How to Install Polymeric Sand, Step by Step with Rhino
Polymeric sand installation is a one-day job that is won or lost on three things: a dry surface, a clean surface before the water goes on, and the right amount of water. Rhino Power Bond Plus is rain safe 10 minutes after you water it in, fully set in one hour, and leaves no haze on a dry, swept paver, so follow the seven steps below and the joint will lock the first time.
Quick answer. Dry pavers, joints at least 1 1/2 in deep, above 32 F. Sweep in, compact, top up, sweep and blow the surface clean to 1/8 in below the paver top. Water 200 sq ft at a time, mist then shower, 2 minutes, screwdriver test for 1 in of moisture, blow off puddles. Rain safe in 10 minutes, fully set in one hour; no sprinklers until cured; wait 28 days to clean or seal.
What you need
Rhino Power Bond Plus in your color (use the calculator for the bag count), a push broom with soft bristles, a rubber plated plate compactor (or a woven fabric mat under a steel plate), a leaf blower, a garden hose with a spray nozzle that has mist and shower settings, a screwdriver, and a dry weather window: no rain for 24 hours and temperatures above 32 F through installation and curing.
Step 1. Check the pavers, the base and the forecast
- New installation: pavers laid to the maker's guidelines on a proper 1 in sand drainage layer, debris cleaned off. Concrete overlays need weep holes.
- Existing patio: clean the old material out of the joints to at least 1 1/2 in deep. Polymeric sand cannot be topped up over old sand.
- Compact the pavers with a rubber plated compactor (cover the pavers with a woven fabric if the plate is steel).
- Pavers must be completely dry. Wait 24 hours after rain. Clay pavers hold moisture and must be fully dry or the sand activates on the surface and leaves a residue.
- Test a small, discreet area first.
Step 2. Spread
Gently tumble the bag, cut the bottom and spread Power Bond Plus evenly over the surface. Work one section at a time.
Step 3. Sweep into the joints
Sweep diagonally across the joints so the sand fills them to the full depth of the paver. Do not push sand over long distances; it separates the polymer from the sand. Remove the excess from the paver surface before you compact.
Step 4. Compact and top up
Run the rubber plated compactor over the filled joints. If the sand drops 1/4 in or more below the surface, spread, sweep and compact again until it holds. Over an open graded base expect to use more sand.
Step 5. Sweep off and set the joint height
Soft bristle broom first, then a leaf blower on idle to set the joint 1/8 in below the top of the paver. Every grain has to come off the paver face. Sand left on the surface is what hazes when the water hits it.
Step 6. Water in sections
Work in sections of up to 200 sq ft. Each section gets 2 minutes of water in total, and must not dry out during those 2 minutes:
- Mist. Nozzle on mist (or the lightest setting) until the surface is wet.
- Shower. Switch straight to light shower. When water pools, move on or let it soak before adding more, for the rest of the 2 minutes.
- Test. Push a screwdriver into a joint: moisture should reach 1 in deep. If not, shower that spot again immediately.
- Blow off. Once the depth is right, blow the standing water off the surface with the leaf blower.
Too little water and the binder never activates. Too much, too fast, and it floats out of the joint. Two minutes per 200 sq ft, mist then shower, is the rule.
Step 7. Cure
The joint is rain safe 10 minutes after activation and fully set in one hour. A joint that still flexes has reacted but is not fully cured; it needs a dry environment to finish. Keep irrigation off until the sand has fully cured, and do not install when rain is forecast within 24 hours. Wait 28 days before cleaning or sealing the pavers.
Where not to use it
Not for flagstone patios, porcelain, pool copings, permeable systems or wet, heavily shaded areas that never dry out. Joints over 2 in (1 in on a concrete overlay) need a different product; call (856) 759-1112 and we will say so.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Damp pavers | Haze and residue on the paver face | Wait 24 hours after rain |
| Sand left on the surface | A white film that cures onto the paver | Broom, then blower, before any water |
| Shallow joints | The joint cracks and washes out | Clean out to 1 1/2 in, never top up |
| Flooding the joint | Binder washes out, soft joints | Mist, then light shower, 2 minutes per 200 sq ft |
| Sprinklers on the next morning | Joint never cures | Irrigation off until fully cured |
| Sealing the first week | Haze sealed in | Wait 28 days |
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