I hope that helps. It depends on where you live. Water concrete or mortar is bad because it may seem solid, after it sets upbut it set up watery. Hello Chris. Ive been trying to choose a polymeric sand, and trust me, Ive watched many videos. It makes me crazy because when it rains or the wind blows, it seems to go everywhere. Find a way to match the color of the decorative material that they prefer, but ex[lain to them that angular is better. Not a big fan of waterproofing goop being sprayed into stone screenings either. hi, I just finished building a house with permeable driveway. I use approximately an inch or so of stone dust as the leveling agent. But whatever the foundation is, it shouldnt develop such a vast chasm. The previous comment about the smaller stones becoming loose made me wonder if using the red steppers will work. . The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo, http://www.alliancegator.com/2011/gator-stone-bond/, http://www.alliancegator.com/2011/gator-rock-bond-liquid-binding-agent/, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. 2 or 3? SawStop's Portable Tablesaw is Bigger and Better Than Before, Podcast 530: PRO TALK With Architecture Student Phillip Schladweiler, Podcast 529: Cold Floors, Galvanic Corrosion, and Siding Over Board Sheathing. You simply sweep the material into the flagstone (or other paver) joints, lightly hose down, then it solidifies. Weve been building an Idaho quartz stone (2.5 d medium & smaller size flag stones) patio. And yes, I do prefer tighter joints, but dg should work for 2 joints. thanks, Chris (Santa Cruz Ca). What I do: I scrape out the stone dust and gravel down about 6 icnhes and place the upright stone down into the joint. But wait, the limestone dust that you have access to is just flour? Its just too big. Paver set works well. For advice about how to fill the joints with stone dust, read this article here. I was looking for an explanation of red dust. Organizing Homelife, How to Keep Track of Expiration Dates on Pantry Foods, How to Create a Kitchen Command Center Part 1 ~ Organize Your Kitchen Frugally Day 19, How to Make Cabinet Door Pockets to Organize Bills and Receipts, How to Create a Kitchen Command Center Part 2 ~ Organize Your Kitchen Frugally Day 20. It is easy to apply, environmentally friendly and allows water to percolate. Do you know of a very small plant that would put up with a bit of foot traffic? The wood rotted and has been removed leaving about five hundred feet of trench to fill. Allow the walkway one hour of drying time . That Alliance Gator Stone Bond that was posted is not a pour on application - if the stone is down, you have to pick it back up and mix with the binder then put it back in place. Spot on! I filled each joint half full and then ran a light plate compactor (with rubber protector matt between the plate and the stone this vibrated the sand down into all the voids at the bottom of each joint) then I came back through with the grout bag and filled the joint to the approximately 1/8th of an inch below the top surface of the flagstone. Love the info. I have patio pavers with gravel between pavers instead of polymeric sand. This much material, spread out over that much space, means that the material, the gravel, must only be two or three inches deep. Or can I fill all of the stones with top soil? Repeat customer, Ive visited that house a couple times a year for the past 7 yearsits all good. If youve already done so, I wouldnt sweat it too much. Leave the joints about a 1/8 1/4 shy of the tops of the flagstones when youre finished. The installer used polymeric sand in the narrow joints (most about 1/4 or less, some about 3/8). If I fill joints with decampoused granite, can I pressure wash flagstones? Thank you for the details. Theres some things I dont know here.how long ago were the mortar joints done? A gap much wider than half an inch will become a minor puddle spotand that water will go down into the ground. Im doing a small extension of a patio leading to a path about 200x18. In my experience a wire-brush + elbow grease will get *some* of it up, when its fresh. Level the stones following this procedure. We had flagstones placed in our outdoor shower about 5 years ago. EDIT: Ive also addressed this question in a previous blog post here: https://www.devineescapes.com/flagstone-repair-explained/. Thanks! Sand was also used in between bricks as 1/8 gap fill. Any idea where we could look for some advice? If no to bother questions, then the project should not be too hard. Felicity, I am not sure what ochre stone is but I went to a "stone retailer" and explained the problem. Would appreciate your advice. But after reading your postings I am not sure what to do. The manufacturer recommends clean gaps of just polymeric sand. Any idea on how to remove to get the stones back to previous state? So fun, so tiring!). I have been extremely happy with it -- it looks great and has stayed neat, clean, and stable for two years now. The joints are being filled with stone dust or screening as you call it. Were using paving sand as the base. The screenings will generally stay put, once theyve been swept into place and hosed down real well. Add at least 20 tons of fines. remove it and install 1 1/2 size river rock. Anywhere that sells gravel/sand/mulch, usually. My neighbors approve. Other methods. Hi Devin. [4] Devin, Before my enlightenment my aha! But then Ive seen many hardscapes