Let’s talk about crack sand. We’re all for saving money when we can, but sometimes skimping ends up costing you time and effort. That was our experience after living with our finished patio for a few weeks.
If you remember, we used leftover paver sand to fill the joints between the stones instead of paying about $95 for a delivery of polymeric sand from the stoneyard. Polymeric sand includes binders that help it lock into place and resist weeds better than plain paver sand.
At first the regular paver sand looked fine in the joints, but after a few weeks and several rains it started washing out in many areas. That left gaps and an inconsistent appearance that we didn’t like.
In the end we decided to buy a bucket of polymeric sand from Lowe’s for about $30. Technically it would only cover roughly a third of the patio, but because there was still some regular sand packed at the bottom of the joints it went further than expected. One bucket ended up being enough, and we still have some left over. So we saved money compared to the original $95 quote, but we also learned why professionals often recommend using polymeric sand from the start.
Applying the polymeric sand was tedious. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, I used a Ziploc-style bag with the tip snipped off to pour the sand into the cracks. There were many joints to fill, and it took patience. My first application was too heavy, which isn’t ideal because once the product gets wet it behaves more like cement. You want the sand only in the joints, not smeared across the faces of the pavers.
To correct that, I swept section by section until the surface buildup thinned and the joints looked neat. When the top layer of sand was smoothed, I used an electric leaf blower on its lowest setting to clear any remaining granules from the paver surfaces. Finally, I misted the entire patio per the directions—wetting it thoroughly but not so much that the sand washed out.
In hindsight, I wish I had blown or swept a little more sand off the pavers before the final misting so the seams would have read a touch slimmer. That’s on my Lessons Learned list, right under “use polymeric sand in the first place.” The finished look, though, blends in nicely with the patio and gives a slightly weathered, settled appearance rather than looking brand-new and stark.
Even though we saved about $60 by buying a single bucket instead of paying for a larger delivery, I do wish we had used polymeric sand during the initial installation. It would have saved time—the regular paver sand required several passes to look acceptable, whereas the polymeric sand set up much faster—and I expect the polymeric product will perform better long-term at resisting weeds, ant hills, and other intrusions.
About a month after applying the polymeric sand, and after a couple of heavy thunderstorms, the joints are still holding up. We waited to share the update until we could see how well the repair stood up to weather, and so far it’s doing exactly what we hoped.
Have you had a similar experience—skimping at first only to come back and do it properly later? I’d love to hear stories from others who learned the same lesson. It’s comforting to know we’re not the only ones who choose the cheaper route and then wish we hadn’t.
Psst—If you want to follow our whole patio project from the beginning, the related posts cover planning, prepping the area, budget surprises, laying gravel and sand, setting pavers, and the final reveal.