Why Are My Sand Joints Cracking After Sealing?

At The Paver Savers, we take great pride in restoring and protecting your paver patios, walkways and other surfaces with our professional cleaning, sanding, and sealing process.

One question we occasionally receive after a project is:

We want to provide some clarity on this issue and explain what’s really going on—and why it’s not a failure of the sealing process itself.

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In nearly all cases, these cracks appear along the outer edges of a walkway, patio, or driveway. The reason is simple: those edges lack a solid foundation.

When pavers are originally installed, the stone base underneath should extend 6 to 8 inches beyond the edge of the paver surface. Unfortunately, many installations fall short of this standard. Without that extended base, the paver edges sit on weak or unsupported soil. Over time—and especially during severe freezing and thawing cycles in winter—this can lead to shifting and settling at the edges.

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When we install new polymeric sand and seal your pavers, that joint material becomes extremely hard and dense—which is exactly what you want for durability and weed resistance. However, it also means that the sand has very little flexibility.

If the pavers shift or move due to ground movement—especially at weak edges—the rigid sand can’t flex with them. The result? Cracking in the joints.

This is not a sign of poor workmanship or a failure in the product. It’s simply the reality of combining a high-performance sealing process with a paver system that may have been installed incorrectly many years ago or is losing its structural integrity over time.

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Even if we made a repair to the edge block during our restoration process, those repairs are still limited by the strength and stability of the existing base underneath. If the original base does not extend properly beyond the edge, the area remains vulnerable to movement—especially during freeze-thaw cycles. While we do our best to stabilize and reinforce edge areas when we make repairs, we cannot eliminate the underlying structural limitations caused by the original installation.

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Yes, we can typically repair these areas by removing the cracked sand and installing new joint material. However, even if we made edge repairs during your project, those areas are still affected by what’s underneath and beyond our control.

We understand this can be frustrating. Typically, edge issues are tied to the original installation, thus the repairs cannot be guaranteed. If you’ve experienced this issue, rest assured that it’s relatively common and often repairable. Our team will be happy to assess the situation and recommend the best course of action.

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This is a good reminder that the foundation of any paver system is critical to its long-term performance. Our sealing process protects what’s already there—but it can’t compensate for installation shortcuts taken in the past.

At The Paver Savers, we’re committed to giving your pavers the best protection possible. And we’ll always be transparent about what we can—and can’t—control.

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Reach out to us today and let’s talk. We’re here to help you protect your investment, season after season.

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