It’s easy to assume that once your patio or driveway pavers are cleaned, the job is done. But if you’ve recently had your pavers pressure washed or restored and didn’t follow up with re-sanding, you may be setting yourself up for premature damage. At Fuller Stone Care, we often see beautiful paver surfaces fall victim to weeds, erosion, and structural issues—all because the joint sand was never replaced.
In this blog, we’re diving into why re-sanding your pavers is more than just a finishing touch. It’s a critical part of maintaining the longevity and appearance of your hardscape, especially in Southern California’s fluctuating climate.
What Happens When You Skip the Sand?
The sand between your pavers—also known as joint sand—does a lot of behind-the-scenes work. It holds your pavers in place, prevents weed growth, supports weight distribution, and helps protect your installation from water infiltration. When this sand is washed away during pressure cleaning or deteriorates over time, your pavers become vulnerable to:
- Shifting and settling, creating trip hazards and uneven surfaces
- Weed and moss growth, which can break apart joints
- Insect infestation, including ants that tunnel through loose joints
- Water damage, as moisture seeps beneath and erodes the base material
In other words, clean pavers without proper re-sanding are like a house with no mortar—eventually, the structure weakens.
Why Polymeric Sand Is the Preferred Choice
At Fuller Stone Care, we use polymeric sand for re-sanding projects because it goes beyond traditional joint sand. This specialized blend includes fine sand and polymer additives that harden when exposed to moisture, creating a semi-solid joint that locks your pavers together more securely.
The benefits of polymeric sand include:
- Enhanced durability
- Better resistance to weed growth and insect intrusion
- Reduced washout during rain or irrigation
- A clean, finished look between pavers
It also helps maintain the interlock system that makes your paver installation strong and stable for years to come.
Southern California Weather Makes Re-Sanding Even More Important
Southern California is known for its sunshine, but it also brings challenges for outdoor surfaces. Between occasional heavy rains, dry heat, and irrigation runoff, paver joints face a lot of stress. Over time, this can wash out the sand between your pavers, making them more likely to shift or sink.
If you’ve noticed your pavers looking a bit loose or uneven after a rainstorm—or if weeds are sprouting up where they never used to—it’s a good sign your surface needs re-sanding.
How Re-Sanding Works
Our re-sanding process at Fuller Stone Care is thorough and detail-oriented to ensure long-lasting results:
- We start by deep-cleaning the paver surface to remove dirt, debris, and old sand from the joints.
- We apply fresh polymeric sand, ensuring it’s swept evenly into the gaps between each paver.
- We compact the surface to settle the sand and improve bonding.
- Finally, we lightly mist the area to activate the polymer in the sand, allowing it to harden and lock the pavers in place.
This process not only enhances the structural integrity of your pavers, but also gives your hardscape a crisp, uniform appearance.
Don’t Let Your Investment Go to Waste
You’ve already invested in paver cleaning or installation—don’t let that investment crumble by skipping the critical step of re-sanding. Whether your pavers are brand new or decades old, Fuller Stone Care provides expert re-sanding services that restore strength, stability, and beauty to your surfaces.
Call Fuller Stone Care today at 310-944-9099 for a free quote or to schedule your paver re-sanding service. We’ll help you preserve your hardscape the right way—clean, sealed, and solid from the ground up.