Brick Paver Maintenance by The Brick Paver Dr. - www.thebrickpaverdoctor.com

Detroit, Mi. - Demonstration and how to video of routine brick paver maintenance by The Brick Paver Dr. owner Vince Griffiths, Specialists in Hardscape New Install, Restoration, and Maintenance Call Toll Free at (866) 80 PAVER.

[@diamond6256]

Thank you so much for your step-by-step video. I just finished mine. Worked great. No more leaves getting trapped between the pavers. THANK YOU!!! 67 in Texas woman.

[@sailsandtravel8746]

Thanks so much for sharing this great information! It's really helped us maintain our patios.

[@simonwatford6013]

Great help. That's all I needed! Cheers buddy.

[@Qugie]

Thanks for the Information we Just got a New Patio made with brick paves. Subscribed!

[@xglvn]

Excellent demonstration. Thank you.

[@bobpress1235]

You are a true “paver saver”.........thank you, sir!

[@racheleolivier7875]

The Brick Paver Dr," Thank You" for this video. It is very helpful!

[@lovelylisadiving]

Great video! Successfully repaired 3 sinking holes on our paver patio. Thanks!

[@jdunn101ify]

Nice video, short and sweet with good instructions 👍

[@carolsmith5801]

Thank you soooooo much for your informative video. Wanted to have my pavers done but knew that it would cost a lot to have someone do it. After watching your video my son and I did it ourselves. Got the pressure washer to clean and get the weeds out then added the sand; swept in then used a blower to remove the excess; watered and done. Didn’t use a tamper as we aren’t professionals. Just wanted the yard to look maintained. Thanks again!!!

[@vincegriffiths3550]

Your welcome glad it helped

[@P_Belle]

Informative and succinct. ThankYou!

[@FireEater]

Great video thanks for sharing 👍🏻

[@johnmccormick9042]

Very nice. Just what I needed. thanks.

[@danteverdun4262]

Thank you very helpful and to the point

[@mlomuscio]

This was a huge help for me. I did not realize this was a simple to do as it was. A contractor wanted to charge me $300 to do a 6 x 6 sand spreading. It cost me $20 for the sand and I only used less than half of it.

[@turbocat1984]

Probably didn't know. I've lived in the same house for 30 years and are only just now looking up how to do this.

[@doomslayerforever2858]

contractors charge minimums bro how the hell you think we survive

[@mlomuscio]

@@doomslayerforever2858 That was a bonehead response. It was a simple, thank you to the person who posted the video.

[@KenHuffar]

Good job. Thanks for the video.

[@maggienicholson8416]

Just what I needed brilliant thank you

[@buster9963]

Great video

[@therewasascene]

Concise vid. Thanks sir!

[@Unplugged704]

Thanks for the vdo. Question- rainy day after weather considerations? Will that be enough time for the sand to settle

[@veng3r663]

Great video, many Thanks..!

[@vincegriffiths3550]

Your welcome

[@Drewbaby91]

Over a million views. Good job vince

[@skylercon1807]

Thank you 💯

[@KnoxBronson]

Thanks, great help!

[@azulvioleta2038]

Good work.

[@-djg-3955]

Sir great vid. I have a question I had paving put in about 4-5 months ago and started to see some signs of chipping. There has been little to no traffic on the stones and was wondering y this may be happening. I did have an inflatable pool on it for 3 months however it had a tarp covering it with the pool atop. I also have a dog but dont see how that would affect it. The stone has this look to it as well as if it was slowly becoming less smooth and more "grainy" for lack of a better word. Plz advise

[@tessniehaus4942]

thanks for helpful info. I have a 20 yr old paver patio still in good condition...except the border bricks are starting to show cracks/hairline cracks, due to age, weather and foot traffic. Hoping to maintain them as we cannot replace. But edges may start to crumble. Would an epoxy sealant on the edging help? It is about 25 linear feet and edge edging stone is about 12" long.

