If you are working out how to choose polymeric sand for a patio, walkway or driveway, the decision comes down to a handful of facts you can check before you buy: your widest joint, the paving material, whether you can use a plate compactor, the traffic the surface will carry, and the weather you expect on installation day. Every sand is rated against those conditions on its data sheet.
This guide walks through each decision in order and ends with a comparison table built from the manufacturers' published figures. Use it to narrow the list, then read the instructions on the bag and the data sheet for the product you pick.
Quick answer
- Measure your widest joint, including intersections, and choose a sand rated for it.
- Check that the sand is rated for your surface: concrete pavers, clay, natural stone, wet cast or porcelain.
- If you cannot use a plate compactor, choose a product made for no compaction, such as Techniseal NOCO.
- Check the minimum temperature and the rain window on the data sheet against your forecast.
- Test the color with a sample, then use the calculator for a bag count.
Start with your joint width
When deciding how to choose polymeric sand, joint width is the first filter, because each product has a published minimum and maximum. Measure the widest joint on the job, and look at the spaces where corners meet, since those intersections are often wider than the straight runs. Some data sheets address this directly: SRW rates SimplyTough for joints from 1/8 in to 3/4 in, or 1 in at intersecting points, and Techniseal says HP NextGel is ideal for joints from 1/16 in to 1 in with intersecting spaces up to 2 in.
As a rough map of the ranges, Alliance Super Sand Bond and Techniseal SmartSand are rated to 1 in, Alliance Super Sand G2 and Maxx Sand to 2 in, Alliance Maxx G2, Techniseal HP NextGel, Techniseal NOCO and SEK PolySweep X-Treme to 4 in, and Alliance Dust Bond and SRW X-Treme to 6 in. The full figures are in the table further down, and you can filter products by width in our compare polymeric sands collection.
Match the sand to the surface
- Concrete pavers. Nearly every polymeric sand we carry is rated for them. Techniseal SmartSand is designed specifically for interlocking concrete pavers on a sand set drainage bed.
- Clay pavers. Alliance rates its G2 sands and Maxx Sand for clay pavers but says they must be 100% dry and tested first. SRW says SimplyTough is not for clay pavers.
- Natural stone and flagstone. Wider, irregular joints usually point to a wide joint product such as Alliance Maxx G2, Alliance Gator Dust Bond, Techniseal NOCO or SRW X-Treme. SRW says X-Treme is not recommended for concrete pavers, clay pavers or concrete overlays.
- Porcelain. Techniseal NextGel Porcelain is designed for porcelain pavers with joints from 1/16 in to 1/2 in and a 3/4 in minimum depth. SEK PolySweep and SRW SimplyTough also list porcelain tile.
Compaction, base and traffic
Some sands need a plate compactor and some do not. Techniseal says mechanical compaction is mandatory for SmartSand, HP NextGel and NextGel Porcelain. Where compaction is not possible or not normally used and joints are wider than 1/4 in, Techniseal directs you to Techniseal NOCO, which it describes as developed for exactly that situation. SRW X-Treme relies on hand compaction with a rubber mallet.
The base matters too. Alliance Maxx G2 and Maxx Sand are rated for overlays on concrete, with a narrower 2 in maximum joint on overlays and a 24 hour rain window. SEK says PolySweep on a concrete overlay needs at least a 1% slope and a 1 in layer of bedding sand. Techniseal says SmartSand should only be used on pavers installed over a drainage bed.
Finally, check traffic. Alliance Dust Bond and SRW X-Treme are for pedestrian use only. Alliance lists driveways and parking areas for its G2 sands, and Techniseal recommends HP NextGel over SmartSand for heavy traffic, pool decks, high humidity and steep slopes. Techniseal lists vehicle traffic at 48 to 72 hours after installing HP NextGel, SmartSand or NOCO.