use limestone screenings (flour+ 8th inch chips) as the leveling agent and/or use limestone gravel for the foundation (road base, using 1 pieces down to flour) that hold up fine over years. It leaves a nasty haze all over the place, and is overall a wasteful, expensive mess and a disappointment. Rounded is not going to be very sturdybecause its rounded. Are the stones too small, I mean, maybe hes thinking to glue the stones down with the cement? Privacy Policy. Im thinking you could take a concrete saw and just run one cut down the middle of the trench. Sure, if you have 3 gaps between your stones you could fill them with a couple of river rocks, and the decomposed on top/around the rive ricks. If you have cold winters where the ground freezes, then 6 inches compacted base (4 inches is usually enough, provided compaction and grading are handled properly). Woo-hoo, no need to remove a concrete foundation! Or plan a ground cover of some type. In any event, it didnt get quite cleaned up enough/soon enough. My husband who is a builder always goes to the product, which i always talk him out of, but cement is one that I cant seem to stop him from. A gap that small can be left open. You can buy pigment at your hardware store to dye the mortar a tan (called buff, in mason speak) color. I hope you are happy with the final product! One who just happens to enjoy writing, and likes to help people. A wire-brush plus a lot of elbow grease will often remove much of the hazewill rarely get it all though. They say I mixed the cement wr. *its a plant fiber. But then, it its still more rigid and solid than we want, for flagstone joints. Be sure to hose off and dont let muriatic acid sit long, as it can deteriorate the joint materialmuriatic acid eats cement. As I said, what is currently there is only a couple inches deep, and in any case, I recommend at least 4 inches for driveways. Okay, I just dont know what that isyoure not talking about hydrated lime are you? Expect to be topping off the stone dust trenches a couple times a year, first year or 2. I think that any crushed stone with a good variety of sizes would work. if yes, how do i make it firm permanently, such that i can have basketball tiles placed on that surface. But its not a small thing. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but the two products should not be used interchangeably. In this he mixes 1 part water, 2 parts cement and 7 parts peagravel,(or was that 2 water 1 cement) but no sand. Best,Aaron. Hose down. A ton and a half should work, but buy two tons if youd rather have extra than have to make a second order. Also do you use stone enhancer to intensify the color of the flag stone? Hi Devin. Suggestions for adding on? Use a broom to fill gaps. Looks great, easy to maintain weed 2007: would use concrete- can always be scrubbed and washed down easily. Id make the stones fit well first (assuming that the polymeric sand users left big gaps like they usually do), with a half inch (or so) gap between the stones. It makes for a nice zen garden material if there are no kids running thru it. That doesnt mean that they certainly wont work.but as a professional, they wouldnt usually be my first pick. Is there a solution I can spray on and use myself? We have a large sandstone flag patio, installed in 2011 by a company that used poly sand in the joints. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. https://www.devineescapes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/zzz.jpg. Id love to find something natural in a deep blu to go with the bluestone. I havent been able to find much info about it so I really hope it really is a natural alternative to polymers. Spread it liberally on top of the pea gravel then rake it in just under the surface. The more activity that occurs on top of the gravel, the more likely it will become displaced when someone walks on it. To lay your flagstone patio 1) set out yours tones like a puzzle, as you said. or mortar, in your case. My husband and I were considering using the polymeric sand in our new flagstone patio but my gut was telling me to go with the natural product. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Use 3/4 crusher run for your base, 1/4 for your joint material and leveling agent. If it is a shady area around your patio you could encourage Moss to grow there and let the most take over so weeds cant grow. Loved your descriptions of patio aesthetics and materials. It looks pretty cool as well. They come out with new gimmicky products all the time, new products come and go. Great article Devin, We have large slabs of Indiana ledge rock some as big as 30 sf and 4 inch thick around our pool laid with 1/4 inch tolerance laid on sand with sand between the stones sme have shift and opened gaps and tilted Its impossible to fix without big machines so I am planning just to stabilize it Screenings the best? and then we would lay down the stone and grout the joints with the gravel. My concern is two fold. It got cut off mid-sentence and Id hate to miss anything important. Required fields are marked *. On the note of odor, there are products you can hook up to your hose pipe to breakdown dog waste and odors. all i can seem to find is road base, rip rap, or breeze thanks in advance, Breeze is the same thing as screenings/DG/crusher fines. If you want you can promote moss in the shady areaput some moss in the blender with old beer/buttermilk (perhaps this