[@hopnobusi6344]

So relaxing watching starting at 145

[@dianestafford2446]

Thank you!

[@peteandjanis]

Thanks you very much MrVgriff10 ...

[@arthur13037]

thanks for the tipps

[@tmptheville]

Great tips!!!👍💯

[@vincegriffiths3550]

Your welcome.

[@jneildouise300]

Good Job, Thanks 👍

[@johnnhoj7933]

when cleaning out between existing interlocking stones - how deep should one clean out before applying polymeric sand? more than 1inch?

[@thebrickpaverdoctor]

Thank you

[@sid3859]

Great video but you Skipped the part where u blow or sweep away the excess sand before spraying

[@ChristLedwithLeyah]

We just set our perma sand today. We noticed that we have a few flawed areas that can use some more sand. It has hardened by now. Not yet 24 hours. Can I reapply more perma sand and water it again? Or are we stuck with the imperfections?

[@ahmike66]

After sweeping the sand into the joints should you also sweep the sand off the paver's surface before spraying with water? If you don't, wouldn't the sand harden on the paver's surface?

[@marthaholtquist6331]

.

[@Directory1]

That is a secret of the trade shhhh. 😳

[@charlescarriedo7848]

.

[@davidmunro1529]

Thank you. I did everything you said except for misting them. Hopefully the rain did that.

[@derrickdgb1]

Thank You!!!

[@MrJimgillnm]

Thank You !

[@vincegriffiths3550]

You welcome Mike Blake. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you, The Brick Paver Dr.

[@lolycandoit8658]

I liked the video. I saw that you power washed, but you didn't say if I can put the sand in while they are still wet. When I watch the video I see that the bricks look dry. So my question is do I need to let the bricks dry before pouring in the sand/mortar mix?

[@vincegriffiths3550]

It’s imperative that the brick’s surface is completely dry when installing polymeric sand. The polymer in the sand is activated when it makes contact with the slightest moisture. You don’t want this to happen prematurely. The inside of the joints can be damp but not the top of the bricks. Sweep the sand into the joints and then blow the surface of the bricks off carefully, using a leaf blower, so there is no residual Sand Dust or other sand particles on the bricks. This should leave the joints full of sand but not overflowing onto the bricks. The bricks and joints can then be misted thoroughly multiple times. This should cause the sand in the joints to “set up” or harden up correctly. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!

[@meagain8403]

Muchas Gracias... new subscriber.

[@vincegriffiths3550]

You are welcome

[@stoneworkscanada]

excellent video this is how we do it

[@1krani]

For me, the value here was seeing how you poured and swept it. Such a pain with how I was doing it.

[@danbernstein7081]

Looks like there was a lot of sand on top of the pavers before you starting wetting the sand. Do you want to eliminate that or at least limit that so it doesn't harden on top of the pavers? Thanks for the video.

[@carolsmith5801]

I used a leaf blower to get the excess sand off and it helped a lot. Had some excess sand in the corners which i didn’t remove which left some on those areas so wasn’t as finished as the main area.

[@vincegriffiths3550]

If using true polymeric sand, which is not used in this video, you want to make sure to put down completely dry and blow off the excess and where sand is in undesirable locations.

[@TheOriginalKidCoyote]

thanks!

[@syedhassan6174]

thank you much

[@patmash]

When I power washed my pavers, I looked as if I rolled in mud. This guy was clean as a whistle. I guess this is the difference between the right way and the wrong way.

[@paulparoma]

No, those pavers were not all that dirty to begin with.

[@kennyc3670]

I did all this using kiln dried sand. 6 months later weeds everywhere. Do you use a special sand that kills weeds and/or sets like mortar?

[@c1pang]

Thanks for sharing the tips

[@bc5023]

Do i need to put a coating after the sand? I am in Perth and summer time gets really dry and ive got sand everywhere specially in my swimming pool

[@stevenmcdaniel1797]

Do I want to use this same sand in a brick driveway that is frequently driven upon?

