My husband and I had a paved walkway installed last year. Yesterday we noticed grass growing through the pavers. Is this normal? The same company is supposed to be putting in a back patio but now I am hesitant to use them.
1 Answer
Assuming that the area paved was more than just a few feet, and that the company who did the installation installed pavers and not flagstones, then this is NOT normal. The last thing the company should have done on that job was to spread polymeric sand, compact it into the pavers, and then lightly water it. This would have turned the sand into a solid, flexible surface that prevents weeks from sprouting for a long time. If you're seeing grass between pavers (and not stones), then I'd bet a good sum that they did not spread polymeric sand (they possibly just used mason's sand, which is much cheaper).
If the company failed this step of Paving 101, did they skip other steps? Did they remove enough topsoil to spread the proper amount of gravel for the walkway's use (4-6")? Did they compact the gravel multiple times? Did they spread sand and screed it? Did they continue compacting as they laid the pavers?
Personally, if I'm right that they installed pavers and not flagstone, then I wouldn't use that company again.