Pavers Patio and Walkway Restored after 25 years

Brick Pavers are resilient and offer the best long-term pavement solution

 
We recently restored this Pavers Patio and Walkway in Ann Arbor that was originally installed 25 years ago.  The homeowner gave up about 5 years ago removing weeds from the open & gapping joints. I assured the homeowner that we could re-use the existing brick pavers and re-install the paver patio and paver walkway to their original dimensions, design, and appearance.  Aside from the normal effects of weathering, the original function of the paving stones would be restored.

We completely lifted up the brick pavers, removed any organic matter, re-compacted the original base material, added additional base as needed, and reinstalled the paving stones in the original shape, size, and design.  We cleaned the pavers and re-sanded with regular joint sand.  We then returned a week later when all was dry and applied an approved brick paver sealant.  The main purpose for sealing was to protect the paving stones from any further weathering.


  The homeowner was never instructed by the installing contractor that they needed to keep the paver joints filled with joint sand. The installing contractor at the time told them that "brick pavers are NO maintenance" and they " will never move".  This was a constant theme I encountered through the early years of brick pavers in Southeast Michigan. 

At the completion of this brick paver restoration project, we spent the much needed time educating the customer of the minimum maintenance requirements of interlocking pavers.  Spring sand sweepings of the paver joints and periodic spot repairs of any settled pavers will insure endless years of beauty and function.

Repaired Brick Paver Walkway revisted 2 years later

Reconstructed Pavers Walkway in Ann Arbor is performing well

While performing our Spring maintenance program service for one of our clients in Ann Arbor, we were proud to see that our reconstruction of this paver walkway looked like the day we completed it's transformation. Here is the link to the "before & after" blog post on this brick paver repair in 2010.

  The past 2 years we have been hired to keep the paver joints filled with sand so the brick pavers will perform properly.  The results have been a complete success. The client now wants to improve the appearance of this paver walkway by sealing to enhance the color and give it the "wet look" effect.

 We performed the preliminary paver joint sanding & general cleaning to prep for sealing.  Once the weather is dry & temps are acceptable, we will return and seal with an approved brick paver sealant. Each Spring we will still return to make sure paver joints are filled with joint sand to insure long-term performance & success.

Brick Paver Walkway and Landscape Wall Redesigned

Landscaper misses the mark when designing and installing walk & wall

We recently redesigned and reinstalled a brick paver walkway and landscape wall that an inexperienced landscaper installed in Ann Arbor.  The landscape contractor told them that this was the best he could do. The homeowner was very disappointed in their quality of design & execution and hired us to help.

The homeowner did not want the inexperienced landscaper to correct the problem because they lacked confidence in his workmanship and professionalism.  We are frequently performing redesign & reinstallation of brick paver jobs that have been installed by unqualified contractors. Many homeowners we deal with would rather pay someone that is qualified to redo the work then have the originally contractor perform the work.

This brick paver walkway was uneven and the joint lines of paving stones where crooked.  There was no soldier course row border on the inside, even though the outside of the pavers walk had one.  This made the pavers walk look unbalanced.  The paver walkway also did not flare at the drive and actually bowed or turned back towards the house.

The landscape wall was also crooked and just ended at the driveway.  The landscape wall had no balance to the layout of the landscape.  The end of the landscape wall ended too high and too close to the driveway with no finish edge.  It caused some damage to someone's car when they opened their door.

We completely lifted up the entire front paver walk and re-installed the pavers.  We made sure the joint lines flowed properly and flared the paver walk at the driveway for easy access.  We also installed a soldier course row border on both sides of the walkway to give a balanced frame effect.  The final product was a dramatic make over from the originally installed  pavers walkway.

We tore out about half of the landscape wall and symmetrically re-installed it to properly match the layout of the landscape.  The homeowner was looking for a landscape planter wall to compliment their newly installed baywindow.  Enclosing in the baywindow with a symmetrically curved landscape wall did the job.

We listened to the homeowner's needs & wants and we were able to recommend the best economical solutions to meet those needs.  The final result was drastic change to the curb appeal of the home and the customer could not be happier. Success again!

Should you wait until Spring to have your Brick Pavers Repaired?

The decision to wait to have your Brick Paver Patio or Walkway repaired can be more costly

This time of year I have alot of potential clients who decide to wait until Spring to have their brick paver patios, walkways, driveways, porches, etc.. repaired or restored.  In many ways, this decision can be much more costly.  It is important to heed the advice of a reputable and honest brick pavers contractor who will explain the pros & cons of when you should have these paver repair services performed.

