you fill it to much?
Sweep it further down or try to consolidate it before you activate it
What’s the minimum joint size that can be done with these types of products?
It depends on the manufacturer. Some have very fine grains of sand, but some have larger grains of sand.
@@iamahardscaper Have you ever tried mixing cement with kiln-dried sand. The gap in between my blocks is about 1-2mm and weeds grow through within 1-3 months because of the area I live in so I was thinking of trying to mix cement with the kiln dried when I brush it into the gaps sand to see if it sets hard in the gaps when it rains to solve the problem.
Some poly sand companies have a little bit of cement in them from what I understand. I would stick with that. If you don’t have the polymers, it won’t be flexible with movement and the cement would just crack and weed growth would still happen
How do you get down 1 1/2 inches between pavers with a pressure washer??? 🤔
If you focus on the joints, it will blow the sand out
Bro-
Do you scape?
:D
I do too.
Cheers.
Fine content and sweet work~
😂 thank you!
I have never seen any paver install, even by professionals, that didn't grow crap in the joints.
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What's wrong with just using stone dust between bricks on a patio? 8 inch deep pit, 6 inches of hard pack, inch inch of screeded stone dust, red bricks with stone dust brushed in to spaces between them?
it would loosen up and wash out over time
@@iamahardscaper Ok. Well, I've been scared away fro Polymeric sand and stone dust will wash away - can you give me a recommendation please? Thanks!
This video has all my recommendations and applications:
th-cam.com/video/LctDY0tpaGc/w-d-xo.html
@@iamahardscaper TY!
Guessing summer is the best time to install pavers?
If it’s not too hot and humid
What base should you use instead of stone dust?
We have a series of videos on our channel discussing each and their applications. See this video and then the other videos are linked in the description: Why Use Open Graded Base for Pavers and Retaining Walls
th-cam.com/video/HDi9jUQa0DE/w-d-xo.html