Brick Pavers Dirty Little Secret : Paver Joints

Paver Joints are the most important part of your Brick Pavers Installation

It amazes me every day when I am doing estimates on brick paver repair & restorations that homeowners had no idea they needed to keep paver joints filled with paver joint sand. More than the paving stones themselves, paver joints have the most important function of interlocking brick pavers.  Here are paver joints dirty little secrets.

Paver joints are the whole purpose for brick paver "lock-up".  Paver joints for interlocking paving stones allow for the bedding coarse to shoot up and lock the paving stones together during plate compaction.  As the plate compactor vibrates across several paving stones at once, the paving stones depress and force the bedding coarse sand or slag to "jet up" into the paver joints and lock up the paving stones laterally.


The next important step is to sweep in proper paver joint sand to completely fill the paver joints. Full paver joints will help prevent the paving stones from loosening, shifting, and unnecessarily settle from erosion.  What is so perplexing is that sweeping in paver joint sand is so easy and effortless and most homeowners will not perform this basic paver maintenance requirement. In Ann Arbor, sweeping is usually necessary each Spring as the Winter frost, snow & ice, and Spring rains wash away the top of the paver joints.  The upgraded use of Polymeric Sand will greatly reduce the amount of paver joint sweeping due to the strength of this bonding sand. Here are some paver repair projects that we used Polymeric Sand to help avoid future repairs.

Keeping paver joints filled with paver joint sand is important to help keep weed seeds from establishing .  If the joints are not filled with sand, this presents a perfect setting for weed seeds or dirt to settle in and promote growth.  Dirt, weeds, and grass inhibit the proper flow of water through the joints and does not allow for application of a paver sealant.


 Paver joints absorb the winter frost effects of heaving so the paving stones do not crack, grind, or chip. While protecting the structural integrity of interlocking pavers, paver joints will lose joint sand over time. Sweeping in new paver joint sand is a small price to pay for protecting the beauty, appearance, and performance of your brick paver patios,walkways,driveways, and more.

In frost states like Michigan, it is highly recommended not to fill the joints of high density concrete pavers with mortar.  I see many outdoor applications using mortared interlocking paving stones that will some day fail.  Mortared paver joints in a frost State does not stand up to the flexible heaving of base laid pavers. The other important factor is that high density concrete pavers are much stronger than mortar. As the paving stones expand slightly they will crack or break up the mortared joints. This will become and unsightly and costly future repair.

After years of neglect, paver patios without paver joint sand may require us to completely  re-sweep in new joint sand and re-compact the whole patio with a plate compactor. This will help re-lock the paving stones into the bedding coarse. We will then finish off the top of the paver joints with an approved joint sand.

Most homeowners believe that you must protect the paving stones with a sealer which is not true. Sealing brick pavers is an option and is mainly for aesthetic purposes.  The best way to protect your interlocking pavers is to keep the joints filled with paver joint sand. This is a simple and very cheap way to avoid costly and unnecessary paver repairs.

Brick Pavers Installation : Step 3 Base Material Installation

After you properly prep & excavate for your brick paver installation or paver patio, the next step is to properly install base materials to insure long term success of your interlocking brick paver project.
In Michigan, you should use a gravel base that is compacted in lifts of no more than 4" thick to insure proper density. We have always compacted the subsoil (dirt) with a plate compacter or hand tamper prior to installing the paver base. We also like to take the extra step of installing a geotextile fabric material between the subsoil & gravel base material as a seperator. This will insure that during freeze thaw cycles, the gravel paver base will not be compromised over the years from the "churning" action of frost. This way your paver base will not be "polluted" from dirt below, thus allowing for proper drainage under your brick pavers.
Always rake out your paver base material close to the final contour of your finished brick pavers before compacting. Make sure your finished grade of paver base slopes away from your house or follows closely the same pitches you want to achieve with your pavers. The height of your paver gravel base should be approx. 3.5" below your desired brick paver height. This will allow for your 1" bedding course and the thickness of the brick paver. If your paver base material is really dry, wet it gently prior to compacting so that the fines (dust particles) will settle and bond during compaction.

Small or tight areas can be compacted with a plate hand tamper but for large areas like a paver patio or paver driveway, a gas powered plate compactor should be used. Rake out any humps or depressions and recompact before installing your bedding course (1" sand layer) over the top of the compacted gravel paver base. Keep in mind that your paver base is the foundation for your brick paver installation and the top (surface) will mimic the foundation (gravel base) over time.
Please consult with your local brick paver dealer or brick paver manufacturer in your area to advise on the proper or acceptable base materials to use in your interlocking brick paver installation. Proper drainage below your brick pavers will insure long-term success and functionality.