[TrickyDick]

Okay it not sand but bluestone dust. I have a client who is kind of a neat freak and has decided that she can't handle the dust and stuff that comes out of the joints in her patio. It is a small, tumbled, blustone paver laid pretty tight (joints from 0-1/4 inch). So what is the best way the remove the joint material? I'm a little concerned that I won't be able to remove it all the way down and that when I install poly sand afterwards it will not be thick enough to hold up. Anyone do this?

[johnkeegan]

Pressure washer?

[Lanelle]

I think that John is on to something.

[Stonehenge]

If you wanted to control the mess (if they really are neat freaks), you might do a pressure washer coupled with a shop vac to suck up the spoils as they come out.

[TrickyDick]

That was my thought but I was concerned that the pressure might knock stones around and undermine the base underneath. Maybe try it with a pressure nozzle on regular hose first and only break out the big guns if that doesn't work. I guess my 2500psi washer is not really a "big gun". My old job we had 20,000psi "hydroblaster". That was a big gun....10 cylinder diesel engine....could run four guns up to 20k. Thing could cut steel.

[johnkeegan]

I know it works because I've done it few times. You can get a lower pressure nozzle...Wear some eye protection ,though, with all that flying sand.

[zullo-design]

power washer, worked for me a bunch of times.