Retaining Wall Repair needed quickly in Ann Arbor

Repair of Landscape Wall

We were needed recently to repair a Retaining Wall in Ann Arbor that was beginning to collapse. The corner of this retaining wall was beginning to separate and slide off it's bottom foundation. The homeowner had recently noticed further gapping of the blocks and leaning of the wall towards his front walk.  Time was of the essence and the modular retaining wall needed total reconstruction.

The homeowner was frustrated because the original landscape architect & contractor would not properly address the issues regarding this landscape retaining wall.  Because of my 27 years experience constructing & repairing modular retaining wall systems, I had some theories as to the reason this block wall had drastically settled.

From my visual inspection, I had noticed that the 90 degree corner of this retaining wall had failed miserably and some lower modular blocks had "slid" off the ones below them. This particular retaining wall system is Fendt's Keystone Old World Country Manor and requires a fiberglass pin system to hold the structure together.  These modular retaining wall blocks also have a hollow center that requires to be filled with gravel.

I had concluded from my visual inspection that these  2 key factors contributed to the failure of this retaining wall system.  As we disassemble this landscape wall, my conclusions were accurate. See the pictures to the right to see the poor installation of these retaining wall blocks.

The corners of modular retaining wall systems are the most important part of any large landscape walls.  They require extra reinforcement because the brunt of hydro static pressure & gravity can compromise the weakest part of any retaining wall construction. This retaining wall lacked the basic requirement of fiberglass pins to help secure the blocks in place. The landscape contractor choose to just "glue" the corner blocks. The result was a lower landscape block "sliding" off the foundation block below and allowing the pressure to push the retaining wall out.

As we tore down the complete wall due to excessive gapping, leaning, & settling, we also observed that none of the block's hollow centers & gaps were filled with gravel.  Filling all voids in a modular retaining wall system is required to give the wall additional mass.  Landscape wall systems are engineered with minimum specifications to help insure long-term performance. This particular retaining wall failed to meet 2 key installation specifications.

We disassembled the entire retaining wall from the top down. We re-leveled and recompacted the gravel base, reinstalled the bottom blocks to the correct level, and reconstructed the modular retaining wall blocks one-by-one, using the correct number & location of fiberglass pins and filled all voids with gravel. The finishing touch was to re-cap the wall and touch up the surrounding landscape.

We paid special attention to the corner of this retaining wall.  We replaced the small blocks the past contractor used and used the larger blocks in the retaining wall system so we could properly pin the units. We also constructed the corner using the "log cabin" method of overlapping the corner units as each row was stacked, pinned, filled, and backfilled. 

This retaining wall repair situation is very common in Ann Arbor. The landscape architect & contractor had a good design and good use of product, but the execution of installing was poor.  It does take some expertise & experience installing modular retaining wall systems properly. This particular landscape wall construction should have started and constructed from the corner out. It only took "one" block to slide out and destroy the performance of this very popular retaining wall application.

Brick Paver Path and Step solves a problem

Interlocking Pavers have many uses

This customer had a problem with an area on the side of the house that would not grow grass. This area was also used by their lawn service company to enter & exit the backyard.  This problem area was always muddy and had ruts from the riding mowers.

The customer needed a solution for the lawn service company's access and they wanted a decorative appearance for this area.  Mulch, ground cover, or grass was not a viable option. The solution:  A brick paverpaver step path & off the porch would meet both the customer's needs.

Brick pavers are not always the most economical solution but they give added aesthetic and functional value that is unmatched.  We kept the overall price down by using the brick paver manufacturers overstock pavers and mixed colors too. The color mix of the paving stones gave a unique autumn color appearance.  We also laid a simple 90 degree herringbone pattern with a soldier course border and this kept the need for saw cutting to a minimum.

The paver step was added off the side of the front porch to facilitate the use of the brick paver path by the homeowner.  We finished off the inside of this paver path with a brick on edge along the inside of the paving stones to create a lip for mulch and soil around the plants.

The hidden gem here was that the customer now uses this brick paver path to receive packages in the back for their home business. Pavers can be a great solution for problems you have never thought of before.  We have created columns & pillars, grills and fireplaces, fire pits, driveway strips along the outside of concrete drives, sandboxes, and more!


