If you are planning on laying down pavers, whether for a walkway or a driveway, you need to use the right materials to install those pavers. Two materials that are often used when laying down pavers include polymeric sand and stone dust.
That said, polymeric sand and stone dust are not the same thing, and they serve different purposes. Let’s figure out what both are, what makes them similar and different, and what both are used for.
Polymeric Sand and Stone Dust: The Basics
Before we talk about similarities and differences, let’s first figure out what both polymeric sand and stone dust are.
What Is Polymeric Sand?
Polymeric sand is a very special type of man-made sand. It is made by mixing very fine sand, fine quartz, and silica, as well as a variety of binders, which may be synthetic or organic. One of the most common binders used in polymeric sand is cement.
When water is mixed with polymeric sand it creates a chemical reaction that then begins to harden, dry, and cure. Polymeric sand, when dried, forms a rock-hard and monolithic substance.
Polymeric sand is most often used to fill the joints in between pavers. It really helps to lock the pavers into place and helps to create solid joints between the pavers where water cannot permeate and weeds cannot grow.
What Is Stone Dust?
Stone dust, as the name implies, is relatively fine dust created by running stones through a crusher machine. Stone dust can be made out of many different kinds of stone, although granite is a very popular option.
This is the only thing that stone dust contains, and it does not contain any kind of binders. This material does not bind or adhere to anything. Stone dust has historically been used as an underlayment for pavers. It’s designed to provide pavers with a stable base. Moreover, it’s also water permeable, so water can flow out from underneath the pavers.
This stone dust, when used as paver underlayment, also allows the pavers to settle down neatly into place. With that being said, stone dust is slowly going out of favor due to newer and better materials on the market.
Similarities of Polymeric Sand and Stone Dust
Now that we know what both of these materials are, let’s figure out what makes them similar. As you are about to see, they really don’t have much in common.
1. They’re Fine
Both polymeric sand and stone dust are very fine materials. Exactly how fine stone dust is, however, depends on the exact stone dust you get, as some may be finer than others. However, generally speaking, both feel more like a powder than they do like sand, stone, or grain.
2. They’re Used With Pavers
The other similarity that these two things share is that they’re both used with pavers. That being said, exactly how they are used with pavers differs. One goes underneath pavers, and the other goes in between the joints.
Differences Between Polymeric Sand and Stone Dust
Now that we know what makes polymeric sand and stone dust similar, let’s figure out what makes them different.
1. The Composition
One of the main differences between these two materials is what they are made out of. On one hand, stone dust is nothing more than finely ground up stone.
On the other hand, polymeric sand consists of fine sand, quartz, and silica sand, as well as various organic and inorganic binders, which will usually include cement. As you can see, they are two fundamentally different things.
2. The Primary Application
The other primary difference between these two things is that stone dust is generally used as an underlayment for pavers. In other words, you put down a layer of stone dust and then lay down the pavers over top.
Polymeric sand, on the other hand, due to its properties, is swept in between the joints in between pavers and used to lock them into place. Keep in mind that polymeric sand hardens, which therefore makes it a great joint sealer for pavers.
3. Hardening and Binding
Yet another huge difference is that because polymeric sand contains binders such as cement, when mixed with water, it hardens into one monolithic substance. On the other hand, stone dust contains no such binders and does not harden. That dust does not adhere to itself or anything else.
4. Weed Resistance
The next big difference here is that because polymeric sand hardens, it forms a rock-hard layer that weeds cannot grow through. Therefore, polymeric sand makes for a great weed prevention tool, as it will help keep weeds from growing in between your pavers.
On the other hand, because stone dust does not harden, weeds can grow through it. However, it’s really not as big of an issue with stone dust because you don’t use it to fill joints in between pavers.
5. Dealing With Moisture
Moisture is a relatively big issue for both of these materials. In terms of stone dust, it can absorb some water, and if it rains too hard, it may actually wash out from underneath the pavers.
When it comes to polymeric sand, it is not permeable by water, and water, therefore, pools up on top of it. However, with freeze and thaw cycles and extreme temperatures, polymeric sand may crack, which then allows water to leak through.
6. Strength, Durability, and Cracking
The other major difference here is that polymeric sand does harden, and therefore has a certain amount of durability.
Stone dust does not become a hard substance, and therefore really isn’t durable at all. That said, this isn’t a huge issue because both serve vastly different purposes.
Polymeric Sand vs. Stone Dust: Which of the Two Should You Use?
Polymeric sand is used to seal the joints in between pavers, whereas stone dust is used as an underlayment to put underneath the pavers before they are laid down.
Summary
As you can see, both polymeric sand and stone dust serve specific purposes when it comes to laying down pavers.
How Does Polymeric Sand Compare with Other Materials?
Read the articles below to see how polymeric sand compares with: