The main defense against weeds between pavers is tight, properly filled joints, usually with polymeric sand, sitting on a base that doesn't leave organic material or gaps for seeds to root in. Weeds need soil, a seed, and light to get started in a joint, so cutting off any one of those keeps most of them from ever showing up.
Weeds root in whatever loose sand or fine dirt accumulates in a joint over time, and seeds blow in and germinate wherever there's exposed soil or a big enough gap to catch them. Polymeric sand hardens once it's activated and installed correctly, which denies weeds that foothold in a way plain sand or dirt-filled joints simply can't. That's the biggest single factor in whether a patio stays weed-free or not.
The base underneath matters too, even though it's out of sight. If the base or bedding sand wasn't clean, free of organic debris like topsoil or old mulch, weeds can end up with something to root in even beneath decent joint sand on the surface. That's part of why base material quality matters for more than just structural stability.
We use clean base and bedding materials on new builds and install joints with polymeric sand where the site calls for it. On existing patios having weed problems, we can go back through, clean out the joints, and refill them properly, which usually solves the problem without needing to touch the pavers themselves.
More on this from Chelo's Brick & Stone.
Chelo's Brick & Stone serves Hillsville, Galax, Wytheville, Fancy Gap, and Independence, VA. Call for a straight answer and a free on-site estimate.