 Did you know that paving stones can bring your unsightly porch back to life?  There are many different applications for porches and that will be demonstrated & explained in a future post.

Small Brick Paver Jobs

Interlocking Paver Pad

We installed this small brick paver pad for a condo in Ann Arbor this week. I am often asked if we do small brick paver jobs....the answer is.. "We love small paver jobs!"

This brick paver customer just needed a small paver pad out his condo patio screen door to keep mulch & dirt from being tracked into his patio. We installed this 25sq.ft paver pad in about 2 hours. When you factor in loading time, drive time, and clean up. the whole project was about 3 hours worth of work.

There are several factors to keep in mind so the price of your small brick paver project will be reasonable. This customer followed my recommendations to keep the price below $300. Most landscape or paver contractors will do your small paver project at an inflated price.

First, I would allow the brick paver contractor to use a new paver they have left over in stock (make sure you are not getting any used pavers unless discussed) . Second, allow the pavers contractor to use any color or a mix of colors. Allow the contractor to lay out the dimensions so the saw cutting of the pavers is minimal or not needed. Allow the paver contractor to lose the excavated soils on-site and finally, allow the contractor to use your job as a "Plug Job". A "plug job" allows the contractor to fit the job in any day or time he has a "gap" in their schedule and they can "plug" you in. Often I will have a guaranteed completion date which may be a month or two out depending on time of year.

If you are flexible and not in an immediate rush, you can often get a good price on a small brick paver project. Most often brick paver contractors are your best choice because they have extra stock of pavers and are more efficient to make the project reasonably profitable.

Prep work IS necessary for Sealing Brick Pavers

Brick Paver Sealing

I am amazed by the number of potential brick paver sealing clients who do not think it is necessary to prepare their paver patio, walkway, driveway, etc.. for sealing.  Preparation of the paving stone surface & paver joints is a must for the proper performance and appearance of paver sealant.

Each week I do a brick paver sealing estimate where the homeowner just wants me to apply the proper paver sealant to their brick pavers.  Most times the paving stones exhibit dirt, moss, mold, and stains that need to be addressed. More so, the paver joints need to be filled with paver joint sand and have dirt,moss, weeds, and grass removed prior to sealing their paver patio or walk.  Paver Driveways are a given for extensive prep work to allow for sealing.

The average cost of sealing brick paver patios in Ann Arbor & Saline is @ $1.00/ sq.ft plus the cost of prep work. Price breaks usually start after 1000 sq.ft and for driveways.  The cost of prep work depends on the severity of the condition of the paving stones & paver joints. Just for an easy example, a  400-450 sq.ft ground level paver patio with a couple of steps into doorwall, may cost $650-750 for general power washing, sanding of paver joints, and sealed with an approved brick paver sealant.  Severe paving stone & paver joint cleaning may increase this price range.  Brick paver repair to sunken or settled areas are also an extra cost.  Most of our brick paver patio restorations this year are running in the $600-900 range when you factor in touch-up repairs.

The only exception for applying a brick paver sealant without performing some extensive prep work would be when a paver patio, walkway, driveway, or etc.. was installed about 3 months earlier and the above mentioned foreign substances are not present.  Paver joints may still need some touch ups. Remember that most brick paver manufacturers recommend waiting 60-90 days after installation to allow any efflorescence to exit the paving stones.

The paver manufacturers have a few steps & cleaners of prepping for sealing that is not always necessary, but the minimum amount of prep work is a general power washing of the paving stones & paver joints.  If weeds, grass, mold, & moss are present, a more aggressive power washing will be necessary. After the brick pavers & paver joints dry, an approved paver joint sand needs to be swept in all joints.  Polymeric sand is NOT necessary to use if sealing your brick pavers and actually is discouraged from doing by polymeric sand manufacturers.

After the paver joint sand is carefully swept in all joints, touched up with a wisk broom in tight areas, and blown off the top of the paving stones with a leaf blower, the brick paver sealant can be applied.  An earlier post I had on brick paver sealing methods explains the pros & cons of different methods. 

