Brick Paver Raised Patio & Steps in need of immediate repair

Failure of Raised Paver Patio Wall & Steps due to inexperienced Landscaper

During a brick paver repair estimate this past week, I again witnessed the failure of a raised paver patio wall & doorwall steps that were installed by an inexperienced landscape contractor. This homeowner is in immediate need of patio repair before this leaning patio wall collapses or some one trips coming out from the doorwall.

The landscaper used a "garden block" type of wall system that is not intended for retaining a raised paver patio. Not only did they not bury any rows of block below grade, this current wall block does not have any tongue-n-groove or pin system lock-up.  They also exceeded the engineered height requirement of this garden wall system too.

Over the years, the customer has had several brick paver repair service calls to reset the pavers behind the wall & step rises. The current wall has continued to settle, gap, and lean out and it is time to replace this inferior wall block with a proper modular retaining wall system.

I recommended we pull back @2ft of the paving stones, remove the existing wall blocks & caps, and reinstall a tried 'n true patio wall system like Unilock's Pisa 2 or Fendt's Country Manor.  Upon installing the new patio retaining wall, we will bury a block below grade due to the height factors involved.  After carefully and diligently compacting behind the wall, we will install a filter fabric to eliminate filtration through the wall blocks.

We will properly cap the wall and reinstall the paving stones.  After replacing the inferior wall blocks used for the paver steps leading out the doorwall, we will reconfigure the patio steps layout for better safety & function.  The current layout does not meet proper building codes.

The overall cost for performing the above wall & step replacement, repairs, and warranty will cost the homeowner $3,500 for labor, materials, and removals & disposals.  Had the original landscape contractor properly designed & installed this raised paver patio, this homeowner would only have minor maintenance touch -ups and minimal service needed over the years.

Because of the lack of experience and poor workmanship of this landscape contractor, this homeowner has had years of frustration & unnecessary financial costs.  Qualified and experienced brick paver contractors will design, install, warranty, and offer "after install" services that will help avoid costly pavers repair and ongoing aggravation & strife.

Small Paver Patio Repair after 5 Years Installed!

This past week in Ann Arbor, I did a small paver patio repair on a raised brick paver patio & brick walkway I installed 5 years ago. I am proud to see the results of this paver patio and the customer is as ecstatic today as the time we installed this project. The client had been frustrated with the constant upkeep & cost of a wooden deck. After years of substantial costs & sweat equity to maintain this wooden deck, the customer searched for a better solution.

The solution was a low maintenance modular retaining wall & paving stone constructed paver patio. I used UNILOCK's Pisa 2 retaining wall system to construct the paver patio frame and steps while laying Olde Greenwich Cobble as the paving stones.

This paver patio was installed in 2005 and after some severe winter climates and frosts in Michigan, it has remained intact and beautiful. The only repair needed was raising the paver soldier course along the back of the modular retaining wall caps. I talk about this paver repair in a previous post called "Top Brick Paver Repairs".

One of the major reasons that this raised paver patio and paver walkway has remained so beautiful and functional is due to the diligence of the homeowner. Each Spring they have swept in paver joint sand. A couple of years ago, they began using polymeric sand which not only aides in preventing weed & grass growth in the joints, it also helps prevent any erosion due to rain & snow. The homeowner also checked the modular retaining wall caps each Spring to make sure they were not loose. I had left them a caulking tube of Paver Bond adhesive so after my warranty they could keep them fastened.

After I completed this brick paver project, I took the time to educate the customer on the yearly maintenance requirements and the signs of possible future paver repair. I talk to them about the pros and cons of sealing pavers, what to do about the landscape around the paver installations, what not to leave on the paver patio in the winter, and when to contact me if certain areas begin to settle.

The most important tip that I gave this client was to contact me when there are signs of the paving stone soldier course settling along the back of the modular retaining wall caps on the raised paver patio area.  It took 5 years but they diligently did.  This $150 paver repair of the soldier course will protect this raised paver patio from excessively settling to avoid wall settling and a more costly repair.

The result of a proper brick paver installation & design, educating the homeowner,the homeowner performing simple maintenance, and a touch-up brick paver repair has been a beautiful & functional paver patio & walkway that this homeowner and contractor can appreciate. I am proud of this homeowner and more brick paver installations would remain this perfect if all involved would take pride in the effort and cost of paving stone installations.