SEK PS1500 Permeable Jointing Compound: Ready to Use Guide

SEK Surebond PS1500 is not a sand you sweep and water. SEK describes it as a ready to use permeable jointing compound that arrives in a 55 lb pail ready to use, with no mixing, and installs with water. Once cured it stays permeable, so water keeps moving through the joint instead of running off, and the cured compound resists the weed growth and insect infestation that colonize an open joint. SEK calls it the new industry standard for this category.

This guide covers what PS1500 is, how it differs from a traditional polymeric sand like PolySweep, the three colors, where a permeable joint makes sense, what the product page says about installation, and how to size the job, using figures from the SEK Surebond PS1500 product page and technical data sheet. The product page is deliberately light on numbers, so wherever it does not state a figure, we say so and point you to the data sheet in our TDS and SDS library.

What PS1500 Permeable Jointing Compound is

SEK Surebond PS1500 Ready to Use Permeable Jointing Compound sits in a different category from the polymeric sands most paver owners know. Polymeric sand seals the joint. That is usually what you want, but on a permeable pavement, or a patio where you actually want drainage, a sealed joint works against you. PS1500 fills and locks the joint while leaving it open to water. Here is how it compares with a traditional polymeric sand such as SEK's own PolySweep:

Feature	Traditional polymeric sand (PolySweep)	PS1500 Permeable Jointing Compound
Form	Dry sand in a 50 lb bag	Ready to use compound in a 55 lb pail
Installation	Swept in dry, then watered to activate	No mixing; washed into the joints with water on a prewet surface
Finished joint	Closes and seals the joint	Locked but permeable once cured
Water on the surface	Sheets off the paving	Moves through the joint
Weeds and insects	Sealed joint blocks them	Cured compound resists weed growth and insect infestation
Best fit	Standard paver joints where a sealed joint is wanted	Permeable pavements and drainage patios with joints from 1/8 in to 1-1/4 in

SEK also positions PS1500 as stronger and more durable, a step up from earlier compounds in this category. For the wider picture on how resin and permeable products differ from polymeric sand, see polymeric sand vs resin sand.

PS1500 Permeable Jointing Compound specifications

Specification	Per the SEK product page and data sheet
Product type	Ready to use permeable jointing compound
Manufacturer	SEK Surebond
Package	55 lb pail, 36 pails per pallet
Colors	Driftwood, Pebble and Slate
Permeability	Permeable once cured
Resistance	Weed growth and insect infestation
Installation	Ready to use, no mixing, installs with water

SEK offers three colors: Driftwood, Pebble and Slate. The PS1500 color samples let you compare them against your paving before you commit to a pail, and the SRW WetLok color samples do the same for that permeable jointing sand.

The SEK data sheet gives a joint width of 1/8 in to 1-1/4 in and a minimum joint depth of 3/4 in. What the product page does not list: an installation temperature, a rain safe time, a cure time, a shelf life or a coverage figure. Rather than guess, check the manufacturer data sheet in our TDS and SDS library. The documents open from the manufacturer, so you always get the current revision.

Where to use it (and where not to)

SEK frames the choice around one question: do you want a permeable joint or a sealed joint? That decision drives everything else on a patio. PS1500 is the one when:

• Drainage through the joint matters, as on a permeable pavement or a patio built to shed water down through the surface rather than across it.
• The joint is 1/8 in to 1-1/4 in wide with at least 3/4 in of depth, the range SEK gives for PS1500.
• Weeds or ants in open joints are the maintenance complaint you are trying to end.

SRW WetLok Permeable Jointing Sand fits the same brief: it comes premixed, is permeable after it sets, and SRW rates it for joints from 1/8 in to 5 in. A traditional polymeric sand such as SEK Surebond PolySweep is the better fit when you want the joint closed and sealed. Because PS1500 lets water pass through the joint, the layers underneath have to be able to accept that water. The product page does not describe base requirements, so confirm the base and site drainage against the data sheet, or tell us what the base is and what the site drainage looks like and we will help you choose: call (856) 418-4895 or use the contact page.

If the joint fill in a permeable system is meant to stay loose rather than lock, SEK's Perm Chips permeable paver joint aggregate is the companion product within the same brand family. Alliance Gator Aqua Rock, a fractured granite graded to ASTM No. 9, fills the same role.

How to install PS1500 Permeable Jointing Compound

PS1500 installs with water rather than being swept in dry. The full method, including surface preparation, joint depth and cure protection, comes from the SEK data sheet and the pail label. The core steps are:

1. Read the current data sheet. Confirm your joint width, base and weather conditions against SEK's requirements before you open a pail.
2. Open the pail and use it as supplied. PS1500 is ready to use. There is no mixing step.
3. Prewet, then wash it into the joints. Prewet the surface and keep it wet, pour the compound on, and spray with water while using a foam squeegee to wash and direct it into the joints. Follow the data sheet for how to fill and finish the joint.
4. Let it cure. The joint becomes permeable once cured. The product page does not give a cure time, so take it from the data sheet and keep traffic off until then.

Because PS1500 goes onto a wet surface rather than a dry one, our general polymeric sand installation articles are less relevant than usual. The one that still matters is the base: read how to install paver sand for the bedding layer basics, then confirm with SEK that your bedding suits a permeable joint.

How much PS1500 you need

The SEK product page does not publish a coverage figure per 55 lb pail, and we will not invent one. Coverage for any jointing product depends on paver size, joint width and joint depth, so start by measuring those three things. Our polymeric sand calculator will give you the joint volume for your layout, and the SEK data sheet in our TDS and SDS library gives the manufacturer's coverage per pail. If you would rather have us run it, call (856) 418-4895 with your square footage, joint width and joint depth.

Warranty and testing

The SEK product page does not state a warranty term, test standard or lab results for PS1500, so we do not claim any. SEK does state that the cured compound is permeable and resists weed growth and insect infestation, and positions PS1500 as stronger and more durable than earlier compounds. The technical data sheet and safety data sheet are published by SEK and listed in our TDS and SDS library.

Frequently asked questions

Do I water PS1500 in like polymeric sand?

Not the same way. PolySweep is swept in dry and then watered. PS1500 needs no mixing and installs with water: you prewet the surface and spray with water while a foam squeegee washes the compound into the joints.

Does the joint stay permeable?

Yes. SEK states it is permeable once cured, so water moves through the joint rather than sheeting off the surface.

Will it keep weeds and ants out of the joints?

SEK says the cured compound resists weed growth and insect infestation, ants in particular. Those are the main maintenance complaints on open joints.

PS1500 or PolySweep?

PolySweep is a traditional polymeric sand that is swept in dry, watered to activate and closes the joint. PS1500 installs ready to use, washed in with water, and keeps the joint permeable. If drainage through the joint matters and your joints fall within 1/8 in to 1-1/4 in, PS1500 is the one, and SRW WetLok is a permeable option in the same range.

What colors does PS1500 come in?

Driftwood, Pebble and Slate. Color samples are available so you can check them against your stone.