What happened??

[Whyzman]

I've what appears to be a unique problem with my father's walkway...Holland install with a standard coarse sand set. The walkway has been in for approximately 3 years. I recently added some steps at the curb level to eliminate the aggressive slope and when tying into the existing walkway found that grass clippings were embedded where the sand once was...

He has a very lush lawn and I know does not blow the grass clippings from the walk after mowing...he just lets nature take its course and either wash it away during rains, or lets his sprink system have at it.

I am curious as to what has happened with the grass overtaking the sand. I took the garden hose yesterday and blasted the grass from the joints...quite a mess...and will resand shortly. But, I thought I'd look for some possible observations/solutions before so doing. TIA

[rholt9]

The grass probably rooted into the sand and thinned it out. To take care of this, when you redo your sand, make sure you use polysand in your joints. That will help alot.

[Whyzman]

The grass didn't take root. It was the clippings from mowing. The clippings imbedded a good 1/4" into the joints...

[rholt9]

I would say that the person who installed the walkway obviously didn't use poly sand so the mason sand that they probably used in the joints washed away and the grass clippings took it's place. Use polysand for your joints and you shouldn't have this problem.

[sandman]

Stop wasting money and labor hours using polymeric sand. To properly activate, you need to apply NUMEROUS light mistings to the pavement with 10-15 minutes in between. That's because the chemicals in the poly sand will wash away if too much water is applied at once.

Try Sandlock. I am a big proponent because it only requires one THOROUGH SATURATION. I stop wasting my time and money, and buy the better product. And it's 100% Organic: Green products make my customers happy!

[Whyzman]

My father is looking to enhance the color by sealing the pavers. If we proceed along these lines, would we be best to just go again with the washed sand and use the sealer to provide the stability. I seem to remember reading that there can be an issue with sealers and the organic joint sand??

[Paver]

There is the potential for problems when you but a coating sealer over an organic joint sand stabilizer. Coating sealers can cause the joints to dry slower after moisture has been introduced, which could result in mold growth. But on most projects, you probably wouldn’t notice unless the pavers are a very light color.
If you are planning to put a coating sealer on the pavers anyway, then there is no need to use a joint sand stabilizer. Just remember that solvent-based sealers provide better joint penetration compared to water-based and use a product with a high solid content (25-30%).

[Whyzman]

We would more than likely use the same solvent based product on our driveway as well as on the walkway and allow it to also stabilize the joint sand. See "From the Top"...thread. http://thehardscapeforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3250#post3250

By the way, thanks for everyone's input...much appreciated!!