Paver Sealing & Re-Sanding

The joints are the structure

An interlocking paver surface is not held together by the pavers. It is held together by the sand between them. That sand transfers load from one unit to the next and stops any single paver from tilting. Once joints wash out, everything begins to move — edges drop, wheel tracks appear in driveways, and weed seed finally has somewhere to germinate.

Which is why cleaning pavers without re-sanding them is not a finished job. It is a half-finished one that looks great for a month.

Polymeric sand

Polymeric sand is graded silica with a binder mixed through it. Swept into dry joints and then activated with a fine mist of water, it sets to a firm, slightly flexible fill that resists washout, discourages ants, and starves weeds of the loose grit they need. Installed properly it lasts years. Installed on damp pavers or watered too aggressively, it hazes the surface — which is why it goes down on a dry day, on dry stone, and gets misted rather than hosed.

Sealing

A joint-stabilizing sealer soaks into the paver and locks the top of the sand at the same time. What it buys you:

• Stains sit on top instead of soaking in, so spills come off a patio instead of staying forever
• Color stops fading under UV
• Joint sand stays put through heavy rain and snow melt
• Winter salt and freeze-thaw do less damage to the paver face
• The next clean takes a fraction of the effort

How the visits run

Day one: deep clean the faces, strip out weeds, moss and any old failed sand, treat efflorescence if there is any, and leave everything to dry.

Day two or three: once the surface is properly dry, sand goes in, joints are compacted and topped, and the sealer is applied in even coats.

Foot traffic returns the following day, vehicles after three. It takes longer than a wash and it is the difference between a patio that looks new and a patio that stays that way.