[@ThurstonHowell3rd]

Well I wish I had seen this about 10 years ago before the pavers around my pool began settling. One of those things you wish the previous home owner explained to you when you bought the house.

[@rand49er]

How soon after the misting the polymeric sand can I apply the sealer? It's been dry with no rain overnight, and I'd like to do it this afternoon, 24 hours afterward. Thx

[@lolymireles1268]

You said "water can accumulate there and can be a slip hazard". Do you mean in the winter time? Because that is an issue we are having with our brick walkway during the winter. The walkway looks good, but there are areas that show there is nothing in between the bricks. I do see that it has a rubbery type of filling instead of sand. I don't know what that is. Do you?

[@karldillenkoffer4860]

Great video I appreciate the excellent tips. I live in the Midwest and was wondering if you recommend a sealer after the maintenance of filling and brushing all the sand into the joints. If so is there any product you’d recommend?

[@thebrickpaverdoctor]

Good deal glad it helped.

[@a.k.4727]

I had weeds growing in pavers, washed them out, put polymeric sand in and sealed. But after 2-3 years the sand washed out after winter thaw and now I have to do it all over again. Polymeric sand is a waste of money. Going with regular joint sand this time and sealer. Other problem with polymeric sand is if not used correctly it'll leave efflorescence on pavers.

[@simpleshoes]

A.K. I wondered if it was worth the extra money. Thanks for the info!

[@a.k.4727]

@@simpleshoes hi - make sure to buy a good sealer and use sprayer or roller to apply to the pavers and joint sand.

[@simpleshoes]

A.K. Thanks so much for your help!

[@markciessau7192]

Brick pavers look nice but they are a constant maintenance problem. I'd rather have concrete.

[@lovealwaysjasmine]

There’s sand leaking from my walkway which is stone. How do I fix it?

[@susanshafik9564]

How do you prevent the sand from staining the pavers? I have this problem when I tried one area... leaves a haze

[@vincegriffiths3550]

Hello Susan - Almost all polymeric sands today are advertised to be “haze free”. This hasn’t always been the case. Before the haze free sand you would take a leaf blower and blow the extra sand off the top Of the bricks being careful not to blow it out of the joints. Because I don’t know the sand you are using I would suggest sweeping the sand in, blow off the extra sand, & then wet down the joints. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Thank you, Vince Griffiths- The Brick Paver Dr.

[@jillmurph]

How long should you wait between power washing and spreading the sand?

[@francesbyrne1714]

J Murphy no app

[@cjslandscapingllc7694]

Hi. How long you have to wait after you power wash to spread the sand?

[@johngriffin2696]

I just "power washed" my paver driveway as the joints were full of junk. The driveway is large but about 10 years old and the only thing I have ever used for joint filler is "sandbox" sand and I have had no movement or any issues. The sand seems to work and is cheap. That is all I have used for 10 years with no problem. What is my downside if I continue this approach vs polymeric sand or what ever?

[@Funwithhighnotes]

John Griffin, there is no downside. I use the same as you, but a lot has to do with how well the project was prepped, climate, size of pavers, size of gaps, the native soil/foundation underneath the pavers, amount of power washing you do(we have never power washed), etc. I just make sure to pay attention to the pavers and make sure to be ahead of the game not behind. Like the guy in the video said, this is preventative maintenance. Maintain your joints, and it should last another 10 and another and another!

[@scotthockey959]

getting a ton of ants in joints of pavers and i use only normal sand. I think i may go poly or sand and cement mix .... thoughts?

[@light487]

After having some stone pavers installed, we noticed after a heavy rain that the ground underneath the ones closest to the house are unstable and the ground underneath quite "squishy". I assume this means the install wasn't done correctly. What can we do ourselves to remedy this? I was thinking of getting some of that jointing sand and making the joins on all the pavers a bit better as they all seem a little bit lacking in sand join.. but what about the pavers that are unstable due to the underneath being squishy?

