BRICK DOCTOR BILL

We contacted Bill concerning sealing our paver pat...

2009-11-13T08:09:40.058-05:00

We contacted Bill concerning sealing our paver patio. We are going to be doing the sealing ourselves, thus Bill will be making nothing, yet he was very generous with his knowledge on how to do the job correctly. He answered all of our questions and gave us great information. Thank you Bill. We will be calling on you for future paver needs as they arise, and we will be dropping your name to our family and friends.

How do you apply sweeping sand to steps? The sand...

2009-10-22T11:36:35.350-04:00

How do you apply sweeping sand to steps? The sand just pours out through the face joints of the steps.

Thanks for your questions regarding brick paver se...

2009-07-29T21:45:16.669-04:00

Thanks for your questions regarding brick paver sealing.
The sealer is intended primarily for the brick paver surface, not necessarily for the joints. The brick paver joints will except the sealer and harden the joints for awhile. Remember that the joints absorb the gradual movements of the pavers during events like frost heave. You will always need to touch up the paver joints with an approved brick paver joint sand over time, even if you have sealed brick pavers. I suggest you touch up with polymeric joint sand since it will harden like sealed joints. Sealing brick pavers will "impede" weed growth but does not "prevent" any weed growth if the joints loosen up or erode. Keep your joints filled with polymeric sand and you may never see a weed again! I always suggest that brick paver sealing be done with an approved brick paver sealer, such as, Techniseal, UniSeal, or Diamond Clear. Check with your local brick paver manufacturer which brand they carry or recommend.

Two questions on this post: 1. Does sealing have l...

2009-07-29T08:51:29.544-04:00

Two questions on this post:
1. Does sealing have limited effect because of the sand between pavers being more fluid/mobile? Does sealing impede periodically sweeping new sand into th paver spaces?
2. Does sealing prevent/impede weed growth?

Thanks

Dear DIY, I am impressed that you are going to tak...

2009-06-28T21:21:36.688-04:00

Dear DIY,
I am impressed that you are going to take your time and do your brick paver patio the right way. Installing brick pavers is more "grunt" work than "rocket science" as you stated. Remember that any landscape or brick paver installation is an "art", not a science. Do not beat your brains out overthinking the details, just be patient and step away when you are tired or frustrated.
Now lets answer the important questions you need to start your brick paver patio.

1. The gravel you should use for the brick paver base is a crushed "natural" stone with fines. This means 1" size stones down to stone dust. The stone dust fills all voids and the multiple size stones keep the base bonded & permeable Check with your local landscape stone yards what gravel is used for road installation. Though most brick paver contractors here in Detroit use a crushed limestone base, it is criticized for being to soft of a stone.
Since you stated that your area is clay, I would suggest to go the 6" of base depth. The more you can drain water below away from the concrete pavers, the better long-term success. I would also suggest to lay a geo-textile fabric material over the compacted excavated soil and build the paver base over in 3-4" lifts. This will help keep the base from mixing in with the subsoil over the years due to freeze/ thaw cycles.

2. The type of sand to use for the 1" paver bedding coarse (leveling coarse) needs to be a washed "angular" sand. This means the paver bedding sand has been washed through a sieve and under the microscope, the particles are angular which allows for better lockup. This bedding coarse sand will have visible pebbles. DO NOT use play sand (fine with no pebbles), silica sand, or fill sand (polluted with dirt & weed seeds). It is very important that the paver bedding coarse of sand not to be less than 3/4" and not to exceed 1 1/2".

3. Regarding the Edge Restraint, I am assuming you are using the Plastic PVC with spikes type. My crews always preferred to layout all the pavers, lay the soldier course (outside framing row), and piece in first. Then, before compacting the brick pavers, they would brush off the 1" layer of bedding coarse, and then install the edge restraint on top of the compacted gravel base. You may create alot of headaches & brick paver cutting trying to install the edge restraint first. It is always important to excavate & install compacted base 3-4" farther out around the edges of the finished brick paver edges. Not only does this help the performance of the pavers, but it allows the edge restraint to be installed properly too. The edge restraint needs to be 1-1 1/2" below the top of the pavers to allow for sod or other landcape material to butt up to the pavers and hide the edge restraint.

I hope these little pointers will guide you to successful brick paver installation and reduce any future brick paver repairs. Send me pictures of your progress and finished job that I can add to this site.

I am in the process of removing an old patio (24”x...

2009-06-25T08:41:14.410-04:00

I am in the process of removing an old patio (24”x24” flat concrete slabs, patio is about 18 feet by 16 feet). Underneath there is what I’d call a thin layer of fine crushed stone.
I’m going to excavate down four to six inches (I’m going to do this by hand, or try to, as it is a DIY project and a relatively small area.)
I need three or four inches of gravel (installed and compacted in layers) and then an inch of sand.
1. What kind of gravel? How coarse?
2. What kind of sand?
3. Edge restraints – should I being installing from a side where the edge restraint meets the house, or work out from the structure’s corner toward the patio’s outside edge? If I go this way, I’m not sure how to know exactly where to place the edge restraint to ensure a snug fit.

I’ve allowed a lot of time to do this. I want to do it right, not fast. It doesn’t seem (ha!) like rocket science but if you could over answers to the above and any other common mistakes I need to avoid, I’d be grateful.

FYI, I live in the Toronto area. The ground has a lot of clay in our area. And frost/freezing is an issue obviously in Canada.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Price will always be the final answer when the buy...

2007-09-30T20:27:00.000-04:00

Price will always be the final answer when the buyer sees no value in paying you more money...

you are definetly better looking than Bob Villa......

2007-08-24T08:53:00.000-04:00

you are definetly better looking than Bob Villa... hubba hubba