Make Saw-Cut Loops Disappear with the Sand Trick

By: Brian Dickson

Make your saw-cut applications more professional looking and attractive with BD Loops sand trick.

Many installers have had customers who installed an expensive decorative driveway and need loops for their gate system.  The customer is understandably frustrated at the prospect of saw-cut tattoos in their stamped concrete, but there is really little choice when it comes to protecting the gate system. You can help alleviate a bit of their frustration, by using this sand trick to help camouflage the saw-cut tattoo. 

This sand technique is ideal for situations where you are forced to cut into prettier surfaces such as stamped concrete, stamped asphalt, fresh concrete, pavers, or any application where the driveway appearance is important to the customer.

Most installers (understandably) focus on getting the system working properly and over look the cosmetic appearance of their work. Since loop sealant is not readily available in a wide assortment of colors you will never be able to easily match sealant to the surface of colored stamped concrete or other decorative surfaces.

 Many customers, especially home owners care a great deal about how their driveway looks after the work is done and would not be thrilled at the idea of using black, gray, or white loop sealant in their decorative driveway.  Installers who are sensitive to the desires of their customers can go above and beyond by using this sand technique. This trick will make your work stand out, and will help your customer feel satisfied with the look of their driveway. Customers will appreciate the care you’ve taken to improve the appearance of the cut in loops and will be more likely to refer friends and family to your business.

The best part of the sand trick is not how simple it is, but that by doing it you’ll be able to allow traffic to drive over the loops sooner, as the sand will create a barrier between the drying sealant and car tires.

These pictures were made possible by Integrity Access Management Corporation, thank you Chris Benavides for your hospitality and allowing us to take part in your installation. 

You will need:

Craft Sand(s) that matches the color of your application (we recommend you keep regular white and black sand handy for mixing.)

A paint roller that has been covered with artists tape (or any other type of tape)

Step 1:

Analyze the appearance of the driveway, in the paver application above we looked at the different bricks and identified that there were 3 different types of bricks:  faded pink, faded purple, and faded dark blue. The color of the bricks are inconsistent, they contain light and dark patches and lots of light colored specks throughout. We decided to go with red and black craft sand mixed with white play sand (available at big box stores like Home Depot) to imitate the light pink bricks.

Step 2:

Mix the sand in the container, test your mixture by sprinkling a bit on the driveway to see how closely it matches.  Make any changes needed to the mixture and then set aside. Be sure to let the play sand dry before mixing, play sand usually comes in a bag with some moisture that tends to make the sand look darker until it evaporates.

Step 3:

Seal the saw-cut groove(s). It is important to not overfill the saw-cut groove with sealant.

Step 4:

Sprinkle the sand mixture over the sealant using a cup. Use the paint roller to push the sand around as needed and press it into the groove.  See the pictures above to compare the before and after results.
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Brian Dickson is the General Manager of BD Loops, a manufacturer of preformed direct burial and saw-cut inductance loops for the gate, door, and parking industry. With over 10 years in business the quality of our loops is unheard of. BD Loops products are available through 180 distributors nationally. The company has several letters of recommendation testifying their professionalism and design, and is a member of the following associations: AFA, IDA, CODA, NOMMA, IMSA, and IPI. Visit BD Loops at www.bdloops.com and use the distributor locator tool to find a distributor near you. Call BD Loops at 714.890.1604 or email at BDLoops@aol.com