You’ve tried blowing them out with a power washer and spraying weed killer, but they just keep coming back…
If you’ve been dealing with a weed takeover in your concrete pavers or other split concrete, you’re not alone. This is an unfortunate downside to pavers, and a common problem for many homeowners.
Fortunately, by sealing up your concrete joints, you can stop the weed invasion between your concrete pavers.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Gather the materials
First, you need to gather the materials necessary for this operation. This will include a cup, soap, flathead, broom, polymeric sand, white vinegar, leaf blower, spray bottle, and garden sprayer.
2. Kill the weeds
To kill the weeds, you’ll want to combine a teaspoon of dish soap and some white vinegar in your spray bottle. The soap is what will help the vinegar adhere to the weeds long enough to kill them.
Ideally, you’ll spray this mixture during prime sunshine and heat hours so that the weeds will absorb the vinegar better.
3. Clean out the joints
Now it’s time to clean out the joints using your flathead screwdriver or hands. This can be done either while the weeds are still alive, or the following day after you have killed them with the spray.
4. Fill in the gaps with sand
The next step is to use your cup to pour polymeric sand into the weedless crevices and sweep any excess into the joints with your broom. Then, use your leaf blower to fully clear the surrounding concrete of sand–this is very important in order to avoid staining.
5. Spray the sand to seal it
After you’ve blown away any excess sand, you can start misting the joints with your garden sprayer. You’ll want to spray at least 3 or 4 water applications, but make sure to avoid puddling and work in small sections so that each application is sprayed within 3 minutes of each other.
After you’ve finished spraying, leave your pavers untouched for a full 24 hours.
By following the steps above and sealing your concrete joints with polymeric sand, you can prevent a weed takeover in your concrete pavers. Not only will this make your pavers look nicer, but it will also save you time and money in the long run. For more concrete tips, tricks, and advice, check out the Port Aggregates blog!
