"Will you use polymeric sand?" It's the question we get more than any other. A lot of our customers moved here from up north, where polymeric sand went into every paver job, so it's what they ask for. Our answer: different place, different weather, different products. HD Paver Sealing uses fine 20/30 or 30/40 silica sand, and the sealer soaks into it and locks it in place. You get the same firm joint, with all the permeability benefits.

What Goes in Your Joints

After the clean, we blow out every joint so the post-treatment soaks in and reaches what's under it. Then we wet sand with fine silica sand, 20/30 or 30/40 grade. When the sealer goes on, it soaks into that sand and binds it into a firm joint that holds through storm season.

Why It Matters in Florida

Humidity. Florida pavers take on moisture all day, from rain, sprinklers and the ground underneath, and that moisture needs a way out. A silica joint locked in by a water-based sealer still breathes, so the moisture moves through instead of sitting under the pavers.

Trapped moisture is what causes efflorescence, the white, chalky haze that pushes up through the paver. A joint that breathes keeps that moisture moving, and that's what keeps the surface clean and even.

The Sealer Is the Other Half

We seal with Inseco Sealthane, a water-based urethane. We picked it because it breathes. Think of a Ziploc bag with a little water in it, left out in the sun. It puffs up and fogs, because the water can't get out. A paver under a film that can't breathe goes through the same thing every day, and that's how a driveway ends up blotchy, hazy and ashy. That's a strip job at $3 to $5 per square foot. So the sand and the sealer work as one system: the sealer locks the sand, and both let moisture out.

Driveways get three coats and patios and pool decks get two. More on that in our paver sealing process.

When the Joints Have Washed Out

When joint sand washes out for years, the pavers lose their lock and start to shift, dip or rock. At that point fresh sand alone won't fix it, and the base and the paver heights need attention. That's a paver releveling job, where we lift, reset and refill the joints with fine silica sand.

Pressure Washing and Joint Sand

Aggressive pressure washing blasts joint sand right out of the gaps. A wand held too close at too high a pressure can carve out years of sand in a single pass and even chip the joint. That's why our pressure washing uses controlled technique and the right tips, cleaning the pavers without stripping the joints. If you wash your own pavers, ease off the pressure and keep the wand moving and angled.

Keeping Your Joints Solid for Years

What keeps joint sand solid long-term is sealing on schedule, since the sealer binds the sand and shields it from the storms and overspray that wash it out. Across Sarasota County and the rest of the Gulf Coast, the pavers that go years without a re-sand are the ones kept sealed. How long that protection lasts depends on the same climate factors that wear sealer, which we break down in our guide on how long paver sealer lasts in Florida.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will you use polymeric sand on my pavers?

We use fine 20/30 or 30/40 silica sand, and the sealer locks it in place. You get the same firm joint, and moisture under the pavers can still get out, which matters in Florida humidity. We'll walk you through it at the estimate.

Will the sand stay in the joints through storm season?

Once the sealer soaks into the sand, the joint is locked. Keeping the surface sealed on schedule keeps it that way, and your reseal visits are when we check and refresh the joints.

Does it stop weeds and ants?

A full, locked joint gives weeds and ants far less room to move in than loose sand. Sealing on schedule is what keeps it working year after year.

What does the sand have to do with efflorescence?

Efflorescence comes from moisture trapped under the pavers. A joint that breathes lets that moisture get out, which keeps the white haze from pushing up through the surface.

Does sealer replace the need for joint sand?

No. Sand fills and supports the joint, and sealer locks the top of it. They do different jobs. Sealer makes good sand last longer, but it can't substitute for properly filled joints underneath.

What should I ask when I'm comparing bids?

Get a couple of bids. Ask each one what sealer, what sand, how many coats, and whether they wet sand. We give you the information, and you decide.

Want to see how we'd handle your joints? Contact us for a free estimate or call (941) 237-8107.