Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:23 pm
I Knew I had read it on here way back when...
anyway, probably best I just get on with it, i'm probably going to give it a shot the sometime in the week before Easter so I will report back then.
Losing joint sand - Almara - 27 May 2002
The foot of my block paved driveway is on a slope and the joints are wider than elsewhere in the driveway and as a result I lose jointing sand in heavy rain. I recently had driveway power washed and sealed - fresh jointing sand was added after sealing and if anything the problem is worse. Have you any tips/sugggestions as to how I might keep sand in place.
Thanks,
Alex
Tony McCormack - 27 May 2002
Hi Alex,
Is there some reason why the joints are wider at the threshold of your driveway? They should all be the same size, really - around 3mm.
Anyway, there's a couple of ways to keep the jointing sand in place. The simplest is to use a "Joint Stabilising Fluid", such as Keybond by Marshalls. This is, basically, a PVA glue that is diluted with clean water and allowed to soak into the joints whereupon it sets and binds the sand grains together.
The other option is to use a paving sealant (see Sealants page). This does more or less the same job of binding the sand grains together, but also creates a seal over the entire pavement.
Whereas the keybond-type products seal only the joints and have no discernable affect on the appearance of the paving itself, the acrylic or urethane sealants give the blockwork a sort of 'varnished' appearance that, to be honest, isn't to everone's taste.
anyway, probably best I just get on with it, i'm probably going to give it a shot the sometime in the week before Easter so I will report back then.