[@SaintMarneusCalgar]

+light487 thats a sign for sinkholes

[@twistymcslide2]

what do you mean ? like pressure clean before sanding .. yes . or if you mean after sanding , i always broom in while its as dry as possible, then ill put my hose nozel on its shower setting and let it flood the area and carry the sand to the lows. then i let dry , rebroom, resand , re spray till its filled properly, then seal (addsand to the sealer for gripadditive, but keep it stired so it will apply evenly and not blotchy . shouldnt see it if you stay to a 50/1 or so.

[@peteandjanis]

So after doing this do you then use a sealer to block the sand in and give a flat or gloss finish depending on what you want ? I have a home I bought with a good pavers but lots of weeds in cracks .

[@a.k.4727]

I would seal after putting sand in joints.

[@philipmasse5172]

Can you please recommend someone to repair pavers in the Clermont Florida area ? Thank you. Phil

[@vincegriffiths3550]

Hello Phil, I’m sorry I don’t know of any companies in Florida. If there’s anyway I could help by discussing your project please let me know. Thank you, Vince The Brick Paver Dr.

[@dedicated2WHOiLove]

He was showering not misting. I had hell with brick white staining untill I started leaf blowing the excess off, then misting twice in a 5 minute window, then after 3 minutes shower the pee-pee out of these bricks at a shallow angle while leaf blowing the water and sand foam off the bricks. I know that sounds crazy, but trust me it works. The polymeric locking sand is a bugger and clings to bricks like flower to bread dough if you dont do a big rince and blow. I know it's scary to be taking a hose to this expensive sand only 5 - 8 minutes after you've first misted it in, but seriously it wont all wash out, that's how quick this stuff starts to lock-up. And don't fret that the sand isn't at the top of the joints; this sand wasn't meant to be like mortar joints on a brick wall

[@florameng521]

what if I don't have a leaf blower ?

[@thebrickpaverdoctor]

Thank you, if you use polymeric sand blow off any dust that remains on the bricks before applying water. This video demonstrates using Powerloc sweeping sand.

[@carlosmedrano7005]

The Brick Paver Doctor is the Powerloc sweeping sand a polymeric? I have very tight joints and I don’t think polymeric would work well because my joints are tighter than 1/4 inch.

[@iamamish]

@@carlosmedrano7005 You want your joints wrapped very tightly for best performance, though good draw is important too

[@thebrickpaverdoctor]

Your sand type depends on whether you are sealing or not. If you are sealing you can simply use play sand. If you use poly sand you have to make sure you wash off all the white suds off created during the misting step or you will get cloudy bricks. Before misting any sand type make sure you get it all off the surface of the bricks, only in the joints using a blower if necessary. Good Luck

[@artichoke890]

What do you use to seal over the sand so it dosent wash out?

[@Bennythecoredriver]

@@artichoke890 you use poly sand

[@christophersamuelian5982]

Great video. Is it the same for vehicular pavers (e.g. porphyry pavers)?

[@thebrickpaverdoctor]

Thank you, I would suggest running a padded plate compactor to get the polymeric sand down further in the joints for more stability since heavier weights will be on the pavers. Then blow off the pavers and start the misting (activation) process. Brick types and paver base specifications are based on vehicle or non vehicle applications. Thank you!

[@christophersamuelian5982]

@@thebrickpaverdoctor Super, thank you!

[@angelaflow6981]

After I mist the sand how many hours do I need to wait to apply the sealer? Thank you 👍

[@vincegriffiths3550]

If you use polymeric sand the sand manufacturers recommend 30 days. If you use play sand you can seal the same day however everything needs to be 100% dry. Either way when sealing the pavers and especially the bottom of the joints have to be dry and not damp. If it rains you should plan on giving it a few days under warm conditions to dry up. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.

[@angelaflow6981]

Thank you Vince for your quick response. Today I get from Homedepot ezsand Techniseal. Doesn't said nothing about sealed. I will follow your recommendation. 👏🙏

[@jay-lm4we]

You should have blown off the excess sand with a leaf blower before dampening the sand to make it set.

