Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to brush sand into block paving

Updated: 21 October 2026

The next ten minutes decide whether the sand stays in the joint or stains the blocks. Loose kiln-dried sand goes in dry and stays dry. Sand that is sold to cure is swept off the face and then soaked, and rain before that cure is a reason to stop. Mixing those sequences is how people hose a loose joint empty, or leave a haze on the blocks. If you are not sure which bag you have, read [kiln dried sand vs setting sand](/hub/flooring-tools-and-accessories/joint-sand/sub/joint-sand-kiln-dried-or-setting) first. Product choice and prices stay on the [joint sand comparison](/hub/flooring-tools-and-accessories/joint-sand). This page is the method. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The next ten minutes decide whether the sand stays in the joint or stains the blocks. Loose kiln-dried sand goes in dry and stays dry.

Our top picks

Sika Sika setting sand, buff, 20 kg

Best overall

Sika Sika setting sand, buff, 20 kg
8.4/10about £21.99
View offer
Laeto Laeto kiln dried sand, 20 kg

Best value

Laeto Laeto kiln dried sand, 20 kg
8.2/10about £16.14
View offer
Dansand Dansand No Grow kiln dried, 20 kg

Alternative

Dansand Dansand No Grow kiln dried, 20 kg
7.8/10about £20.39
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Dry the joints first
  2. 2.Brushing loose kiln-dried sand
  3. 3.Brushing sand that has to cure
  4. 4.Aftercare and the stop point

Dry the joints first

Every type in this set wants a dry joint before the sand goes in. Damp sand bridges the top of a 3 mm gap and leaves a hollow underneath. Paving.org.uk’s re-sand guide tells you to let the paving dry, and CEMEX’s Rugby kiln-dried sheet says not to use the sand in wet or damp conditions. Clear old sand, weeds and grit first. Dansand’s Wickes sheet for No Grow wants the joint cleaned to about 40 mm and existing weeds removed. Sika does not want a pre-fill of other sand. If the drive is still dark from rain, wait. Kiln-dried sand is dusty. Tobermore tells you to wear a dust mask when you brush it.

Brushing loose kiln-dried sand

Laeto and UHL are loose kiln-dried sands. Dansand No Grow and Easy Fix are brushed in the same way: they do not get a hose to make them set. Tip small heaps. Use a soft broom at about 45 degrees, the angle in Tobermore’s homeowner guide, and change direction so joints that run with your stroke do not stay hungry. Stop at the shoulder of the block, not proud of it, and not in the chamfer. A vibrating plate belongs on a new block pavement, or on one you have fully emptied. Interpave expects two or more plate passes on a new lay, with sand kept in front of the plate. A plate on a half-full joint pounds the blocks and does not refill the bottom.
Sika Sika setting sand, buff, 20 kg

Testsieger

Sika Sika setting sand, buff, 20 kg
8.4/10about £21.99
View offer

Brushing sand that has to cure

Sika setting sand and the Dansand polymeric bag are sold to harden after wetting. Work a small area you can finish before the weather turns. Brush the sand in, then get the excess off the face before any water touches it. Sika’s how-to says sweep the surplus away, soak without a pressure washer, and do not add extra sand on a joint you have already started. Tobermore notes that polymeric sand can haze the surface when binder sits on the block. A review says the polymeric bag set when the excess was removed first. Others say it never set, or came out after six weeks. Use a fine rose. Do not apply Sika at 5°C or below, or if rain is imminent. Surface dry is one to two days. Full cure is up to 28 days. A cured joint is still not a weedkiller, which is why does jointing sand stop weeds is a separate page.

Aftercare and the stop point

Loose sand needs a top-up after early rain. Interpave says to keep vacuum sweepers off until the joints have silted up. Brush in more dry sand on a dry day. Do not set that top-up with a hose. Once you have soaked a curing sand, leave it. Do not pressure-wash Sika while it is curing, and do not cap it with kiln-dried sand. If rain hits before it has hardened, clear the failed sand and start again on a dry day. Call a paving contractor when blocks rock, the edge restraint has moved, or the base under a drive that takes cars is unknown. Width and bag size are on the buying guide.

Common questions

Must the paving be dry?
Yes. Damp blocks and damp joints make fine sand bridge the top of the gap. Paving.org.uk tells you to let the paving dry before a kiln-dried re-sand, and the Rugby kiln-dried sheet says not to use the product in wet or damp conditions. The same dry start applies before you brush in a curing sand. If the drive is still dark from rain, wait for a dry day.
Do I water kiln-dried sand?
No. Laeto, UHL and the Dansand brush-in bags are not activated with a hose. Water washes the sand out. Brush it in dry, leave it dry, and top it up later if rain empties the joint. A listing that talks about locking does not change that if the reviews say the sand does not set.
Do I water Sika setting sand?
Yes, after the excess is off the block face. Sika wants a soak, not a pressure washer, on joints of 2–5 mm that are at least 25 mm deep. Do not do it at 5°C or below or if rain is imminent. Surface dry is one to two days. Full cure is up to 28 days. Mist a small area you can finish, rather than flooding the whole drive.
Do I need a plate compactor for a top-up?
Not for a top-up of joints that are already partly full. Pavingexpert treats that job as a brush-in by gravity. A plate, with a rubber mat and several passes, belongs on a new block lay or a pavement you have emptied, with sand kept in front of the plate. Do not plate a flagstone patio to bed joint sand.
What if I leave sand on the blocks and then spray?
On a curing sand you can haze or stain the face. Tobermore warns about polymeric haze, and Sika tells you to sweep the surplus away before you soak. Brush the film off and then mist. On loose kiln-dried sand, spraying does not stain in the same way, but it empties the joint. Either way, water is not a shortcut for a poor sweep.
When should a paving contractor take over?
When blocks rock, the edge restraint has failed, or you do not know the base under a drive that takes vehicles. Filling those joints hides the movement until the sand leaves again. Wide flag joints are a compound job, not a sand job. If you are an employer cutting paving, silica dust from cutting is a COSHH matter, separate from brushing sand.

Related pages

Best joint sand

Joint sand

Kiln dried sand for block paving: measure, then bag

Kiln dried sand vs setting sand: stay loose or cure

Does jointing sand stop weeds, or only slow regrowth?

Sources

Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listings, checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the figures in the display file.

  1. Pavingexpert dry sand jointing (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Pavingexpert loose fill (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Interpave concrete block paving (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Tobermore block paving installation guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Holcim UK kiln-dried sand sheet, July 2025 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Sika UK setting sand how-to (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. HSE indg463 silica dust (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Dansand joint filling sand product sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)