Ok so last night I started putting down the polymeric sand on my pavers. I got up to where the mallet is in the picture of hitting down the pavers and settling the sand in. And starting sweeping off the surface up to what you can see in the picture. I ran out of daylight and couldn’t work further so I checked the forecast and it said no rain until the afternoon the next day. So I said let me continue in the morning since it was also too late for me to use the leaf blower.
I woke up so early to ensure I could finish and lay down tarp before the rain. Only to wake up to it already raining!
Any advice on how to fix this? It’s currently a light drizzle but I can feel it caking on top of the surface. Should I scoop off what I can and pressure wash the sludge off now while it’s all still wet and not dried?
I know I will probably have to do another bag to fill in what I missed regardless.
by Confident-Order-1914
17 Comments
My landscapers put the pavers down first. Then they brushed the polymeric sand in between the pavers.
I’ve had an unexpected thunderstorm wash it out. Obviously it wasn’t wise to keep it like that but you’ve already learned the hard way.
It softens up when wet so soak it and use a plastic trowel to remove most of it. Then there are cleaners to remove the rest. I’ve never used them but this one seems like it might be helpful.
https://techniseal.com/pro_en_ca/slurry-remover-for-concrete-surfaces-60200241
Yeah, rain is pretty much the worst-case scenario with poly sand. Don’t pressure wash it right now – you’ll just blast it all out of the joints. Best move is:
• While it’s still wet, scoop off as much of the surface haze/sludge as you can.
• Let the joints cure/dry fully over the next couple days.
• Then lightly pressure wash or use a vinegar/water mix to clean off the haze once it’s hardened.
You’ll likely need to top off with another bag since the rain washed some out, but it’s better than starting completely over.
Microplastic out of factory? Crazy.
Or not?
Cooked.
Masons worst nightmare. Poly typically needs 24-48hrs to cure so you should have held off if the forecast wasn’t clear for at least a couple days.
Going to take a lot of work and will likely still have residual texture on top of the pavers unless you use a high powered nozzle on a pressure washer and it will blow out your joints and possibly remove some paver material.
The instructions on the bag literally say to work in sections small enough that you can finish. Not trying to be the asshole but you kinda invited this when you also chose to not to plug in a lamp and finish it last night. It’s not like the job requires the lumens that a brain surgeon needs in the operating room. Any of the areas that didn’t get have swept before last night I would remove as much as you can with a pressure washer then follow it up with a rotary brush that has plastic bristles so as not to scratch the stones. That polymer is a bitch to remove since it’s designed not to just “wash off”
I would not power wash it. You will get debris everywhere and it will be very difficult to clean off of the fence and everywhere else. I would take a scoop shovel and broom and sweep up as much of the extra material you can. Then take a hose and water and keep it wet where you want to clean it off. If you keep it wet it will wash off pretty easily with a good broom and some elbow grease. Then spray off the residue with a low pressure hose like with your thumb on the end. Keep it from blowing the glue and debris on everything. Once it dries it is a lot more difficult to clean up. So don’t let it dry now.
Remove all sand or it will stick and can never be removed.
Your done call it a day
OP forgot the scared rule of poly-sand, You open a bag and it guarantees rain will soon come.
Throw some fire ants on it…
Little fuckers are killing me. Kill one mound and a new section pops up over night.
Toss everything and lay again. Sorry for your loss
Clean up what you can now, but don’t pressure wash. After that you have a lot of scrubbing ahead of you. When we need to remove or clean pavers that are polyed in we use boiling water. Grab an electric kettle from a thrift store, a stiff bristled scrub brush, and a bag of rags. Go one slab at a time, pour boiling water on top of the paver, scrub with the brush and wipe up the goo with the rags. Don’t scrub the lines between the pavers. I’d let it dry after one pass and see how it looks. It may take multiple passes. In the end, just decide when it’s good enough.
You’re screwed also you’re putting down wayyyy to much
Check with the manufacturer of the poly sand, the company I used to work for sold SEK Surebond Products and they recommended using a hot pressure washer to loosen/remove the polymers in the sand.
In my humble opinion as a DIYer, EasyJoint is a must. Fool proof goes in wet
I would ditch the poly sand and replace with epoxy grout for outdoor use. I went the poly sand route on my outdoor pavers until it started having issues (washing away, parts turned blackish months later, etc). The next season I washed it out and filled back with epoxy grout and it looks great and is now weatherproof. I sealed with a high gloss sealer and it looks awesome to where I get compliments from neighbors and strangers frequently lol. Good luck!