[lawnranger]

Hope this is in the right forum.

Planning to re do joint sand in patios. Going to remove as much of the existing sand with compressed air or knife and vacuum up what comes out. Joints are quite wide. My question is what to use as replacement. The existing joints are sand that had been "hardened" with a sealer product. The resultant joints were quite flexible, but the sealer only penetrated the joints about 1/2 inch. So ants and weeds have taken over during the past 8 years. Unsure if I should redo as it was originally or to use modified joint sand. Any comments on what would resist ants/weeds the best?

 

[SNOWBOB11]

Use polymeric sand to get a strong sand bond. For even better results use polymeric sand and joint stabilizing sealer. Make sure to read and follow the instructions on the polymeric sand carefully.

 

[lawnranger]

Use polymeric sand to get a strong sand bond. For even better results use polymeric sand and joint stabilizing sealer. Make sure to read and follow the instructions on the polymeric sand carefully.

Thanks for the note. I have a follow up question. How deeply will the sealer penetrate into the joint? Can I dilute the sealer with some water?

I plan to clean the joints as well as I can without going too deeply. Since the joints are now only filled with sand, would I gain anything by pouring sealer into the joint, let it dry and then fully fill the joints with modified joint sand then seal as per usual. The joints are quite wide-easily 1/8 to 1/4 inch or wider in some places.

Btw I have worked with modified joint sand before, but this will be my first experience with sealer. So I really appreciate your help.

 

[SNOWBOB11]

With polymeric sand to get the absolute best results you should remove as much of the old sand as possible. The idea is to get the sand to harden down from the top of the paver joints right to the bottom. You can have a bit of old sand in the joints but If there is too much regular sand you wont get a good bond from the polymeric sand. Trust me on that one.

I would not dilute the sealer with water unless it calls for it in the instructions.

I don't have any experience with pouring the joint stabilizing sealer into half filled joints. I think that could be difficult and messy and end up giving you problems with the sand on top not hardening. I would definitely be cautious with doing this. It could end up being a lot of work to fix this if it goes wrong.

Your idea of digging out the old sand and vacuuming it is good but make sure you go down as deep as you can before applying the polymeric sand. After you wet the polymeric sand as per the instructions and it dries in about 24 hours then use the joint stabilizing sealer on top of the joints and the pavers and you will get a nice finish and your sand won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Yes you will end up paying a bit more for the extra sand and it will take a bit of work to dig out as much of the old sand as possible but doing it right will last you years. Rain or you washing the pavers will not move the sand at all. This is one project you want to take the time to do right or you'll be in the same place you were to start with.

Ps. This is the sealer I use. https://www.opwdecks.com/sb-joint-stabilizing-sealer.htm. I like the matte finish one but you can also get wet look and glossy finish sealers if that is your preference.

 

[lawnranger]

Thanks for the hints.