Polymeric Sand: A Secret Ingredient for Nearly Maintenance-Free Brickwork

by Dwayne Regehr

Many once-beautiful patios have transformed into weedy eyesores over the years. Fine sand employed to fill the joints between pavers and stones tends to blow away with wind and washed away by rain. Once that sand disappears, dirt moves in. Weeds love unoccupied dirt. And so do insects: a sand and dirt mixture makes for an attractive habitat for ants.

Polymeric sand all but eliminates this problem. Polymeric sand, often called poly-sand, is a fine sand mixed with a powdered-epoxy adhesive. When we're building your patio, we sweep and vibrate Polymeric sand into the joints, just as we would with regular sand, but after blowing the patio surface clean, we sprinkle the entire surface with water. Water activates the epoxy adhesive, cementing the sand into place, a lot like mortar does between bricks.

There are different formulations of poly-sand for pavers with narrow joints and pavers with wide joints. It's available in a range of colors too.

With the sand cemented in place, repairs and changes are a little more difficult, but it's a good trade-off for a low-maintenance surface that can be cleaned with a hose or even a pressure washer without a worry.

Questions? Send us an email at dwayne@earthworkslandscaping.ca