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NextGel"?(R)????: the New Paver Jointing Technology, Because Time Counts02-03-16 | News

NextGel™:
the New Paver Jointing Technology,
Because Time Counts
Jointing Sand is Clean, Quick and Easy

Byline: Michael Trunko

This shows a bag of HP NextGel high-performance jointing sand.
Photo Credits: Techniseal®

When polymeric sand was first introduced to the landscape industry in 1998 by Techniseal®, it literally revolutionized the way joints are filled between pavers, natural stones, slabs and other paved surfaces.

It made such a positive impact in the way pavers are installed that most landscape contractors stopped using plain old masonry sand. However, even with all of its advantages, polymeric sand still presented a few challenges.

Traditional polymeric sand consists of sand grains mixed with several types of small additive particles. These particles create a number of issues. For example, the lighter elements can be carried into the air, forming a dusty cloud.

In addition, these smaller particles penetrate the pores of the concrete, making sweeping difficult and causing unwanted haze on pavers. The smaller polymers also make wetting difficult, which often leads to performance issues with several low-quality polymeric sands.

Even with all these problems, however, polymeric sand was still a much better jointing solution than regular masonry sand. After all, it stopped sand erosion and prevented pavers from being invaded by weeds and ants. This is a considerable advantage, especially for the homeowner.

Fortunately, these installation issues are now part of the past. In October of 2015, after years of research and development, Techniseal® introduced a brand new jointing technology called NextGel™. Now, in the same way that polymeric sand replaced regular masonry sand several years ago, NextGel™ will replace traditional polymeric sand.

"NextGel™ is not a new polymeric sand", said Danielle Lamarre, marketing director. "It's the next generation of jointing sand, and is different from polymeric sand. This revolutionary technology radically transforms and improves the properties and behavior of jointing sand, resulting in faster and cleaner installations."

"The property and behavior of each individual additive particle is transformed, generating a more homogenous particle size," said Sylvain Dulude, technical director. "Each separate particle has all the ingredients needed to strongly bind the sand grains." This yields numerous benefits.

One benefit is having no dust during the installation process. In multiple lab and field tests, NextGel™ is shown to create 75 percent less dust than traditional polymeric sand. This is due to its additive particles being heavier, making the jointing sand less volatile and practically dust-free.

Comparison test show the new NextGel (left) leaves no haze while the older technology from a competitor (right) leaves thick haze.
Photo Credits: Techniseal®

"It's clean, quick and easy," said Felix Negrete of Sierra Building Products in San Diego. No dust means a better working environment for the installer and a cleaner, more efficient job site. It also means faster cleanup.

Another benefit is the elimination of unwanted haze on pavers and slabs. "The additive particles in traditional polymeric sand penetrate into the pores of the concrete, causing the undesirable haze," Dulude said. "But, because of NextGel™'s uniform mix, the sand actually flows over the surface of the pavers and the particles do not penetrate into the pores."

As a result, sweeping is easy and fast. Since there is virtually no undesirable haze on the pavers, customers are happier and there is no post-installation time-consuming haze removal.

Sweeping is quick with NextGel because particles do not penetrate the pores of the concrete.
Photo Credits: Techniseal®

The difference is clearly evident in tests using two similar pavers and sweeping them with equal amounts of jointing sands. On the paver swept with traditional polymeric sand, a whitish haze is plainly visible and the paver is stained. But, the paver swept with NextGel™ shows no haze and the surface remains unchanged.

Landscape contractors and suppliers can't believe their eyes when they see the end result for the first time. Hector Galvan, owner and CEO of Prime Building Materials in Los Angeles, said, "No haze was amazing!"

There is also no waste. It's risky to reuse leftover traditional polymeric sand because the fine particles separate from the mix during sweeping. Consequently, up to two bags of sand can be wasted on a 1,000 sq. ft. installation.

"The new technology solves this problem by generating particles of uniform composition and size, which preserves the full integrity of the product," said Dulude. "So, leftover sand can be reused elsewhere on the jobsite or on the next project. No wasted sand means more profit!"

According to Lamarre, "An additional benefit of the new blend's homogenous properties is that water flows much easier and in a more consistent and predictable manner to the bottom of the joints. The sand's unique formulation also controls how and when the particles start reacting with water, making wetting up to 50 percent faster. Since wetting is very time consuming during the installation, this becomes a profitable advantage."

The new NextGel allows quick wetting, as water flows down joint rapidly.
Photo Credits: Techniseal®

A typical project can be completed in practically half the amount of time compared to using traditional polymeric sand. Based on a 1,000 sq. ft. installation done by the same contractor in similar conditions and following the manufacturer's instructions, the total installation time with NextGel™ is 1 hour and 40 minutes versus 2 hours and 50 minutes using comparable products. The time saving is 1 hour and 10 minutes. A 40 percent faster installation means significant time and cost savings.

"It's also important to understand that all the advantages that made polymeric sand so great are still true for the new NextGel™" said Dulude. "It still offers long term optimal strength while preventing joint erosion as well as weeds and insect infestation."

This new technology now makes it possible to have fast and clean installations, which means each project will be more lucrative. Jointing sand that produces no dust, no haze and no waste will soon become the new standard in the industry. Paver installation will never be the same.

Andrew Vear, of PaverCrafters West in Reno, Nev. summed it up when he said: "This is clearly a game changer in the segmental paving industry."