It Won't Eat or Drink

     You might as well stock up.  After all, it won't eat or drink.  That was Mom's advice whenever things like toilet paper, laundry detergent. or bars of soap went on sale.  Storing things that would never spoil would cost nothing and would save money in the long run.
     The other day, I was able to share Mom's wisdom with the guys at Lippincott's Supply.  The week previous, I dug the moss from between the patio blocks, and now I had to replace a lot of sand.  I wasn't sure how much polymeric patio sand to buy, so I decided, "Just give me both bags.  I'll save the excess for the future.  It won't eat or drink."
     That was a new one on those fellows.  After sharing a good laugh, they told me how to use the product.  Mike and I left with about three times as much sand as we needed.
     Here's how to refill the spaces between patio blocks after you dig out weeds, moss, and most of the original sand.

This type of block is best "grouted" with polymeric sand.  The product does not work well on interlocking pavers.  Polymeric sand is sand plus additives.  When water is added, the polymers cause the sand to harden.  The hardened sand resists weed growth better than plain sand.  Ants can't build mounds through it.  Also, it won't wash out in heavy rains.  You can see that most of the original sand came out with the moss that had been growing between the blocks for the past couple of years.  Note to self: Don't let things get so out of hand in the future.  I have been fighting moss in the summer.  I recently learned that moss is an evergreen that will thrive whenever there is sufficient moisture.  Summer is the least favorable season for moss since the weather can be hot and dry.  I plan to fight the regrowth of patio moss by applying a bleach solution year round.  

Mike used a trowel to pour the polymeric sand into the deepest joints.

I went behind Mike with a broom, sweeping the product into the cracks.  After the joints were full, we swept up the excess sand.  We were left with a fine white powder which you can see at the back of the patio in this picture.  

After sweeping the product into the joints and removing any excess, use a blower on the lowest setting to blow away the fine dust on the paver surface. 

Finally, mist the surface three times.  The first misting is done from a height of four feet.  Just dampen the whole surface.  Wait 3 minutes and mist again from a height of two feet.  Use the mist to push any particles toward the joints.  Don't use too much water.  Too much is when water puddles in the joints.  You want the water to be absorbed into the joint to the point just before it puddles.  Wait about 5 minutes and mist for the third time - again, no puddling in the joints.  Too much water causes the binding agents to wash away.  If that happens, these agents usually float on the paver surface and turn the surface cloudy white.   

All the sand in this step was gone.  Now it's back.

The sand is back.  All joints are filled uniformly.  The sand comes in five colors, and we used gray.  Though it's not completely dry, the driest areas have developed a hard shell.  The pavers don't have a cloudy white haze, so we must have done something right.     

     There are some other things to consider when using polymeric sand.  Be sure the patio is dry when you start.  If there has been rain recently, let the patio dry for 2-3 days.  Check the weather forecast to be sure there won't be any rain for a couple of days after you finish your project.  As they say (though Mom never used this one), timing is everything.