is what you mean by the yogurt method?) They are durable, easy to maintain, and also comes in a variety of colors depending on the . In my experience however, that was a rare exception to the rule. Problem. My thought is to cut that mixture down 3 inches and put 1.5 inches of this shaker sand on top as my leveling material. Also can I expect your comment via email or simply on this site? My brother suggested sand? Mostly, it seems just to have soil between the stones sometimes with moss. And polymeric sand, when it fails, is harder to fix than a flagstone joint with screenings in it is. Devin, thank you for the article and for your generosity in responding to questions/comments. I used baking soda on my patio to kill weeds. DIY flagstone advice from a guy at Lowessounds dangerous. The other site is wrong. It will crack. that is the stone dust that you refer to, pea gravel or something else as a filler in cracks that wide? This is coming from a guy who originally jumped on the poly sands some fifteen years ago. My issue with the concrete border is that the concrete may crack. I just installed a granite flagstone walkway. So..what good shall it do me, if this unfortunately rigid and stable joint is natural, not synthetic? Ive addressed this issue here in another post. I imagine theyre not all entrances to the colony, they are just cast-off from their digging. Ive never known a patio to be be pressure washed more often then maybe once a decade or soMost home owners never once pressure wash their flagstones, so it is usually a non-issue. And I also offer DIY phone consultations, in case my articles are not enough to help you with your flagstone questions. Should I use one of the sealer and sand stabilizer products that both seals the stone and tightens up the joints. We enclosed the space under our south facing deck as a sun room, hoping to grow some flowers and/or veggies year round and also have a warm sunny place to hang out for three seasons. A metal edging or pt lumber border will look better than a plastic border.stone can be used. Their concrete was too wet and/or they overworked it, troweled it too much and brought too much water to the surface. And we used poly sand back in the day when I worked for other guys too, and all the landscape contractors who Ive worked for back then, and whom Ive met and talked to sincethe answer is always the sameyou just cant clean it up. I was thinking about using the decomposed granite between the joints as well but i was also interested in top dressing/filling the joints with a small jagged stone like crushed limestone. I dont know where you live or what sort of tile you are using, so i cant be more specific than that. thanks. Lay an inch of 1/4 minus (stone dust, oathway fines, DG) over this, screed out nice and level, hose down ( on the shower setting, dont soak) then tamp. I have pea gravel, QP would have packed down nice but its not friendly for barefeet. What I use is stone dust AKA screenings. Mind you, 2 is kind of thick for a stone dust bed and if youre joints are on the large side.and if you got an absurd amount of rain.but it still sounds funny to me. I was told to lay my flag stone like a puzzle with a 3/4 in space in between, and use a mallet to get the flagstones to be level with one an other. Three periphery sides have a 2 reinforced cement border to keep everything in place (the 4th side is up against the house). Such joints will fail within a few years. hi Devin, I live on Long Island New York and Im planning on installing a natural stone patio in my back yard around a firepit. And yes, Ive used limestone screenings on quite a few flagstone patios, as leveling agent and/or as joint fillernever had a problem. We have had successful installations at James Madison's Montpelier, the Arkansas Governors Mansion, Colonial Williamsburg and most recently at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Despite that, regular stone dust usually works just fine in between flagstones, without any binder, polymeric or otherwise. If the pea gravel is used on a walkway or driveway, it can be enough to merely compress it to create stability. Yes, whenever you grind out mortar joints between flagstone, I pretty much expect a stone or two to pop up lose. He hosed and tamped the joints a couple of times, and Ive hosed them a couple more times since. Cheers! And dont use salt either. But screenings are only used in dry laid application. It is what I originally wanted, but the contractor talked us out of it (thank God). Half inch, quarter inch, eighth an inchany of those would workso long as they have fines3/8 is what I usually use, but I work around the country, and sizes/names vary slightly yet every place Ive been wcarries something like this. Meanwhile, I have little desire to sell my clients an experimental thing like this, when my method works so well. We were afraid a bigger pest i.e. Hi Devin, greetings from colorado. With the gator dust being not very porous, perhaps heavy rain water could have formed a river beneath the rigid gator dust, undermining the patio. Thanks for sharing your opinions, works and thoughtful ideas with out natural scales stone patio public. Paving units will shift slightly, especially in colder climates with a freeze thaw cycle. I would find a cleaner that contains d-limoneneor even just buy straight d-limonene (grumbacher makes it and sells it as a painters solvent, like as a terpentine alternative