[@arivanhutahaean5821]

your machine, is that powerboss 20649 or honda dwalt 4200 psi ??

[@thebrickpaverdoctor]

Your welcome

[@tilliethompson6681]

Don't you need to use a leaf blower to prevent paver staining ?

[@pamelabradford9884]

What polymeric sweeping sand do you recommend?

[@vincegriffiths3550]

Hello Pamela, there isn’t one I disapprove of using. All the home improvement box stores have a product. We don’t use their products because we use large amounts by the pallet which is the most practical. The most important thing with polymeric sand is following the correct process. All brick manufacturers have a sand product and some are the exact same sand. The most expensive isn’t Necessarily the best. Techniseal makes many brick maintenance products including a good polymeric sand product. I don’t know if this is available in your area but probably can be found at a local landscape supply store. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you, Vince The Brick Paver Dr.

[@Techniseal3]

Interesting video. But it's better to use Polymeric Sand such as Techniseal's. Watch this video which is ever more detailed:

[@illuminaries]

Pistol Pete poly sand leaves a sheen over the pavers making it look old.

[@ericdolby1622]

what about a sealer?? I am in SW Florida.

[@gdr88]

what's the black sheet to protect the plants called? A tarp?

[@uBmaniac]

It's short for tarpaulin, but you can use PVC or anything else which'll do that job ;)

[@Crusty_Camper]

Could you say roughly how much sand you need for, say each square yard? Or how much area a bag of sand usually covers?

[@vincegriffiths3550]

Hello, difficult question, the amount of sand depends on the brick type, pattern, and the number of repairs (if any). These are all factors influencing the joint size where the sand goes.Repairs increase the sand usage since the joints are opened or cleaned out entirely. I’m guessing you have no repairs. The manufacturer of the sand has a usage per square foot referenced on the sand bag, it’s pretty broad. Even with +15 years of experience Me and my employees can be a few bags off on a large area. If I saw a picture I would have a better chance of estimating to within a bag or so. Thank you!

[@Crusty_Camper]

@@vincegriffiths3550 Thank you for such a full reply, I appreciate it. Mine is a fair;y new ( 3 years ) with area of 85 m2 which I think is about 100 yd2. There are no repairs and the joints are still tight. I can't put a picture on here, sadly. Peter on the Scotland/ England border

[@dreamingcode]

I cannot believe you didn't blow off the excess sand which is going to cause a huge mess.

[@bravo3541]

Thanks Doctor. nice vid. good tips too

[@terrancestbernard4160]

bravo3

[@antoniocorvera2694]

Hey I need help I use the sand put i stain the brick patio how can I was it off?

[@cheerwather]

The best way is to put the sand and then blow off the extra sand with the leave blower before mist is applied to avoid staining

[@user-kz4de2de2k]

Where did you buy your broom?

[@Bujji0423]

Can we use play sand?

[@1234567890azdan]

Do you need to clean all the tops of the bricks before misting?

[@peterdeetlefs4448]

1234567890azdan what’s the name of these stones ?

[@peterdeetlefs4448]

Where can I get these stones from ?

[@gox123]

Is it regular sand?

[@mickeymcmoore5412]

When doing this maintenance, is it necessary to remove all pre-existing sand with the power washer? Or just loose sand and debris?

[@vincegriffiths3550]

Seymour Skinner - you should try to remove as much of the old sand as possible. However, sometimes previous installed polymeric sand or sealed sand Is hard & difficult to remove, so try as aggressive as you can. You do not want to clean so aggressively that you disturb the slag or sand under the bricks. So get the reasonably lose sand out of the joints. Sometimes the new sand can be installed such that it is higher, and covers the old sand. Best of luck!

[@thebrickpaverdoctor]

Harry that's for a true polymeric sand. My video does not use a polymeric sand. I'm not sure what type of sand you used. You might be able to pressure wash off but if not it has to be stripped off. Thank you.

