# How to take off surface polymeric sand!!! Urgent



## concretemasonry

I keep watching for results of your question.

Usually the problem with polymeric is the longer term sheen that can occur on the pavers after a month or two depending on conditions.

One good reason to use the proven materials used by professionals and not the rebranded ones with a little additive that can have other effects. - The good thing is that the the make it polymeric sand disappear after time (months, years).


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## KUIPORNG

*Is it worth to rent the 2000 PSI power washer to try get rid of it on surface though?*

I missed the step of blowing / vacuuming the surface... thinking sweeping is good enough... obviously it is not.... to me ... it is not a disasters... as to me it looks not too bad... just make the antique look more antique... to my wife... she feels it looks more "dirty" instead...

well I guess wife feeling count more than mine...

I search the net... and see someone suggest "vinegar" brushing off...

I want to know if power wash will work too... at least it is less work if it does...

I did do a search on the net before using and this seems a debatable tropic whether use/not to use polymeric sand...

thanks for answering... nice to know it may disappear over time... but I really want to know if anything can be done immediately...

hat... my 12 years old may have a lot of brushing work to do, at least his summer vacation is not over yet....


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## KUIPORNG

*Things got ease off*

After a few people looked at the patio not realizing anything wrong with the color... my wife ease off regarding color being distorted by the polymeric sand... I think we are lucky that we choose antique bronze as the pavers color to begin with... the added sand on the surface really may the color a bit more yellowish or feel more oldish... it is not that bad but definitely quite different from its original.... 

so my experience on polymeric sand is still a "Positive" one... I will definitely use it again for future paving. Only that time I will do the vacuum or blowing step. As on the platform we did that and the color didn't get change.

So our chapter is close on this one and we aren't going to try to remove the sand on the surface and should nature going to do it we won't mind either.

just want to keep you up to date....


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## KUIPORNG

*shop vac the surface ... it makes a difference*

I did my entry area joint sand yesterday... this time I spent time to vacuum the surface before putting in water... it does make a big difference for the end result....

the original look of the paver can be maintained.... just a tip for anyone who intend to use polymeric sand.... I don't have a blower... couldn't try blowing... but vacuuming works very well...

I wish I would do a small area as testing first... then the job would have been 100% perfect to me... I will take some pictures later on to show the difference with and without vacuuming...


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## rabih_00

KUIPORNG said:


> I did my entry area joint sand yesterday... this time I spent time to vacuum the surface before putting in water... it does make a big difference for the end result....
> 
> the original look of the paver can be maintained.... just a tip for anyone who intend to use polymeric sand.... I don't have a blower... couldn't try blowing... but vacuuming works very well...
> 
> I wish I would do a small area as testing first... then the job would have been 100% perfect to me... I will take some pictures later on to show the difference with and without vacuuming...


So I did not get to that stage yet.
What do you recommend when I do? I have 5 bags of polymeric sand sitting waiting to be deployed once laynig bricks down is done.

Can screening be used instead though?


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## KUIPORNG

*polymeric sand is not the issue and it is a great product*

how to apply it is.... when you apply it... just don't be fooled by your eye... after you sweep the sand onto the gaps.... your eye will tell you it is pretty good... hardly any sand on the surface.... that is damn wrong... there are enough which will show when wet and then dry up which stick on the every single little crack changing the origial color of your pavers....

ours is lucky that our original color is antique brown... so making it more brownish won't be a killer... but I would prefer it not too...

so you good to use a shop vac to vacuum a every paver , not the gaps of course, it may sound like a crazy job... but it is what make the difference at the end.... it is not that bad... within an hour I would say should be done for 600 sq. ft....

you are so lucky you can learn from my mistakes....

anyhow... good luck...


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## rabih_00

KUIPORNG said:


> how to apply it is.... when you apply it... just don't be fooled by your eye... after you sweep the sand onto the gaps.... your eye will tell you it is pretty good... hardly any sand on the surface.... that is damn wrong... there are enough which will show when wet and then dry up which stick on the every single little crack changing the origial color of your pavers....
> 
> ours is lucky that our original color is antique brown... so making it more brownish won't be a killer... but I would prefer it not too...
> 
> so you good to use a shop vac to vacuum a every paver , not the gaps of course, it may sound like a crazy job... but it is what make the difference at the end.... it is not that bad... within an hour I would say should be done for 600 sq. ft....
> 
> you are so lucky you can learn from my mistakes....
> 
> anyhow... good luck...


 
lol.. you are damn right!!
This site is great ... 
Any more mistakes I should learn from?


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## concretemasonry

The sand applied to the surface must be vibrated when the pavers are vibrated and leveled.

If it just a patio, you may get away without the vibration. If it is more than patio, it would be a huge mistake not to do a final vibration to level and create the interlocking strength between the pavers.


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## KUIPORNG

*yes compact....*

yes, pour sand on surface, compact in then sweep... then vacuum....then fill some on gaps which got vacuum by accident...

I did do my compacting and if you don't do compacting... sand didn't go in depth enough... I didn't miss that step..... I did read from the web many times... but still forget about the blowing step...... 

the best is, try a small area as learning and see the result after well dried before going across the board.... but then you need to rent the compactor twice.... that probably why I didn't do the experiment step.... but if you choose a insignificant area for experiment... that small area may be ok without compacting....


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## Cathy Garden

I'm currently working on a brick garden edging project. The video I'm watching suggested to use polymeric sand between the bricks. I tested 2 bricks but don't like the look of it. I'm hoping a shop vac can remove the dry polymeric sand. Do you have any other ideas or suggestions remove the sand? Perhaps sand paper along the top to remove the white? I've attached photos of the issue as well as the edging garden project almost complete. Just need to back fill with mulch and trim the trees. Thanks in advance for a reply.


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## chandler48

@Cathy Garden you are talking to a 13 year old thread. It would be best to start your own thread in order to get more responses.


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