Regardless of whether you are just paving your paths, terrace or driveway or have already been a few years and you finally want to do something about the weeds that constantly grow out of the joints, sealing paving stones is an important part of laying, Because it depends on how easy (or not) care your paving will ultimately be. What can you use to grout paving stones without expecting weeds after a while? Grout and sand are far from the only options!
Seal joints against weeds with the classics: chippings, sand or mortar
Joint sand, joint chippings and joint mortar are the most frequently chosen options for sealing paving stones. They offerpermanent protection against weeds, but have to be renewed at larger intervals.
Weed-inhibiting joint sand
A variant that appears relatively natural (in contrast to mortar, for example) is sand. However, not just any sand is used when grouting paving stones to prevent weeds. Special quartz sand is used against weeds, which is free of salts and chemical agents so as not to harm the environment. In addition, it is permeable to water, so that rain and other water can drain away easily.without puddles or floodingto cause. The joint sand is simply swept into the joints with a broom.
If you are repointing your old paving stones, you should first scrape out the old filler to make room for the new jointing sand and of course to remove any existing weeds. Once the paving joints have been filled, this joint filler still needs to be tamped down. A so-called vibrating plate is used for this.
Disadvantages:
- Quartz sand is relatively expensive.
- Pit sand is suitable as an alternative, but is not as strong as quartz sand.
- Joint sand is washed away relatively quickly by rain and has to be replenished more often.
- Insects such as ants are given a perfect habitat and are therefore attracted.
Paving stones are grouted with grout
Cement-based mortar (never concrete) is effective against weeds for even longer, but it is also a little more complicated to implement than joint chippings or joint sand. Apart from the fact that the temperatures should be right (don't worry, it should be between 0 and 30 degrees, which provides a sufficiently long period of time). In addition, you have to mix the mortar yourself and get the right consistency. It should be viscous to liquid and not contain any lumps if you want to use it to grout paving stones. It is also important that you maintain a slope when filling the joints with your paving stones.
- Moisten the paving stones well in advance. They are sufficiently wet if they do not dry again within 20 minutes.
- After moistening, there should be no standing water left.
- How viscous or liquid the cement mass should be depends on the gradient. It shouldn't be too thick, otherwise cavities will form in the mixture and the joints could crack in the event of frost.
Disadvantages:
- Relatively expensive, but effective against weeds and moss as well as insects.
- Due to its rigid properties, the material cannot yield to movements and pressure. With some paving materials this can lead to breaks and cracks.
- Impermeable to water, so water can only run off the sides of the paved areas. This promotes the formation of moss, which in turn leads to slippery surfaces on wet days.
Use grit to suppress weeds
In principle, you proceed with joint chippings in the same way as with sand. It is swept in and then shaken so that it can sink in better. In most cases it is then necessary to fill the paving stone joints again with the fine chippings. Only then can the surface be firmly shaken.
Disadvantages:
- More expensive than sand, but more durable and not easily washed away by rain.
- Not as durable as mortar.
- Weeds can still grow after a long time, but not as quickly as with sand.
A notice:Which of these three variants is better also depends on the substrate: If it is solid, the filling material for the joints should also be solid and vice versa. The following applies: Paving stones laid on concrete are ideally sealed with jointing mortar; if there is a bed of grit or sand, you must grout the paving stones with chippings or jointing sand.
Paving stones are grouted with plants
Many gardeners also choose this option, especially if they not only want it to be effective but also look natural. There are a number of low-growing plant species that are walkable, easy to care for and simply beautiful to look at. If you want to grout paving stones without expecting weeds in the future, you can use the following types, for example:
- houseleek; sunny and dry with permeable, nutrient-poor soil; hardy; evergreen
- horn sorrel; grows well under almost all conditions; blooms with yellow flowers
- stonecrop; sunny and dry with permeable, nutrient-poor soil; even blooms in summer
- sand thyme; sunny with permeable, nutrient-poor soil; even blooms in summer
- star moss; Shady with permeable, nutrient-poor soil
- ornamental lawn; requires a little more care as it needs to be trimmed regularly
Proper preparation of the joints is essential if you want to grout paving without weeds. Remove any other plants, such as weeds and grass, in advance. You can also scrape out the old filling material straight away. Afterwards it is necessary to fill it with suitable filling material. A mixture of sand and soil is optimal to provide future plants with a good substrate. Then you can plant or sow the selected plant species.
You can find out more about joint greeningin this articleread up.