I am a consumer too so I always believe that a good qualified contractor should not always be trying to get the work or job today. A good brick paver contractor will present you with the best economical & timing options that best meet your needs and budget.

This all came to light recently when we performed some major repair & design change work to a large raised paver patio installation in Plymouth, MI.  The homeowner was in dire straights with a paver patio that was collasping quickly.  An unqualified landscape contractor did the original work only 4 years ago. This patio installation was unsafe and close to collapsing into the back yard.

This raised brick paver patio needed approx. 50-60% rebuild and the customer did not have the budget for this work at this time.  The homeowner was considering waiting until Spring and using next years tax return to fund the repairs.  The issue became that by waiting through another Winter, this raised paver patio will suffer more damage & settling which will effect the remaining 40-50% of installation.  This of course will greatly increase the cost needed to repair & restore this paver patio.

I spelled out a 2 phase plan that would be more economically feasible for the homeowner at this time while protecting the rest of the raised paver patio from further damage. The first phase was to rebuild & redesign the outer retaining wall foundation of this raised paver patio to keep it from collapsing into the yard and protecting the upper level from further damage.  Much like a house, you must secure the foundation first, then address the rest of the structure in the future.

The second phase will be to return in the Spring and redesign & repair the paver steps leading into the house,  relay the ground level patio & walkway, and rebuild the sitting walls & pillars.  When we complete this total restoration of these multil-level paver patios & walk, the homeowner will deservedly enjoy their paver installation as originally expected.

The extent of repairs for this brick paver installation is an embarrassment to my profession. The lack of attention to construction detail & execution from this landscape contractor has resulted in a "scar" for the appearance, performance, and industry of paving stones and modular retaining wall blocks & caps.

The point made here is that by waiting to repair or restore the settling of brick pavers or wall blocks will result in additional areas settling, leaning, or gapping at an exponential rate. Winter frost will be the most damaging force on compromised paving stones and wall blocks.

The biggest concern I see on a daily basis is the settling of the paving stones directly behind the wall caps.  Instead of rain water flowing over the top of the the caps and off the patio or steps, it runs down behind the wall blocks & caps and slowly erode the base. The hydro static pressure on the walls, especially when frozen during the Winter, will certainly push on the retaining wall system and result in extreme leaning and/or collapsing.

Sometimes the simple cost of repairing or resetting pavings stones will protect the extensive & expensive cost of repairing wall blocks. I have mentioned several times in earlier posts that sweeping of paver joint sand seasonally is the most important factor of brick pavers, but making sure your paver installation is in optimal condition leading into the Winter is the next.

If your brick pavers patio or walkway will require complete reconstruction, it usually does not matter whether you have it done in the Fall or Spring.  The main concern would be safety or risk of water getting into the home during Fall or Winter.  Once the ground is frozen, proper paver repair services can not be performed.

The other factor to keep in mind about whether to have your pavers repaired in Fall or Spring is the cost.  Most brick paver contractors like myself will give a better price to perform these restoration services in the Fall over the high demand of our services in the Spring.  Typically, my prices are 10-15% less in the Fall because we will have gaps in our schedule to fill due to lower demand & leads.  In contrast, Spring prices reflect new higher costs of products, labor, insurances, etc.. that need to be covered to meet minimum margins. 

I know it is easy to put off your paver patio or walkway repair for the Spring, but for those that are cost conscious, it will behoove you to consider doing these repairs this Fall to save costs and/or added future repairs. Remember that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!"

Ground Level Brick Pavers Patio, Step, and Walk Restored

Neglected for over 12 years, these Pavers are Restored by Repairs, Cleaning, & Sealing

Last week in Canton, Michigan, my team and I completed a total restoration of a ground level Brick Pavers Patio, Step, & Walkway. Daily I see these interlocking brick paver patios & walks that have been neglected & ignored until they become unsightly & unsafe.  Since these pavers have been installed over 12 years ago, no pavers maintenance or joint sand sweeping had been performed.  The pictures to the right is the results that you can expect from neglecting your brick pavers.

We started by performing necessary paving stone repairs that had sunk, lifted, and gapped.  Due to riding lawn mower damage, we also reset the outer 2 rows of paving stones for the entire paver patio & areas of the pavers walk that had tilted.  It is important to keep riding lawn movers off your paving stones. You or your hired lawn service contractor needs to weed whip approx. 1ft out from the outside edge of pavers to keep the mower tires off. Also, sprinkler heads need to be adjusted to keep water from spraying over or onto the paving stones.

