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.
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.
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.
