Paver joint sand looks like a simple purchase, and then the bag says “polymeric” and costs four times what plain sand does. The honest answer to which sand is best is not a brand. It depends on three things you can measure before you buy: how wide your joints are, how deep they are, and how rough the surface of your pavers is. If joints you already filled have gone low or gappy, reapplying polymeric sand explains why both makers say to remove old sand before adding more. If you have pets, kids or a garden next to the joints, our guide to polymeric sand safety sets out what two safety data sheets say about dust, wet sand and protective gear.
This guide goes through those three checks, works out how many bags a real patio needs, and covers the two polymeric sands I would consider, with the situations where I would skip polymeric sand entirely. If the surface you are working on is cracked concrete and not pavers, the concrete crack filler guide is the better starting point.
The two kinds of joint sand
Plain jointing sand (also sold as fine dry sweeping sand) is swept into the joints dry and stays loose. Unilock’s installation guidance says to use sand that meets ASTM C144 or ASTM C33. It is the cheapest option, you can lift and reset a paver later, and refilling is easy. The downsides are real: Western Interlock notes it can blow or wash away in extreme weather, which loosens the interlock between pavers, and Unilock says loose sand invites weeds and insects.
Polymeric sand is fine sand blended with a binder that stiffens when you wet it. It resists washout better and slows weeds, which is why most guides lean toward it. It also has costs that the sales copy skips: it is much harder to remove once set (here is how to remove polymeric sand from pavers), it can leave a haze on the pavers if any dust is left on the surface when you wet it, and it makes the joint close to impermeable. One customer on the Gator listing described the result as hardened and semi flexible, and said it does not let water drain between the stones, which is what they wanted. If you were counting on water draining through the joints, that is the opposite of what you want.
Check 1: how wide are your joints
This is the check most people never do, and it decides the whole question. The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute’s construction tolerance guide lists paver joint width as 1/16 inch (2 mm) at minimum and 3/16 inch (5 mm) at maximum.
Now read the polymeric sand labels. Alliance Gator’s page for its Gator Maxx G2 gives a minimum joint width of 1/8 inch (3 mm), a minimum depth of 1 1/2 inches, and a maximum of 4 inches on a traditional base. The Dominator listing says joints from 1/8 inch up to 4 inches and at least 1 inch of depth. So a tight 1/16 inch joint is narrower than both products are rated for. There the plain sand is not the budget choice, it is the correct one. The sand also has to fit the joint: an ICPI based guidance document hosted by the UC Davis pavement research center says the largest particle should easily enter the smallest joint, so a 2 mm joint wants sand 2 mm and finer, and it recommends no more than 5 percent of the sand passing the No. 200 sieve, because those fines lubricate the larger grains and weaken the lock.
| Joint width | Sand that fits |
|---|---|
| Under 1/8 inch | Plain jointing sand, swept in dry and compacted |
| 1/8 inch to about 1 inch, with enough depth | Polymeric sand rated for that width |
| Wide joints, over 1 inch up to 4 inches | Only a product whose label rates it for that width |
Check 2: how deep are the joints
Polymeric sand needs depth to grip. Alliance Gator asks for 1 1/2 inches on the G2 Maxx, and the Dominator listing asks for at least 1 inch. A 2 3/8 inch paver with a beveled edge gives plenty, but shallow joints, thin pavers over old concrete, or joints that were partly filled with old sand do not. One four star Dominator reviewer’s warning is worth repeating: without the minimum depth, you end up with loose sand on the surface that has to be pressure washed off, and the washing pulls out the sand you wanted to keep. Unilock also advises filling to roughly 1/8 inch below the rounded edge of the paver, so the sand is not sitting on top of the surface where it can haze.
Check 3: how rough are the pavers
Unilock says polymeric sand is not recommended for heavily textured stones, because the deep grooves trap polymer particles and the residue looks like a film. For those it suggests regular jointing sand with a joint sand stabilizing sealer. A Dominator reviewer made the same complaint about a textured surface: the fine grains embedded in the texture and were hard to brush out before wetting. If your pavers are smooth, haze is a manageable risk. If they are deeply textured, treat it as a warning, and test a small area first.