The most immediate need was to repair the small curved Paver Step at the doorwall. This was not only an eye sore, but it had become unsafe for foot traffic.  We completely rebuilt the Paver Step by re-using the same materials but with a stronger construction.  As soon as Step caps or blocks come loose, it is important to address the issue before it quickly deteriorates.

After performing touch-up repairs to the paver walkway, we cleaned & power washed all paving stones and paver joints freeing them of moss, dirt, weeds, and grass.  We completed the process by sweeping in paver joint sand after the paving stones had dried. We cleaned up the job site and scheduled our return for Sealing all the pavers.

A few days later when all the pavers & paver joints where dry, we returned and applied an approved brick paver sealant over the pavers patio, step, and walkway.  The transformation of this interlocking paver project was tremendous!  The homeowner was ecstatic and I took the time to educate her on the minimal maintenance requirements for long-term performance & appearance.

This total restoration was just under $1,300 which included the repairs, cleaning, & sealing costs for this particular size & needs.  I explained the importance of keeping the paver joints filled with joint sand each Spring and if she did not have the time or inkling to perform, we offer seasonal  paver sweeping services at an affordable cost.

It is important to not blame brick pavers for failure, in most cases I see like this one, it was homeowner's neglect. It's not always the homeowner's fault because they were not properly educated by the installing contractor.  This is why it is important to select a brick paver specialist who offers ongoing advice & maintenance services.  Address the issues early to avoid high costs of repair and frustrations.

Brick Paver Walkway Restored in Ann Arbor

Even after 15 years of neglect, Brick Pavers Walkway looks like new again!

When I first approached this brick paver walkway in Ann Arbor, I knew my team and I could bring it back to life.  The homeowner believed she had to replace the paving stones with a new paver. I assured her that I could make her walkway look new again!  She trusted my recommendations and we began the transformation.

We started by lifting up the entire Holland paver walk since it had dips, gaps, and uneven lines throughout the entire length. We cleaned off the top layer of base that had been contaminated with soils & silt and re-compacted the rest with a plate compactor. We added new additional base as needed and began re-installing this paver walkway in like size, dimensions, and shape.

Upon completing the re-installation of paving stones, we replaced the old PVC edge restraint that had severely lifted with a hidden cement bead. We cleaned the surface of the paving stones with a power washer & mild general cleaner. After this paver walkway was dry enough, we swept in paver joint sand, compacted with a plate compactor, and then finished with another sweeping of paver joint sand.

A couple days later after everything was dry, we touched up the paver joints with sand, blew off all excess with a blower, and then applied an approved brick paver sealant. We instructed the homeowner to block off and stay off the paver walkway for at least 24 hours and then enjoy! This once eye sore has now brightened the view & curb appeal of this home.


 The results were dramatic and this homeowner saved over $1,000 by not replacing the paving stones. Not all cases of paver restorations will get the same results, but the majority of our projects do.  It takes time, experience, and detailed knowledge to get this type of repair, cleaning, and sealing results. It is usually best to let your brick paver specialist perform these services for your brick paver patio, walkway, driveway, and more.

Brick Paver Walkway Repair & Polymeric Sanding

This past week in Ann Arbor we did a brick paver repair of a brick walkway & porch approach. This brick paver walkway was in need of immediate attention. According to the customer, the paver walk had quickly deteriorated this past few years.  Due to the lack of yearly maintenance and some homeowner inspection, this paving stone walk began to fail.

This brick paver walkway had evidence of severe erosion due to joint gapping, lack of paver joint sand, weed & grass growth in the paver joints, and the exposure of the cement bead edge restraint.  Paving stones where loose and uneven and the brick walk was beginning to stretch or move out throughout the paver pathway & porch approach.

 We lifted up all the paving stones, power washed them off, recompacted the old paver base material, added some new paver base to relevel properly, relaid the paving stones, installed a new cement bead paver edge restraint, and finally finished off the paver joints with polymeric sand. We also covered up the outside edge restraint with soil & sod to protect the outside edges from erosion.


After we completed this brick paver repair project, I spent a half hour educating my customer on the yearly paver maintenance requirements. I also pointed out the early signs of any trouble the pavers may exhibit so he can have us address these issues before they become a costly paver repair.


Another successful brick paver restoration by Brick Doctor Bill this week. We will move on to the other side of Ann Arbor this week to help bring back the beauty & function of paving stones and retaining walls in your neighborhood!