If you're working on a small space, you can use a hand tamp like you see in the image above. If you have a large patio or driveway, we'd recommend using a plate compactor.
To compact the pavers themselves without a plate compactor, you're going to use a rubber mallet. You will not use a hand tamper at this part. It is too rough, and it requires more strength than a paver requires.
You can easily use a basic steel tamper if you are tackling a small paver project, but most paver projects, such as walkways, patios, or anything larger require a plate compactor.
Use a steel handle tamper
If you're wondering if there's any simple way to compact pavers without a giant plate compactor, there is–a steel handle tamper. This is one of the most basic ways to compact your pavers.
Tamping rammers are better for clay soils and smaller areas. They compact the soil through impact. Plate compactors are best for gravel, sand or silt and larger areas and compact through vibration. Consider your soil type and size of the job when choosing a tamping rammer vs plate compacter.
1) Hand-tamper
The most basic compacting tool is the hand-tamper, consisting of a heavy metal plate attached to a long vertical handle. To compact a surface using this tool, simply walk the length and width of your project whilst striking the ground with the metal plate.
They increase the density and levelness of soil, gravel, sand and other materials by applying force to the material's surface. This force can be delivered by hand or via a gas-burning engine. Most tampers work by repeatedly striking the surface being compacted, flattening and packing it down to increase density.
Soil can be mechanically compacted by applying force with a roller, hoe or rammer. A roller looks like a drum aerator, minus the spikes. Pulling this weighted metal drum over the lawn crushes the soil. In a pinch, a heavily loaded wheelbarrow can do the same job.
ANSWER: Yes, hand tamp the sand and use a straight edge (or side of 2 x 4 board), from high end of slope to low end, to make sure you still do not have any low spots.
sweep polymeric sand into a joint, there are pockets of air and spacing throughout the sand matrix. Proper compaction of the surface will tighten up the sand particles eliminating pockets of air and voids.
If your polymeric sand didn't harden up, it's pretty much guaranteed there's a moisture issue. If the joints remain wet after the installation, they will remain soft until they dry. So getting one initial complete drying "set" is very important to the long-term performance and lifespan of the product.
The recommended pressure for removing polymeric sand from pavers is 1600-2000 PSI. In pressure washing, if you use hot water, it will also help you remove polymeric sand from pavers. Ideally, the temperature should be around 180 °F.
Shower your pavers to seal and harden the sand
You want to saturate your sand just until the water stops soaking into the joint. Remember, using too much water too quickly can wash out the polymers, while too little water can leave your joint fragile and susceptible to to cracking under slight distress.
The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) recommends compacting pavers after applying Polymeric Sand. If you're working on a small space, you can use a hand tamp like you see in the image above. If you have a large patio or driveway, we'd recommend using a plate compactor.
Manual rollers. Manual rollers are a cheaper alternative to wacker plates but is a roller better than a wacker plate? These devices feature a large cylinder filled with a heavy material (usually sand or water) that can be rolled over an uneven patch of sand to compact the grains into a much smoother, levelled surface.
When the grounds are compressed uneven and loose, the brewing water moves through the gaps rather than extracting the required espresso flavor. As a result, your coffee is flavorless and watery. So, how hard should you tamp espresso to get the best drink? Keep reading…
With The Force Tamper you literally cannot tamp sideways. A great alternative to the Force Tamper is the Decent Espresso Tamper, which is comparable in features and price. The Decent Leveling Tamper is a 15 pounds spring loaded tamper, whereas the Decent tamper has an adjustable pressure.
It is important that the Poly Sand be vibrated into the joint, as we want the sand as tight as possible in the paver joint. In applications over concrete or Bituminous in which the use of a plate tamper is not practical, use a rubber mallet and wooden 2 x 4 to vibrate and compact the joint.
Handheld compactors are also known as plate compactors. Handheld compactors are useful tools for compacting areas of material. Compacting is the process of forcing air out from between the particles within material.