A real example: how many bags for a 10 by 12 foot patio
Take 120 square feet. Alliance Gator’s coverage table for a 50 pound bag, given for a 2 3/8 inch paver, is 65 to 85 square feet for 1/8 to 3/8 inch joints, and 22 to 42 square feet for 3/4 to 1 1/4 inch joints. With narrow joints, 120 divided by 85 is about 1.4 bags and 120 divided by 65 is about 1.8, so buy 2. With wide joints, 120 divided by 42 is about 2.9 and 120 divided by 22 is about 5.5, so you need 3 to 6 bags. The same patio can need three times the sand depending on one measurement, and that is why measuring the joint comes before choosing the product. Real use matches the table’s order of magnitude: one Dominator reviewer used a single 45 pound container on 240 square feet of 12 inch pavers set with 1/8 inch gaps and said it was barely enough.
Bags do not keep once opened, because moisture in the air will start them setting, so buy for the job and not a spare. One Gator reviewer was told to buy five bags, used two, and found that returning the extras meant paying the shipping, which on a 50 pound bag is more than most people expect. Order the number your calculation gives, plus one at most.
The two polymeric sands I would consider
Alliance Gator G2 Maxx, 50 pound, slate gray. The page rates it for joints from 1/8 to 4 inches, says it is safe in rain 15 minutes after activation, and says to apply it only above 32 degrees Fahrenheit and in dry conditions. Amazon showed it in stock at 4.3 stars from 67 ratings with an Amazon’s Choice badge and 500+ bought in the past month, from a third party seller, not Amazon. Reviewers describe it as easy to use. One said it took about three days to get really firm and advised the light gray for new concrete, since the slate gray suits older, darker surfaces. It is the one I would pick for typical joints between 1/8 and 3/8 inch.
Check price on Amazon: Alliance Gator G2 Maxx Polymeric Sand, 50 lb. This is an affiliate link (see our disclosure for details).
Dominator Polymeric Sand, 40 pound, titanium gray. The maker, Black Diamond Coatings, rates it for 1/8 to 4 inch joints, asks for at least 1 inch of depth, and says to hold off if temperatures will fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit within 48 hours of application. Amazon showed it in stock, shipped by Amazon and sold by the maker, at 4.2 stars from 2,777 ratings. The reviews are split in a way that is useful: 68 percent gave five stars, 11 percent gave one star, and the complaints are about price, about color (titanium gray is closer to white for some buyers), and about sand that did not harden. It has far more ratings than the Gator, and it comes in 10 pound bags, which suits small repairs. It is also the more demanding one to apply, since its very fine grain is the one reviewers said is hard to brush out of textured pavers.
Check price on Amazon: Dominator Polymeric Sand, 40 lb. This is an affiliate link (see our disclosure for details).
I am not linking a plain jointing sand. Bagged sand is heavy and cheap, and the Amazon listings I found were mostly play sand, pool filter sand and one overpriced bag of all purpose sand, none labelled for paver joints. A local hardware or landscape supplier is the right place for it. Ask for sand that meets ASTM C144, as Unilock specifies.
Driveways, and what the manufacturers disagree about
Here the sources contradict each other, so do not take one blog’s word. Western Interlock’s guide says polymeric sand should not be used in driveways. Alliance Gator lists driveways and parking areas as recommended uses, but only where the pavers are completely interlocked, and the page also says its Gator Base applications are for pedestrian use only. If your paver manufacturer gives written guidance for your product, that wins over both. For a driveway, I would ask them before buying.
Applying it without a haze
The steps agree across the manufacturer sheets I read: the surface and the joints must be completely dry, sweep the sand in until the joints fill to about 1/8 inch below the paver edge, remove every grain from the surface with a soft broom and a leaf blower, then mist from the top down in small sections, no more than about 9 square feet at a time for Dominator. Stop if the water foams, because that washes the polymer out. Never apply it when rain is coming, and keep it off wet or damp clay pavers. Unilock also recommends waiting at least 3 months before sealing, so any efflorescence has time to show and clear.
If a haze does appear, our guide to efflorescence on stone covers what is safe on each paver and stone type, and the driveway sealer guide covers what to do about the surface once the joints are done.
Etienne Basson maintains and repairs his own home, and writes practical guides on choosing the right materials and products for repair and finishing jobs: fillers, sealants, adhesives, and similar. He focuses on what actually works for a specific job, not just a spec sheet.