All about polymeric sand.

Polymeric sand is an important part of a paving stone installation.

Polymeric sand is a specially formulated blend of sand mixed with polymers which, when spread in between pavers and wetted, becomes a powerful binding agent, similar to mortar. This helps to stabilize your interlocking stones while preventing weeds and ants from entering between the stones. As such, polymeric sand needs to be installed properly and carefully to ensure its full benefits.

First things first, you want to ensure that there is no rain in the forecast for at least the next 24 hours and that temperatures are expected to stay above 0C. You should take extra care to ensure that nearby sprinklers are turned off. The surface you are working on should be completely dry before the sand is placed.

What you need:

Broom with semi-rigid bristles.
Plate compactor
Rubber mallet
Leaf blower.
Spray nozzle and garden hose.

Steps for installation:

Spread product evenly on a small surface. You always want to work in small sections.
Using the broom, fill joints completely. Sweep sand over short distances.
Pass the plate compactor over the entire surface to compact the sand.
Spread more product to fill joints again.
Pass the plate compactor over the entire surface a second time.
Remove excess sand from the surface with the broom.
Level the height of the sand with the leaf blower. Use this to also blow sand off of textured pavers.
Sand level must be at least 3 mm (1/8”) below top of pavers or up to the bottom of the chamfer.
Starting from bottom of the slope, quickly shower a 200 square foot section to set the sand (10 to 15 seconds). Immediately afterwards, wet the same section for 30 seconds. You know the sand has been wetted sufficiently when a thin whitish film starts appearing.
On textured pavers, use the blower to blow the excess water off the surface and into the joints.

Polymeric sand can take a few minutes to a few hours to set, depending upon the external weather conditions. Generally, once the sand has set, pedestrian traffic can resume immediately, whereas you want to wait 48-72 hours to introduce vehicular traffic. It’s important to block off the area if there is any concern about vehicles.