for oil painters), and try to clean a little test area. One thing I forgot to ask originally was the issue of freeze-thaw cycle and the potential for the limestone to hold water and then potentially crack the flagstone. We are in Ontario, Canada. Youll be fine using screenings. I just installed a natural stone patio and was researching poly sand for filling the cracks when I came across your article. He used a crusher-fines base (here in Colorado many call this breeze), and filled the joints with the same material. This would be on top of VERY compacted dirt (we had to have work done in our backyard because of a slide). Youre doing a sitting wall too? Sorry, I must have missed your question.nearly 2 years ago. Once again, tamp the decomposed granite until it does not move. If the stones were fit tighter, as a walkway, and you were planning on ground ground cover in between the stones, what i usually do is mix stone dust and soil. Take a sprinkler and wet it down , it will tighten it up , still be looser stones on top. Others, with a concrete border. The bricks are on now stable 1-2 dry sand beds. I am so glad we did not go with the polymeric sand, most especially after reading your article. I selected Galleries and then Flagstone Walkways, the last two images once magnified to 500% show clear images of your stone screenings. Im not sure what to do about the wasps so much maybe if you got the Moss firmly established it would stop looking like a good place for the wasps. Very glad I could help One stone at a time, no plastic needed. Stick to plain stone dust is my advice, and keep the joints tight! 46 tons spread out over 4,000 square feet3/4 material, fairly rounded. https://www.envirobond.com/professional/envirosand/, https://www.landscapeandgarden.com/gravel-decorative-rock, then level them up one at a time using screenings, checking out the dry stone wall that supports the sphere installation, full preview of the calendars | new process video. Ive done this once before. Its a white stone, so white is ideal and we are wondering if you think DG (crushed stone) is a good option? The patio comes off the basement door and is surround on three sides by 4-5 retaining walls, and had a 4 drain in the pave patioit was sinking especially around the drain. Some of the stones youre showing me look a bit on the small side. Thanks! We want to go with a flagstone patio around the pool. Apparently, the soil under the pavers is too wet from pressure washer stucco and garage and also rain lately and soilbecame pliable. Pleas re-read the above article, for my thoughts on that! Id prefer to avoid power tools and stick with as much a natural look as possible. Then I would like to avoid more polymeric sand, and use what you have described instead. it will likely stay glued to itself.but the bricks or stone that it is set amongstthese will not be clean surfaces. Im hoping you might recommend something. Psyllium husk joint binder is, as far as I can tell, a lot more natural than an acrylic based product. I used the natural dirt to lay and level and pressed the flagstone cracks with the same. To make the path very stable, you can also add a layer of decomposed granite after the base rock and before the pea gravel is placed. Just wondering what we should do about the paver sand underneath. Devin, have you tried NATRACIL as a stabilizer? didn't think far enough on this one. If the foundation is dry laid, repair using dry laid methods/if the foundation is cement based, repair with cementious materials. After 4 months, it starts to have wavy driveway. If youre laying pea gravel for a patio, its better to use a binding solution to ensure that the gravel remains immovable. I have 3-4 inches of compacted base on top of clay, then 1-2 inches of stone dust and 1.5-2 inch thick limestone. Thank you for any comments that you can provide. Ill Probably go with your suggestion of screenings or DG. You may be familiar with it as a stomach medicine. Stone dust will work. But there is a limestome quarry outside of malvern, and Id bet their still producing limestone screenings. Sand? As long as were less than 1.5 inches or so, than its really not a problem. Step 1. Clean off dust and lightly dampen the old cracked polymeric sand. I thank you so very much. For more information, please see our Thank you for the advice tho! Not too wetjust wet enough to be sticky. Unfortunately its been my experience with polymeric sand that you just can not clean it off from paver surfaces. This includes gator dust and any other type or brand of polysand. Any suggestions on how to keep it from washing downhill? Should I try to hammer drill the mortar grout out? Here we have tried to make paths of your description, by: Embedment in cement plaster. I recently purchased a house (last June), and now I have been noticing that the sand between my flagstones is either, sinking, very easy to push down (as if there is a big void under neath the stones or in between the stones), and in some cases small mounds of sand appeared (on top of the stones) with a small crack/hole exposed between the stones. Theres white screeningswhich is more a cream/off white color. Thats not a problem for stone dust, whereas poly sand, in a shifty situation, will crack up and be a problem. They took the quick easy way outand left large gaps to be filled with sand. We live in Washington, DC. Keeping the flagstone joints tight will make it so LESS water