Brick Paver Patio Restored in Ann Arbor

Spring of 2025 has begun with a restoration of a 20 year old brick paver patio in Ann Arbor, MI.   Brick pavers require routine maintenance to keep them functional and esthetically pleasing.  It is always important to maintain your investment in your outdoor living space. 

BEFORE

In this project, small touch up repairs were done to sunken brick pavers and replacement of broken or stained pavers was done.  A power plate compactor was ran over the entire paver patio to help relock pavers and smooth out any pavers that were slightly risen.  Though it does not remove all imperfections, this power plate compaction process helps brick pavers gain their original appearance & function.  

The paver patio was then power wash cleaned with a high pressure power washer exceeding 3500 psi.  Attention was paid to cleaning out the paver joints of old joint sand, dirt, soot, and weeds/ grass.  After properly allowing for drying time of the brick pavers and paver joints, an all purpose paver joint sand  was swept in the open joints.  Great care in sweeping and using a blower was performed to get the joint sand in the paver joints.  Proper sweeping and joint sand prep is very important prior to sealing your brick pavers.   After careful touch ups of the joint sand, the water based "matte" finish brick paver sealant was applied.  

AFTER

The final result is a beautifully restored brick pavers patio that this homeowner can enjoy for years to come.  The recommendation is to compact, clean & seal every 2-3 years depending on weather and climate conditions during this time period.  

Brick Pavers Cleaning & Sealing Now in Season for Summer

The summer season has began for cleaning & sealing of brick pavers in Southeast Michigan.  As the temperatures and dryer weather prevail, the conditions for an optimal sealing of brick pavers exists. These homeowners in Canton, MI decided to have their brick pavers done in June. 

Spring in Southeast Michigan presents a lot of challenges for cleaning and sealing brick pavers.  Weather and temperatures are erratic and can cause anxiety and frustration when executing a brick paver sealing project.  I usually would recommend that cleaning & sealing of brick pavers be scheduled after mid-May to insure optimal conditions for the best appearance.  The cleaning and sealing season will usually end by the end of October.  

The desired temperatures for brick paver sealants is between 50-90 degrees.  When deciding to seal pavers at the 2 extreme temps, its important to take in effect sunlight, humidity, and wind.  Cleaning of brick pavers and re-sanding of paver joints does not really have any weather restrictions.  Brick paver projects that do not involve using sealer, I will perform as early as late March to Thanksgiving.  

Cleaning & sealing of brick pavers can be performed as a DIY project or by a professional brick paver contractor.  Depending on which approach the homeowner decides to take, great patience and detail must be executed to have an optimal result and appearance.  

Brick Paver Patio Repair in High Demand for 2021

Canton, Plymouth, & Northville bids for patio repair & restoration soars 

Due to the pandemic, homeowners are requesting more than ever to have their brick paver patios updated, repaired, and restored to accommodate more entertaining and their family relaxing outside.  Brick pavers patios are the most popular outdoor living space throughout Southeast Michigan.  

The most popular style of brick paver patios is the Raised Paver Patio.  This patio is raised off the ground or grade level and is usually supported by modular retaining wall blocks & caps. The are very attractive and functional, but they do require more ongoing maintenance & repair than the basic ground level (grass level) brick paver patio.

The Raised Paver Patio was on fire during the 1990's and 2000's replacing wooden decks as the most designed outdoor living space extension in Metro Detroit.  During my company days, we removed more decks and cement patios than I can count.  Rarely did a homeowner request for a ground level patio.  The Raised Paver Patio design offered a more prominent structure and elegance.  I often would design a Multi-Level Raised Patio that offered some height variety & function for improving the landscape and home appearance.

As 15 years has past, the long-term feedback became apparent with Raised Paver Patios.  They require more upkeep than the traditional ground level paver patio.  The main culprit is the natural climate.  In Southeast Michigan, winter ground frost is that culprit.  Assuming the brick paver contractor installed the paver patio to the standard specifications, routine maintenance & repair like all outdoor structures is still needed. 

Homeowners wanting to entertain for this coming Summer and future years, need their brick paver
patios in top notch condition.  Appearance, safety, and functionality is paramount. Years of neglect and tolerance have gone out the window since this pandemic started in Spring 2020.  Creating an improved outdoor experience and necessity for 2021 is soaring as restoration contractors are overwhelmed with early season leads.  Homeowners are smart to get a jump on having this brick paver repair & restoration work contracted early so they can enjoy their Spring and Summer outside.