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wtting kiln sand

mwc

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hi all  after putting kiln san down do you must it or do you leave it I have been leaving it  myself but someone said  mist  it would be better 

 
The LAST thing u want to do is wet it. It's designed to easily flow into the joints. Wetting it or putting it onto wet surface will just make it syick to the blocks.

Sometimes condensation gets in the bag and sand is slightly damp. If so empty it,spread it open and let the sun dry it out for 10 mins  before sweeping it.

 
thanks k  I have been putting down bone dry   and then brushing it in  but someone said  after its in the joints  mist it over with water  I wont do that I will just carry on with  the usual way  to be honest  because I stopped a guy today and asked him  he had no idea what I kiln sand was  bit weird really as he was cleaning a driveway with block paving

 
haha yeah but doesn't mean he knows what he's doing.

The only time u mist over is if using polymeric jointing sand like Dansand which has to be wet after application and it then sets - but never KDS

 
I think he is talking about misting it once the sand is inserted in the driveway. I dont do it but was thinking of doing it as they say it helps keep it in place. 

 
And that's exactly what I'm talking about.As i said -

With polymeric jointing sand u wet it after sweeping in to joints and that then stabilises - or hardens sand and prevents erosion.

BUT U DON'T WET kiln dried sand. That is stabilised using the apopropriate sealant.

Polymeric and KDS are 2 totally different sands - and prices - £20+ for polymeroc and £5-£6 ish for KDS

 
A lot of then customers I have don't want sealant they just want old sand out and new sand in.. So I put in the kiln sand and there happy... 

 
I've got the feeling of deja vu here...... yes they may be when u finish the job.

They won't be so chuffed after the next heavy rainfall when it's all washed out.

It is entirely upto you what services u offer so I'll leave it at that.

 
Im now offering sika sand as a matter of course, it sells itself against the KDS  and you wont get weeds coming back up through it (its the stuff that needs misting after sweeping in), personally im off sealing as a go to option as I find it a bit of a minefield due to prices for the good stuff putting folk off, I quote them for smartseal and someone else quotes them for jewsons own and they dont see how the more expensive could be better (might just be round here in the north east that thats the case but using top end products has done me nothing but harm) since offering clean and "setting sand" my business has come on a lot. using just regular kiln dried looks awesome for a while but the weeds soon come back in force, if the customers fine with that and you tell them to keep an eye out and deal with it accordingly then thats fine, but round here a lot of people pretty much promise that the weeds will never return and that a clean and resand will cure all problems infinatum.

however...I went off topic, dont wet Kiln dried sand, wet the stuff K in kent said, then seal it or dont :) 

 
You can buy it in bulk for £15 a bag, buying in singles is expensive. That's what I've seen you may be able to source it cheaper somewhere else? 

 
thanks   christian I bought 25kg bag of kiln sand today from selco     £2.98   ive always got it from wicks but I think I will get from there  bone dry too   

I spoke to a guy  last week   £12  per square mtre   sealing   iam going to do the course but give a open mind  for maybe £6  per square metre for sealing    I would rather get the job than  nothing 

 
search google for "sika setting sand" you can get it from various places for £16 odd per bag. (generally when buying 5 bags or more) then it is no problem to base your prices for it on the regular retail price which your customer would finds at b&q/Travis perkins etc as you are acting as retailer having sourced the wholesale product yourself. its a happy medium between the regular KDS which while cheap as chips will certainly have weeds again in short order if not sealed. and sealing which is often prohibitively expensive for your average customer

 
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