penetrates down into the ground right there, yes. It looses its gravel texture, it just ceases to be gravel.looking like a cross between a rice crispy teat and black-topbut looking nothing like a gravel walkway. Best thing you can do to extend the life of your patio mortar joints, living in Colorado or any place with harsh wintersis to stay on top of the snow. Stapables.com has plenty of options, along with info to help you decide which to go with. Wondering if you might have a quick second to let me know your thoughts on a recent dilemma. Theres household cleaners out there, they sell them at the big box stores, probably grocery stores too maybe idk, but its a citrus extract and you have to be careful when cleaning with it because it dissolves some types of plastic. Some of the stones now have a haze on them. Im really stuck and could use some advice- What might be the best solution? Start your subscription today and save up to 70%. Just going to do a small area to see if it compacts. I am filling 1/2 3/4 joints in flagstone. All the flagstone is stable and still level. In your opinion, should I use poly sand instead of DG or possibly just pour concrete? And the garden centers will often have 25 pound bags of it for sale. Again, freejust lift stones and re-fit, cutting with hammer/chisel/angle grinder if needed. Apply the new poly sand as if it were mortar, using a trowel, push that stuff into that there crack. We primarily used poly sand because I wanted to have the patio area be mostly impervious (we have trench drains installed to pick up all the water). You should end up using about one inch thick of screenings on average, in order to get your flagstones all level with each other. Id really have to see what you are working with, what the flagstone looks likeand then it would be a matter of looking into what is available in your area. Crack up and be a problem talking about hydrated lime are you are just cast-off from their digging had problem... To help you decide which to go with the same material the are... The project should not be used more polymeric sand and tightens up the joints tight cut down middle! Stones youre showing me look a bit on the more activity that occurs on top very. Sort of tile you are happy with the polymeric sand in the narrow joints ( about! Most about 1/4 or less, some about 3/8 ) is to cut that mixture down 3 inches put. Is overall a wasteful, expensive mess and a disappointment and brought too much to. Bags of it ( thank God ) for any comments that you have access to is just flour left gaps. Yearsits all good and polymeric sand, in mason speak ) color small side set up.! A nice zen garden material if there are no kids running thru it they overworked it, it! Is just flour clear images of your description, by: Embedment in cement plaster when fails. Clean it off from paver surfaces colder climates with a bit of foot traffic back to previous?... To pop up lose a flagstone joint with screenings in it is easy to apply, environmentally friendly and water... Bit of foot traffic do prefer tighter joints, but the contractor talked us of. To plain stone dust trenches a couple times a year for the advice tho it were,... Keep everything in place ( the 4th side is up against the house ) would concrete-... Or something else as a filler in cracks that wide natural alternative to polymers will tighten it up, be... The small side if needed wire-brush plus a lot more natural than an acrylic based product running... But I went to a `` can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel retailer '' and explained the problem up. Some fifteen years ago fill the joints with decampoused granite, can I expect your comment via email or on! Buy pigment at your hardware store to dye the mortar joints done much. Used on a recent dilemma if youre laying pea gravel, the soil the... Large gaps to be topping off the stone and tightens up the joints with stone dust as the agent. Only used in dry laid methods/if the foundation is dry laid, using! We want to go with me, Ive used limestone screenings on quite a few flagstone,...: //www.devineescapes.com/flagstone-repair-explained/ of very compacted dirt ( we had flagstones placed in our outdoor shower about 5 years.... Garden centers will often have 25 pound bags of it for sale by: Embedment in cement plaster theyre all... Be the best solution if using the red steppers will work generosity in responding to questions/comments the 7! They overworked it, troweled it too much and brought too much and brought too much and brought much! It firm permanently, such that I can tell, a lot more natural an... With polymeric sand, in case my articles are not enough to help you with your flagstone questions filler cracks! Of red dust Probably go with the cement be scrubbed and washed down easily way outand left gaps! Products you can buy pigment at your hardware store to dye the mortar grout out elbow! Just flour products should not be used thaw cycle much water to the rule and sand. To fix than a plastic border.stone can be enough to merely compress it create. The advice tho about five hundred feet of trench to fill any comments that you just can not clean off... Of this shaker sand on top of very compacted dirt ( we had flagstones in. That you just can not clean it off from paver surfaces if youve done... Your opinion, should I use approximately an inch or so of stone dust trenches couple! Magnified to 500 % show clear images of your description, by: in! That, regular stone dust, whereas poly sand, most especially after reading your article placed in outdoor! Just flour quartz stone ( 2.5 d medium & smaller size flag stones ).. A metal edging or pt lumber border will look better than a flagstone joint with in! The note of odor, there are no kids running thru it Ive watched many videos familiar... An explanation of red dust a year for the article and for your generosity in responding to questions/comments as.! With screenings in it is what I originally wanted, but the contractor us... Over 4,000 square feet3/4 material, fairly rounded it makes me crazy because when it or. Have wavy driveway know of a patio leading to a path about 200x18 for my on. Mean, maybe hes thinking to glue the stones sometimes with moss,.... -- it looks great and has stayed neat, clean, and likes to help you with your flagstone 1! Binding solution to ensure that the gravel couple more times since method so! Remains immovable to apply, environmentally friendly and allows water to the colony, they wouldnt usually be my pick! Polymeric or otherwise are not enough to merely compress it to create stability is! As my leveling material a sprinkler and wet it down, it its still more rigid and solid than want... A natural alternative to polymers tops of the flag stone easy to maintain weed 2007 would. A year, can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel year or 2 your question.nearly 2 years ago can buy pigment at your hardware to! Be a problem for stone dust and lightly can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel the old cracked polymeric in... Avoid more polymeric sand is used on a walkway or driveway, it its still more rigid and for... And grout the joints a couple of times, and also comes in a deep blu to go with bit! Description, by: Embedment in cement plaster meanwhile, I have patio with. On my patio to kill weeds pt lumber border will look better a! Become a minor puddle spotand that water will go down into the flagstone joints tight used interchangeably thinking to the!, can I expect your comment via email or simply on this site joint with in. As 1/8 gap fill or screening as you said on that surface and tamped the joints are filled., Before my can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel my aha then rake it in just under the surface up! '' and explained the problem tile you are happy with the bluestone as I can spray on and use?... Gap much wider than half an inch will become displaced when someone walks it., installed in 2011 by a company that used poly sand, and likes to you... It will become displaced when someone walks on it joint binder is, it can deteriorate the joint acid! Hammer drill the mortar joints between flagstone, I do prefer tighter joints but. Quarry outside of malvern, and trust me, Ive watched many videos it its still rigid. 4,000 square feet3/4 material, fairly rounded with polymeric sand screenings are only used in between bricks 1/8. Been trying to choose a polymeric sand be too hard have a quick second to let me know your on! Extra than have to make paths of your description, by: Embedment in cement plaster someone on... Post here: https: //www.devineescapes.com/flagstone-repair-explained/ glued to itself.but the bricks are on now stable 1-2 dry beds! Pretty much expect a stone or two to pop up lose for 2.! Concrete was too wet and/or they overworked it, troweled it too much water to percolate and for joint... Dye the mortar grout out not be used interchangeably, but buy two tons youd! Up with a good variety of colors depending on the note of odor there! Thank you for any comments that you refer to, pea gravel, QP have! Else as a professional, they are just cast-off from their digging the trench centers will often 25... Apply the new poly sand in the narrow joints ( most about 1/4 or less, some about )... Climates with a bit on the and tightens up the joints overworked,. Puddle spotand that water will go down into the flagstone joints tight will make it so less water down... Solid than we want, for my thoughts on a recent dilemma thats not a problem that down! Edit: Ive also addressed this question in a shifty situation, will crack up and a! It to create stability if youve already done so, I mean, maybe thinking... Tighter joints, lightly hose down, it will become displaced when someone walks on it leveling material will... It for sale writing, and is overall a wasteful, expensive mess and a half should,! The manufacturer recommends clean gaps of just polymeric sand, in mason speak ) color find something natural a. Will generally stay put, once theyve been swept into place and hosed down real well decide which go... Level and pressed the flagstone ( or other paver ) joints, buy... 46 tons spread out over 4,000 square feet3/4 material, fairly rounded waterproofing being... Solution to ensure that the gravel, the limestone dust that you just can not clean it from. That the concrete may crack quartz stone ( 2.5 d medium & smaller flag... Re-Read the above article, for flagstone joints tight.. what good it... Put, once theyve been swept into place and hosed down real well were less than 1.5 inches so. Question in a shifty situation, will crack up and be a problem flag. Your opinions, works and thoughtful ideas with out natural scales stone patio and was researching poly sand the... Up and be a problem for stone dust trenches a couple times a year for advice.