Hello and thank you for visiting our latest blog post. In today’s short read, we’re going to answer a very important question. Why do I have grass and weeds in between my pavers?
The Cold Hard Truth
The true reason why you have grass and moss growing in between your brick pavers is because of the base material that your contractor decided to use. The base material that promotes the growth of weeds and grass is one that includes sand, 3/4 crushed limestone with fines, and any other non-clean base material. The way this works is essentially the water that permeates through the paver joints combines with the fines and/or the sand. Once this takes place, it creates a small pocket of moisture in the base of your patio. Specifically here in Michigan, in the winter temperatures get to freezing conditions, and the moisture that’s now stuck inside of your base freezes and expands. Your pavers above will shift and the joints will expand as well. Come springtime when it’s the time for this water to unthaw in addition to the trees giving off leaves, grass beginning to sprout, and other forms of nature starting to come back to life this is when you encounter your problem of growth in between your pavers
The easiest solution
The easiest solution is utilizing a base material that does not have any fines and/or completely avoids sand. A lot of contractors enjoy using 21 AA and enjoy using 2NS sand for their base. We highly recommend against both ideas for the reasons that were stated above. What we do recommend however is using a 3/4 crushed limestone washed and/or a lime chip 9A For the bedding layer in place of any type of sand.
If you’re a homeowner and you’re looking to do a new installation of a patio, I recommend that you ask your contractor which type of base they will be using. If they decide to use a base like 21 AA that has fines and will collect moisture, I highly recommend being cautious of moving forward with them. Again moisture in your base will cause growth in between the pavers and promote miss leveling of your pavers over time due to the freeze/unthaw cycles during the changing seasons.
No More Growth
We hope this was helpful for you to get an understanding of why that grass and moss are growing in your pavers. If you’re a contractor and have more questions reach out to us. If you’re a homeowner and are looking to work with us to install a new outdoor living space please give us a call and or fill out our contact form to get started. Have a good day!