The Myth about Pavers & Weeds

One of the most commonly asked questions and misconception about paver is will weeds grow up through them.  Homeowners for years have believed placing a fabric barrier underneath will prevent weed growth from occurring.  The fact is, that weeds do not grow up from underneath the paver system.  They develop from seedling that fall into large gap openings on top.  Pollen from trees and surrounding landscaping falls into these crevices and look for an ideal environment to help them flourish.
There are many ways to help prevent this annoyance from happening.  One major breakthrough in recent years has been the development of polymeric sands.  Polymeric sands bond together in the joints and harden preventing weed growth as well as infestation of insects.
Another deterrent to weed growth is using a free draining porous base system.  This allows water to drain freely back to the subgrade producing a quick drying base system underneath the paver.  For years inexperienced contractors and homeowners have used stonedust as a base and setting bed for their paver installations.  Stonedust is a #10 stone which has many fine particles and is impervious, meaning it holds moisture and prevents water from penetrating through.  This causes the base system to stay wet for long periods of time, which then makes the sand in between the paver wet.  All this does is creates an ideal environment for weed growth.  Anytime you see a patio or walkway over taken with weeds, chances are the an improper non porous base system is the culprit.  Keep in mind nothing can prevent a weed from sprouting up here or there, but a properly installed system would keep that circumstance to a random occurrence.
If a weed should pop up, you can easily pull it out or spray it with an environmentally safe weed deterrent.