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Learned a trick for sealing patio pavers with polymeric sand
Overheard a guy at the hardware store say you need to mist the sand with water immediately after sweeping it in, not wait an hour like the bag says. I tried it on my 200 square foot patio last weekend and the joints are rock solid now, anyone else had better luck with this method?
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sage_green28d ago
Wait an hour" crew checking in, mine's still holding up fine.
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Actually you kind of have to do both. The bag isn't wrong about waiting, but that hour is for the dust to settle and the sand to pack down a bit from walking on it. If you mist it right away, the water can wash the sand out of the joints before it has a chance to lock in. I did a 300 square foot job last summer and waited about 45 minutes before misting lightly, then did a second pass an hour later to keep it from drying too fast. Came out just as solid as yours.
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avery_jackson28d ago
Hold on, I gotta say something about this. @simonp76 isn't totally wrong but misting right away can actually mess things up more than waiting. The bag says wait an hour because the sand needs time to settle into all the tiny gaps between the pavers. If you spray water on it too fast, the water pushes the sand around and you end up with joints that look good on top but are hollow underneath. I did my whole 400 square foot walkway last spring and waited about an hour before the first light mist, then came back an hour later for a heavier misting. Came out so hard I had to chip out a spot when I messed up a paver later.
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