Question
I dug out the area for a 10x10ft patio. Laid in the sand, leveled it and all and laid the patio stones myself.  We had a terrific amount of rain and some of the patio stones have sunk a bit lower then they were.  It was not totally level to begin with... I did the entire patio area myself, first time...How hard is it to pull up the stones that sunk and add more sand?  I was doing pretty good with this hard work, til it ended up uneven when I finished.  It wasn't real bad, but now with the rain, it needs help.  I think I need to pull up the low ones and add more sand....and need to know what the easiest way is to pull these up without messing them up.  
Appreciate your help..   
Barbara

Answer
Barbara.
Unfortunately you'll probably have to pull up most of them the same way you put them down. Simply add small amounts of sand back, rake it smooth and even and try re-setting stones and checking their height verses adjacent stones. Add or remove sand in small amounts and re-check and re-lay stone as needed. It may be quite time consuming. There is not short cut. To prevent washing out of sand again try using a polymer bound sand in your joints. Search the Internet for 'polymeric sand' and you'll see what I mean. You may also be able to buy a masonry sealant and spray it on the sand that may help some.
Or lastly try adding a mini gravel over the sand to stop sand from splashing out. I use 'permatill'. This product can also be found on the net. Its an expanded shale stone that is about 1/8" to 1/4" in size. Too big to stick to your feet, small enough to fill joints and large enough it wont easily wash away.

Sean J Murphy
www.amenityarchitects.com
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