Can I use grout to fill in between paver stones on my patio?

Question

Right now we have sand in between each stone and it is a mess. The sand will not stay in place and the patio does not look complete. My husband wants to fill it in with grout- saying that mortar or concrete will be way too hard since it is a thin distance between each paver. Do you think grout will work? Any other advice?
THANKS! :-)

Answer 1

Use polymeric sand, it is a very fine sand mixed with a polymer adhesive which activates when you wet it.

You first need to pressure wash the old sand out of the joints. It is very important to let it dry thoroughly before sweeping the polymeric sand into the joints. Then wet it with a very fine spray of water. Don't over wet it. I usually do it 3 times, once just enough to wet it, then wait a few minutes and go over it a little heavier. The 3rd time I wet it until the surface of the pavers just glistens, making sure that the water doesn't puddle or run.

You should be able to get it anywhere they sell pavers.

Answer 2

With all due respect NO "grout" at this point will hold up, and very likely answer number one has that notion? The issue is that Unless the pavers/slabs happen to be on an already solid surface, IE: a poured concrete base,,,they are subject to FLEX. I install and remediate thousands of sq. ft. of tile, very often those in a similar situation to what you describe, with grout constantly cracking, crumbling, and chipping out. Even the dry mix will at some point get WET, and set up, as though you mixed and poured it, but it won't remain solid in the paver joints forever. The better solution might be to remove the pavers, pour a slab and reset them. Steven Wolf

Answer 3

Grout will not work.

You'll be walking on it, it will get rained on, and you think it looks like a mess now...

The patio needs to be relaid. The sand should be solidly compacted, and the pavers close enough together that the sand should not be all over the place.

Do a search on "building patios" and "laying paving stones".

Answer 4

you're going to have a mess on your hands either way,mortar is grout for pavers and if the joints are really close you'll get the bricks pretty messy and have to use 600 detergent or muratic acid to clean them up,talk to a local builders supply as they may have a different sand that will hold it's body and stay put,you'd be surprised how many kinds of sand they have for your situation

Answer 5

Hmm interesting. I am currently trying to persuade a lot of sand to stay in mine too!! I have considered mixing a tiny bit of cement into it so it actually sets ...

Answer 6

hiya my b/f put a dry cement mix in brushing ove the paves then it settled once it rained well worth a try