How to choose polymeric sand by weather window
Temperature and rain limits are where products differ most. This table collects the published figures for the sands we carry. It is a reference, not a ranking.
| Product | Joint width | Minimum joint depth | Temperature | Rain after activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance Super Sand Bond | 1/8 to 1 in | 1-1/2 in | Above 32°F | Rain safe after 1 hour |
| Alliance Super Sand G2 | 1/8 to 2 in | 1-1/2 in | Above 32°F | Rain safe after 15 minutes |
| Alliance Maxx Sand | 1/8 to 2 in | 1-1/2 in | Above 32°F | 1 hour (24 hours on overlays) |
| Alliance Maxx G2 | 1/8 to 4 in (2 in on overlays) | 1-1/2 in | Above 32°F | 15 minutes (24 hours on overlays) |
| Alliance Dust Bond | 1/2 to 6 in, pedestrian only | Full stone depth | Above 59°F | No rain forecast for 24 hours |
| Techniseal SmartSand | 1/16 to 1 in | 1-1/2 in | Above 32°F for 48 hours | Withstands unexpected rain after 60 minutes; plan 24 hours dry |
| Techniseal HP NextGel | 1/16 to 4 in | 1-1/2 in | Above 32°F for 48 hours | Withstands unexpected rain after 60 minutes; 24 to 48 hours to dry fully |
| Techniseal NOCO | 1/4 to 4 in | 1-1/2 in | Above 50°F for 48 hours | Protect from rain for 24 hours (48 for wide joints or cold) |
| Techniseal NextGel Porcelain | 1/16 to 1/2 in | 3/4 in | Above 50°F for 48 hours | 24 to 48 hours to dry before rain |
| Techniseal EZ Sand | 1/16 to 1/2 in | 1-1/2 in | Above 0°C (32°F) for 48 hours | Dry at least 90 minutes; ideally 24 hours |
| SEK PolySweep | Up to 3/4 in | 1-1/2 in | Average above 35°F for 48 hours | No rain forecast for 12 hours |
| SEK PolySweep X-Treme | Up to 4 in | 1-1/4 in | Average above 35°F for 48 hours | No rain forecast for 12 hours |
| SRW SimplyTough | 1/8 to 3/4 in (1 in at intersections) | 1-1/2 in | Above 32°F | No rain forecast for 24 hours |
| SRW X-Treme | 1/4 to 6 in, pedestrian only | 1-1/2 in | Above 32°F | Rain safe after 20 minutes |
All figures come from each product's technical data sheet. Data sheets are updated, so confirm the current version in our TDS and SDS library before you install.
Pick the color and work out the quantity
Cured color can look different from the dry sand in the bag, and screens are not reliable. Order polymeric sand color samples and test them against your own pavers. Keep in mind that color can affect coverage: Alliance lists a slightly lower coverage range for Maxx G2 in Black Diamond than in its other colors.
For quantity, coverage depends on joint width, joint depth and paver size. Our polymeric sand calculator uses the manufacturers' published coverage per bag to estimate how many bags you need.
When a resin or permeable sand makes more sense
If your schedule cannot avoid rain, or the project needs a permeable joint, look at resin jointing sands. These are applied to a wet surface and cure in air rather than by water activation. Alliance says its Gator Nitro can be installed rain or shine above 37°F. They follow different rules for base, joint depth and cleanup, so compare them in our resin and permeable jointing sand collection before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
What polymeric sand should you use for narrow joints?
Choose a product whose minimum width covers your joint. Techniseal SmartSand, HP NextGel, NextGel Porcelain and EZ Sand are rated down to 1/16 in. Alliance's sands start at 1/8 in.
Which polymeric sands handle joints wider than 2 inches?
Alliance Maxx G2, Techniseal HP NextGel, Techniseal NOCO and SEK PolySweep X-Treme are rated to 4 in. Alliance Dust Bond and SRW X-Treme go to 6 in and are for pedestrian areas only.
Can you use polymeric sand without a plate compactor?
Some products require one. For joints wider than 1/4 in where compaction is not possible, Techniseal recommends NOCO. SRW X-Treme uses hand compaction with a rubber mallet.
How soon after watering are these sands rain safe?
By the published figures, Alliance's G2 sands are rain safe 15 minutes after activation in traditional installations and SRW X-Treme after 20 minutes. Others need from 1 hour to 24 hours or more.
What if you do not know the joint width yet?
Measure several joints with a ruler, including intersections, and choose for the widest. If you are still unsure, call us with your measurements and paver type.
Ready to narrow it down? Browse our polymeric sand collection by joint width, or call (856) 418-4895, 24/7, and we will help you match a sand to your joints, surface and schedule.