To insure great performance & appearance from sealing pavers, the prep work must be done to make sure the paving stones & paver joint's appearance is enhanced by the sealant.  Sealing brick pavers is not cheap, and some prep work is necessary to make sure you get the results you are looking to get from your interlocking pavers.

Brick Paver Driveway Cleaning & Sanding

Brick Driveway Cleaning

Here is brick paver driveway we cleaned and sanded this past week.  This paver driveway was installed about 7 years ago and was in immediate need of cleaning off moss, weeds, and dirt from the paving stones and paver joints.

The homeowner admitted he has not performed any yearly maintenance of paver joint sand sweeping. Due to dense tree growth, moss & mold had taken over the appearance of his paving stone driveway.  This homeowner was desperate to regain the beauty of his paver driveway.

We spent 18 hrs power washing all the brick pavers & paver joints to remove all the mold, moss, weeds, and dirt.  We scrubbed the pavers with a mild concoction of powdered Tide & water in a bucket, agitating them with a short bristled brush. This helps remove & loosen up the unsightly substances. Most people do not realize the tedious time involved in properly power washing pavers & paver joints.

After all the paving stones where cleaned and dried, we swept in paver joint sand.  It is very important to keep all your paver joints filled with the proper joint sand to help keep pavers from shifting and help deter weeds & dirt from taking over.  Paver Driveways require even more attention due to the heavy & frequent traffic of cars.

This homeowner was considering sealing his paver driveway because he thought it would deter any future moss growth or keep him from having to sweep in more joint sand.  I informed him this is NOT true that moss, given the right conditions, will still grow on top of the pavers & paver joints.  Sealing of the paver joint sand will only be temporary as the paving stones flex to the effects of winter frost & snow and future sweeping will be required.  Though there are some important reasons to apply a brick paver sealant to pavers, I would always choose to seal your brick pavers for the aesthetic value or the "wet look" appearance.

So keep your brick pavers clean for years of beauty & enjoyment and keep your paver joints clean and filled with joint sand for long-term performance & success. Your curb appeal investment in brick pavers can not be ignored so if you do not want to do the needed work yourself, call a brick paver professional.

Another Repair of Brick Paver Patio Steps & Porch Step

Brick Paver Steps  Repair

Our continued brick paver repair services took us to another paver patio steps & front porch step reconstruction this past week.  For the sake of not sounding redundant, this blog post will be brief with before & after pics.  My previous post went into more detail regarding the enormous need for paver patio step repair through out Ann Arbor & Saline.

Settled Paver Steps

This raised pavers patio has been in for over 5 years, slowly the brick steps leading into the patio door wall and front porch began to settle & shift.  They were currently in desperate need of repair for safety & appearance purposes.  This client called in the brick paver expert and we began to solve their issue.

Once the base material below is compromised, the complete paver step structure is going to fail. Large gaps begin to allow water to erode behind and below the paver block steps & caps.  The brick paver landing on top begins to sink and tripping hazards begin to appear.

This client's front paver porch steps exhibited the "smiley face" appearance which occurs often when a contractor does not compact the interior base material properly.  They just fill in upwards as they build each step without compacting the base in 2-3" lifts when building brick steps.

Before reconstructing

As we did with the earlier brick paver step reconstruction, we completely tore down the entire structure and rebuilt from the ground up.  Upon tearing down the block & cap steps, we discovered a reason for the paver steps settling.  The landscape contractor did not fill in gaps or holes (see picture) in the modular retaining wall blocks as needed.  This resulted in an inferior step or wall construction that was destined to fail over time.  Open spaces allow for base settling, erosion, and reduces the overall mass of the step structure.  We did relevel, recompacted, & filled all joints and holes.

When properly installed, brick paver patio & porch steps can give years of performance & spectacular appearance. Paver steps do require some basic maintenance over the years but will be minimal in time & costs if addressed in the early stages of settling or erosion. I expect that these newly repaired paver steps will give many years of safety and appearance that a brick paver client expects.

Remember to address the first signs of the brick pavers settling in the top landing, block & caps sagging, or caps coming loose.  Small periodic paver repairs will avoid very costly reconstruction in the future.