Paver Repair & Re-Sanding in Richmond

Joint sand does structural work. It passes each load from one paver to the next and keeps the field locked together, and as joints empty or widen, the surface loses stiffness and leans harder on the layers beneath it, according to the Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (CMHA). Its maintenance guide gives a simple test: once the sand sits more than half an inch below the paver tops, the joints are due.

Weeds in a joint do not push up from the base. They grow from seed that blows in and lodges in the sand. Richmond gives seed two easy ways in: the mature trees over the older blocks around Main St and Beebe St drop leaves and seed onto walks and patios, and the open farm country of Richmond and Lenox Townships starts at the city line.

How a joint gets refilled depends on what is in it now. CMHA tops up plain-sand joints with dry masonry sand and does not recommend polymeric sand for topping up, so a plain-sand joint that has only settled may need no more than that. We re-sand with polymeric sand, and because Techniseal, Alliance and SEK all require a joint at least 1½ inches deep, the old material comes out to that depth first.

Joints come last. Sunken or heaved pavers, cracked units and loose edging are repaired before any sand goes in, and CMHA notes that joint stabilizers add no structural strength, so new sand cannot hold up a paver whose base has dropped. Cleaning and sealing, along with a re-sand, make up a separate package, paver restoration.