Rhino Power Bond Plus Polymeric Sand: Joints to 2 in Guide

Rhino Power Bond Plus is a polymer modified jointing sand for concrete pavers, natural stone, flagstone and travertine with joints from 1/8 in up to a full 2 in wide. It sets to a firm but flexible joint that Rhino builds to hold through freeze thaw cycles and heavy traffic, and it is one of the few polymeric sands sold in three bag sizes: 10 lb for a repair, 20 lb for a short path and 50 lb for a patio or driveway.

This guide covers what Power Bond Plus is rated for, the surfaces it fits and the two situations where it is the wrong product, the preinstall checks that decide whether the joint hazes or locks, coverage by bag size and the questions we hear most, using figures from the Rhino Power Bond Plus product page. Note that Rhino has no technical data sheet published online for this product, so where a figure is missing we say so rather than guess.

What Rhino Power Bond Plus is

Rhino Power Bond Plus Polymeric Sand is a water activated jointing sand with a polymer modified binder. Here are the headline traits from the product page and how they compare with a standard polymeric sand:

Feature	Typical polymeric sand	Rhino Power Bond Plus
Joint range	Varies; a standard sand tops out well before irregular stone joints do	1/8 in to 2 in, enough for irregular flagstone and large format stone without switching products
Binder	Varies by product	Polymer modified binder that locks the joint against erosion and washout rather than simply filling it
Flexibility	Varies by product	Built to move with freeze thaw cycles, temperature swings and ground movement instead of cracking out
Haze	Depends on formula and technique	Formulated to minimize polymeric haze and residue when installed on a dry, fully swept surface
Bag sizes	Usually 50 lb only	10 lb, 20 lb and 50 lb

Rhino also states that a hardened joint gives weeds and ants nothing to grow or tunnel through. For the general case for this category over plain sand, see our article on whether polymeric sand is better than regular sand.

Rhino Power Bond Plus specifications

Specification	Per the Rhino product page
Joint width	1/8 in minimum, 2 in maximum
Minimum joint depth	About 1-1/2 in
Surfaces	Concrete pavers, natural stone, flagstone, travertine, bluestone, slate
Traffic rating	Pedestrian and vehicular once cured
Surface condition	Pavers and joints completely dry, surface swept clean before watering
Weather	No installation during rain or when rain is forecast inside 24 hours
Bag sizes	10 lb, 20 lb, 50 lb
Colors	Beige, Slate Gray, Ivory, Black Diamond, Brown

Rhino does not publish a technical data sheet online for Power Bond Plus, so there is no manufacturer figure for installation temperature, rain safe time or full cure time. We do not state one here. We can request the current safety data sheet on your behalf: call (856) 418-4895 or use the contact page. Cured sand in a joint never looks like sand in a bag or a photo, so hold a Power Bond Plus color sample against your own pavers before you commit to full bags.

Where to use it (and where not to)

Rhino lists Power Bond Plus for:

• Paver patios and walkways
• Driveways and other vehicular surfaces
• Pool decks and coping
• Natural stone and flagstone, including bluestone, travertine and slate
• Retaining wall caps
• Wide joint and irregular stone layouts where a standard sand tops out

Two situations where it is the wrong product: joints narrower than 1/8 in, and permeable installations where the joint has to keep draining. For a joint that must stay permeable, look at an air cure product such as Gator Nitro Joint Sand or call (856) 418-4895 and we will point you at the right one. Joints also need a minimum depth of about 1-1/2 in for the sand to lock properly; top dressing a shallow joint does not work. If wide, irregular stone is the whole job, our guide to polymeric sand for flagstone and natural stone covers the layout side.

How to install Rhino Power Bond Plus

Rhino directs you to the installation instructions printed on the bag for sweeping, compaction and watering, and says performance depends on getting the water right. The product page adds the checks below, which are the ones that decide whether the joint hazes or locks.

1. Confirm the surface is completely dry. Pavers and joints must be completely dry. Rhino calls damp surfaces the single most common cause of haze.
2. Check the forecast. Do not install during rain, or when rain is forecast inside 24 hours.
3. Check joint depth. Joints need a minimum depth of about 1-1/2 in. Clean out old material rather than top dressing a shallow joint.
4. Sweep and compact per the bag. Follow the bag directions for sweeping the sand into the joints and compacting.
5. Sweep the surface clean before you water. Sand left sitting on the paver face is what hazes, not the sand in the joint.
6. Water per the bag. Follow the bag instructions for watering. On a driveway, Rhino notes a poorly locked joint fails faster than on a patio, so get the joint depth and the watering right.

For technique that applies to any water activated sand, read our installation and application tips and the installation mistakes that cause haze and cracks.

How much Rhino Power Bond Plus you need

Rhino's product page says its Haze Free technology will cover between 10 and 20 sq ft per bag, depending on joint width up to 2 in, and does not tie that figure to a bag size. Coverage on any polymeric sand depends on paver size, joint width and joint depth, so run your own dimensions through the calculator below and confirm against the manufacturer data sheet in our TDS and SDS library.

Coverage moves with paver size as much as joint width, because small pavers carry far more linear feet of joint per sq ft than large slabs. A 4 by 8 in holland paver will take roughly two and a half times what a 24 in slab does at the same joint width. Run your own dimensions through our polymeric sand calculator for a bag count based on your actual paver size, joint width and joint depth. Order before our daily cutoff and Power Bond Plus ships same day from our New Jersey warehouse. Local pickup is also available: call first, pick up at 1287 Glassboro Road, Williamstown, NJ 08094.

Watch the manufacturer's video

Frequently asked questions

How wide a joint can Power Bond Plus fill?

Up to 2 in, with a 1/8 in minimum and a minimum joint depth of about 1-1/2 in. That covers most irregular flagstone and large format stone work.

Which bag size should I buy?

Work out the square footage first. A 10 lb bag is for repairs and small repointing jobs, 20 lb suits a short path, and anything patio sized wants 50 lb bags.

Will Power Bond Plus haze my pavers?

Not if the surface is dry and swept completely clean before you water. Haze is sand left on the paver face curing there, not sand in the joint. If it happens anyway, see how to remove white haze from pavers.

Can I use Power Bond Plus on a driveway?

Yes. Once cured it takes vehicular traffic. Get the joint depth and the watering right, because a driveway punishes a poorly locked joint faster than a patio does.

Is there a data sheet for Power Bond Plus?

Rhino has not published a technical data sheet online. We can request the current safety data sheet for you; call (856) 418-4895 or reach us through the contact page.