I’m cleaning up an old brick patio/deck and want to fill the gaps. I don’t want polymeric sand or anything that hardens like concrete, just something I can sweep in that helps with weeds but still keeps the bricks movable.
What’s the best option?
by No-Influence12
36 Comments
A good quality polymeric sand
Polymeric sand for sure!
Why don’t you want polymeric sand
You do want polymeric sand. You just think you don’t.
You can put regular sand in, but stuff will grow in it, and it will wash out. Lot’s of people just de-weed, spray, and brush over a bag of regular sand. But you have to re-do that every year.
White playground sand. What is the poly something sand. Is this a set of bricks you plan on pulling out repeatedly
I’m here to say polymeric sand even though I don’t know what it is but 3 other people have said it and I’m a joiner so yeah polymeric sand
What do you mean by “movable”?
Locking sand
I’m against polymeric sand bc it doesn’t drain and it may not adhere to the dirty old bricks and it won’t allow for settling adjustments and it’s just more plastic trash in the environment. If the gaps are large, go with 1/4”-minus crushed gravel. Use kiln dried sand if the gaps are tight but if you get a lot of rain it will make the sand disappear.
I used paver sand and I’m fine. Stays in place, looks good
I don’t have the answer for you but I just wanted to acknowledge how frustrating it is to ask a question and specify you don’t want something and all the answers are that thing. 😩
A small flowerbed?
After consulting with my wife, who has no landscaping knowledge or experience, we’ve agreed that polymeric sand is your only option.
Stone dust. That’s literally its purpose. It’s like sand but can get in various colors.
Try looking into stone dust, see if that looks good to you. If that doesn’t work, you may be down to just regular sand, if you don’t want something that hardens up.
For an area that small, I’d still go with polymeric, though. You can soften it up with hot water if you need to remove those pavers again.
Stone dust
Hopes and dreams
What’re you hiding under the bricks op?
I know everyone is saying polymeric sand, and you didn’t want to, but if you do end up going that route, look into wet application polymeric sand because if that’s natural brick, it will take forever to fully dry out before you can use a dry application polymeric sand.( The sand will get stuck to the brick if the brick isn’t fully dry and you will have a gritty patio). Just my 2 cents
Good ole paver joint sand polymeric sand can be tough if you dont know what you are doing, it can also fail if you dont tamp over it. It struggles to settle between gaps without tamping over it. If you used poly day 1 and need to fill in its fine! But in your case id just use good ole joint sand. There isnt a damn thing wrong with it. Its worked for centuries, plus its wildly easy to top off when needed. Its cheap and you can buy it about anywhere.
Also old clay pavers with a rough surface if they arnt VERY dry can suck to poly sand. These should be ok, its mainly sand mold pavers that SUCK
Polymeric sand is a disaster after a few years and a giant PIA to redo. Just use mason’s sand and reapply every couple years. So easy.
I’m saying I don’t want polymeric sand because I was under the impression it’s similar to concrete and will seal the bricks together. My dad is the one who for some reason is against anything that’ll completely seal them together
Polymeric sand hardens like concrete, reduces infiltration, increases runoff to adjacent areas. It will not allow natural shifting of bricks. Maybe that is what you want?
You’ve established parameters that are fatal to your stated goals. Fine, mix sodium chloride with sand, diesel fuel, and imazapyr.
Sand. Polymeric sand is microplastic concrete that will crack your bricks over time. You probably want a more natural look too.
Diatomaceous earth keeps out the ant hills
Polymeric sand has a rough texture to it. This is unlike the play sand and sold in big box home improvement stores which is softer for obvious reasons. The polymeric will settle in and bind together to make the joints secure and limit the pavers from moving. It needs to be swept in, watered then reapplied and repeat.
Glitter
Compost and thyme
Sand. It’s coarse, and rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere.
The Japanese have a weeding tool for this very purpose I forget what its called but its a small weeding blade that gets between tight spaces. Either that or good ole hot water and a large broom will clean it up.
Sand and sealing
Stonedust is the way we do it up north. Basically, granite that’s been ground into sand. Holds pretty well, but polymeric sand over the top in the finished grooves between bricks will keep the weeds out.
Interlocking sand
Poly sand
The ashes of your enemies