Weeds Growing Between Pavers
Weeds pushing up between pavers are a symptom, not the problem. The actual problem is that the joint sand holding your pavers in place has washed out.
What is really happening in the joints
A paver installation depends on sand packed into the joints. That sand locks the pavers against each other so the surface behaves as one interlocked field rather than a few hundred loose pieces.
Rain, irrigation and years of casual hose rinsing gradually flush that sand out. As the joints empty, windblown organic debris fills the gap — and that debris is a perfect seed bed.
So weeds are the visible signal that the joints are already compromised. Ants exploit the same voids, and their tunnelling accelerates the loss.
Why empty joints matter beyond the weeds
Without joint sand, pavers begin to shift under load. You get rocking pavers, lipping at the edges, and eventually ruts where vehicles track.
Water that should shed across the surface now runs down into the base, washing out the bedding layer underneath. That is what produces the sunken patches and low spots that need a full lift-and-relay to fix.
Catching it at the weed stage is inexpensive. Catching it after the base has moved is not.
What not to do
Do not blast the joints out with a pressure washer. A wand held close will strip whatever sand is left and cut into the base. This is the most common way homeowners turn a cleaning job into a repair job.
Do not just spray weedkiller and leave it. Dead weeds still leave the joint open and the debris in place. New seed lands the same week.
Do not refill with play sand or builder's sand. It washes straight back out. Joints need polymeric sand, which sets after wetting and resists both water and weed germination.
How we handle it
We clean the pavers at controlled pressure with a surface cleaner, lifting organic growth and staining without excavating the joints or scarring the paver faces.
Once the surface is clean and fully dry, joints are refilled with polymeric sand, swept in, compacted and activated. That restores the interlock and closes the seed bed that let the weeds in.
Where it makes sense we will talk through sealing as a final step. It locks the sand, deepens the colour and slows regrowth — but it is only worth doing on a properly cleaned and re-sanded surface, so we never sell it as a shortcut.
Questions we get about this
Will the weeds come back after cleaning?
Does pressure washing damage pavers?
What is polymeric sand and why does it matter?
Should I seal my pavers?
Related: Pool deck cleaning · All services · all FAQs