Paver sand comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. There are pros and cons to each type and size of sand. Many of our customers are most familiar with, “playground sand”. Playground sand is the cheapest sand on the market, and for an understandable reason. Playground sand has nutrients that feed algae and weed growth; and when it rains, this sand will slowly wash out over time.

This is why we use polymeric sand. On its own polymeric sand can help reduce maintenance cleaning. Polymeric Sand is a blend of sand and special additives designed to fill the joints between concrete pavers and brick pavers. When proper preparation is taken (such as weed killer, insect repellant/removal), this polymeric jointing sand has the potential to reduce weed growth, resist rain washout and help prevent insect penetration, compared to playground sand.

Installing sand is not as simple as you would think. A lot of times we find excess sand in between the joints left by previous contractors. Successfully installed polymeric sand should be 1/8” below the top of paver. Excess sand can retain moisture, causing sealant to fail and leave a white haze. Excess sand will also lead to pieces of the sand itself to break off, leaving the joints exposed.

When we install sand, we first use a push broom to install in between the joints. After we have filled all the joints, we use a leaf blower to remove the excess sand and any dust left behind from the polymeric sand.

When choosing a sealant, we use the best on the market, Cobble-Loc. Cobble-Loc is a two-part sealant that gives the customer the choice of either a matte, semi-gloss, or wet look finish. Cobble-Loc is eco-friendly with low VOC’s. VOC’s stand for volatile organic compounds. Cobble-Loc also gives us contractors flexibility with the weather. Being a two-part, Cobble-Loc can be applied over damp surfaces.

We apply Cobble-Loc with a 12-volt pump sprayer. Doing so allows us to spray uniformly and consistently. After we spray on the first layer, we wait a couple hours and apply the second layer. After we’re done, we install stakes, caution tapes and cones if needed. Customers must wait 4-6 hours before walking on sealed pavers and 48 hours before driving a vehicle on the sealed pavers.