Avoid Brick Paver Repair :Landscape No No's

Interlocking Pavers and Brick Paving

Everyday I observe what I call Landscape No No's that will result in future Brick Paver Repairs. Most homeowners and landscapers do not consider the design and installation effects their landscaping can have on the performance of their brick patios, brick driveway, and brick walkway. Below is a simple short list Landscape No No's to consider when installing your landscaping around your brick pavers.

DESIGN:
Always design your landscaping around your hardscape (pavers, home,fences,walls, etc..). It is important to design your brick paving needs and function first, then optimize your softscape (trees,bushes,beds,etc..) to accent your hardscape and home. Too often, the hardscape is sacrificed for appearance and function for the sake of a small tree or bush.

TREES:
Long-term growth of trees plays a huge part in brick paver repair. The obvious culprits are roots! Small specimen trees like Japanese maples, dogwoods, or Alberta spruces have little effect, but large evergreens like Pines, Spruces, or Firs and most deciduous trees like Maples, Oaks, and Lindens will have large future roots. These roots will surface under your paver stones and result in obvious lifts. The only way to repair pavers under these conditions is to remove the roots where surfaced but this may affect the health of the tree.

SPRINKLERS:
This is one of the most overlooked reason for brick paver repairs. Water and moisture creates erosion, freeze - thawing, and base material settling. Sprinklers should never spray on or over paver walks, paver patios, and paver driveways. The obvious problem can be continued running water over and through the paving stones, therefore exposing the paver joints, base material, and edge restraints to erosion. If any of these three paver items are compromised, the effect will be repairs and excessive brick paver maintenance. It is important to make sure that any and all sprinkler heads are at least 6" away from the edge of the pavers. Also, use drip irrigation inside all planting beds bordered by interlocking pavers patios or walks.

GUTTERS & ROOF DRIP LINES:
The neglect of homeowners or landscapers to address the water coming off the home roof is a major contributor to patio stones settling or shifting. Again, water erosion of the joint sand, base material, and paver bricks edges will cause your brick pavers to under perform. Gutters need to be redirected or have buried pipe to carry water under or around the paving stones. If you have a drip line of water coming off your roof, siding, or deck, design the brick pavers outside this drip line. You can also install a drip edge strip on your roof, siding, or deck to divert water to another spot to drip or run off.

This is a quick list of pre-design landscape requirements to help insure that you get peak performance from your landscape pavers and landscape blocks. Whether you install brick pavers, stamped or poured concrete, or wooden deck, these same Landscape No No's will apply!

Brick Paver Repairs for Spring

Brick Pavers

In the Midwest, the ground is beginning to freeze and Brick Paver Repairs will have to wait until Spring. I have put away my tools and will concentrate now on marketing my brick paver repair services for the Ann Arbor area. I will also spend my time analyzing the reasons for brick paver repairs and the best solutions for avoiding future repairs costs to clients. Not only at my own home, but at other clients paver installations I will observe the effects of winter freeze thaw cycles and erosion from Spring rains. This physical feedback will allow me to recommend brick paver and modular retaining wall design and installation techniques that will reduce the need for repairs.

After 28 years of designing, installing, repairing, and cleaning & sealing, interlocking brick pavers and modular retaining wall systems, I am always learning new ideas, products, and techniques that will improve the performance of brick paver patios, sidewalks, and driveways. I have spent over 2/3rds of my life in the brick paver industry and I am always challenged by the improving products and paver installation techniques. Only historical performance of paving stones and landscape blocks can be used to set the standards for brick paver design & paver installation methods.

I will continue my posts on the Steps of Installing Brick Pavers in the coming months. The next post will be on the "Bedding Course & Screeding" step of installing brick pavers. Think Spring! and I will post soon after the holidays!

Winterizing your Brick Pavers

I am asked alot about the need for "winterizing" brick paver patios, walks, or driveways. The great news is that interlocking brick pavers are designed and installed to withstand the ill effects of winter climate & frost cycles and do not necessarily require any winter prep.

I do have some suggestions that will help in the long-term success and aesthetics of your brick paver installation.

• Remove any heavy items or vehicles that you plan on leaving on your brick pavers throughout the winter months. The reason is that the area under a heavy item or tires will not flex to the freeze thaw cycle, thus possibly causing sunken areas as the base below shifts. Over the years I have noticed, especially on brick paver patios,where homeowners leave there patio table base (filled with sand or water), leaves a slight indention in this brick paver area. Also, on driveways where homeowners leave boat trailers, campers, motor homes, etc.. the spots where the tires sat through the winter freeze thaw cycles are sunken.

• Sweep some joint sand in all the joints if needed. I always instruct my clients that brick paver joints will require a resweep of joint sand each Spring after the winter frost effects. But if the sand is low in your brick paver joints heading into the Winter, it would be a good idea to do a quick sweep. Brick Paver joints that are filled will allow for proper drainage of late season rains and also properly hold pavers in place. Really you should always keep your brick pavers filled with joint sand all year round for optimum success.

• Redirect any direct water or ice sources from draining on your brick pavers. If there are any gutter spouts that drain onto your brick pavers, it would be a good idea if possible to connect a solid corrugated pipe to the end of the gutter spout and run into the grass or plant bed. The constant freezing and thawing of snow and ice that runs down the gutter onto a brick paver patio, walk, or driveway will create a tremendous stress on your pavers in this area. Hopefully you addressed water drainage during the original brick paver installation but it will be important to reduce any thaw drainage & refreezing.

These are just a few things you can do to add to the long-term success and aesthetics of your brick paver installation. There is no need to cover your pavers or shovel off your paver patio. Just let the functional beauty and benefits of interlocking brick pavers do there job and enjoy!