[@cuuppaajoe]

I know I’m late to this video. I have a nice patio that was put in about five years ago and when I removed the moss that accumulated in the gaps, there are spaces now in between the pavers that are about an eighth of an inch wide. I noticed the sand you’re using is not polymeric and I was wondering what type I should get for my situation. Thanks in advance.

[@billvoltmer2569]

Is there a difference between "polymeric sand" and "polymer modified sand"? The product used in the video is described as follows: QUIKRETE® PowerLoc™ Jointing Sand is a polymer-modified graded sand for filling between interlocking pavers, brick, patio blocks and concrete slabs.

[@sneakerheadlowlife4484]

Hi do u seal pavers afterwards?

[@vincegriffiths3550]

If you use polymeric sand there is a 30 day waiting period to make sure the sands polymer is settled down. We free to use play sand to reduce any possible interactions between the polymer and sealer. A good sealer application to the joints does as good a job and keeps your costs down by eliminating the expensive polymeric sand. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you, Vince The Brick Paver Dr.

[@riddlessmile1218]

What's that sand bags name

[@nigelberry7492]

Now thanks

[@jamesliu3688]

Why the polymeric sand gets softer when raining?

[@vincegriffiths3550]

A good poly sand should never get rock hard by design it should move some for in the northern climates where there’s a lot of freezing and thawing. Obviously the rain will soften it just by virtue your getting wet. Maybe the sand didnt set up completely from its initial installation. It’s hard to answer completely without knowing your sand brand/type that we possibly may have used.

[@jamesliu3688]

@@vincegriffiths3550 Thank you so much! I used Techniseal sand from lows. Follow the instruction. No rain for 10 days. I called the company. They told me supposed to be soft when wet. Just don’t understand

[@togodbetheglory9725]

I used to use this product.but the company I was buying it from.it stopped selling it. I was buying it for $12 bucks a 50.pound bag. now I found it the same bag in Amazon for $50 bucks the same bag the price is completely insane...

[@richg4189]

ggg's fan The same issue here. They kill you with the price based on weight to ship. Same with things like soda and cat litter. Amazon must not make enough money on other things. Yeah right.

[@togodbetheglory9725]

@@richg4189 I know 🤣

[@thebrickpaverdoctor]

In this demonstration Powerloc sand by Quikcrete was used. It is not a polymeric sand. I referred to it as a sweeping sand. If a polymeric sand is used it is necessary to blow off the excess. I do not encourage the use of polymeric sand unless you really understand the steps. As always I can provide guidance if requested. Thank you.

[@thecruzfam2800]

HI Sir, I did my back yard with the Quikrete mold country stone with concrete. I used regular the sunscape paver sand to fill in the gaps / joints but the sand is washing off with the rain and it is also blowing away. Any product that you can recommend to keep the sand tight or make it hard ? Maybe the concrete sealer can help ? thanks for your time and help.

[@pbaniewicz2]

Just checking, Quikcrete's site refers to Powerloc as a polymeric sand, www.quikrete.com/pdfs/data_sheet-powerloc%201150-47.pdf, They also have a polymeric Sand listed www.quikrete.com/pdfs/data_sheet-hardscapes%20polymeric%20jointing%20sand%201175-56.pdf. Confusing looks like they are both polymeric or is there a difference?

[@thebrickpaverdoctor]

You sweep the pavers as clean as possible. If you are using a polymeric sand than you blow off with a leaf blower to remove the fine dust. This video doesn't use a polymeric sand so the leaf blower step is not shown.

[@almas7123]

The Brick Paver Doctor since it's not poly meric, won't this sand get blown w the wind?

[@ClownCarCoup]

Quick crete power loc IS a polymeric sand. According to mfg the Dr. should have removed excess sand from the paver surface prior to dampening.

[@thebrickpaverdoctor]

A plant proctor toe

[@nicsam8574]

Hi lissa 😸

[@sssconstruction7777]

Joint fillup ok