Pavers Patio Repair, Cleaning, & Resanding in Ann Arbor

Restoration of Paver Patios is becoming our #1 Brick Paver Repair Service

This past week in Ann Arbor, we were able to transform this neglected Pavers Patio back to its original beauty & function. The homeowner was having a graduation party this Summer and needed help!

 Covered in moss, mildew, dirt, weeds, and grass, this paver patio hid some much needed repair to settled & loose paving stones and spreading paver joints.

We see this condition of brick pavers on a daily basis all too often.  I have always believed that once things get this far out of hand, homeowners give up.  This particular homeowner stopped maintaining this paver patio about 5 years ago and it shows. Neglect is the number one reason for the failure and unsightly appearance of paver patios, walkways, driveways, etc.

 This homeowner stopped sweeping joint sand each Spring about 5 years ago. This lead to moss, weeds, grass, and other organic matter taking over the paver joints. Other areas began to settle due to base erosion under the paving stones from the lack of joint sand in the joints.  As you can see in the before pics, this paver patio gave interlocking brick pavers a bad reputation.

After performing our routine repairs, re-compaction of pavers, cleaning of the paving stones & paver joints, and re-sanding the joints with the proper joint sand,  we were able to bring this paver patio "back to life" and beauty.

Now the homeowner can get a new start on maintaining this beautiful paver patio or sign up for our affordable paver maintenance program to insure endless years of enjoyment & performance!

2011 will be a good year for Brick Pavers in Ann Arbor

Paver Patio Installations, Repair, Cleaning, and Sealing is on the rise!

As the economy in Ann Arbor, Saline, Canton, and Southeast Michigan improves slightly in 2011, homeowners are now reconsidering their brick paver patios & walkway needs. Paver Patios and walks have dominated the Outdoor Living spaces market for the last 30 years but has suffered a tremendous downturn due to the economic turmoil the past few years.

As a hard working brick paver specialist and contractor the past 28 years, I noticed the pendulum starting to swing back to more brick paver interest and needs during 2010.  I expect 2011 to make huge strides in the installation, repair & restoration, cleaning, sealing, and maintenance of interlocking pavers and modular retaining walls.

All service areas for paving stones are on the rise and good brick paver contractors are offering the spectrum of services that homeowners need.  Below are the reasons I am so optimistic about the 2011 brick paver season.

Installations:

As the economy has slightly ticked up, so has new home building. Though it is minimal, new home building has began to re-emerge.  Up until about 2006, 50% of my brick paver company revenues came from "new" home installations. In 2008, it fell to less than 10% of my total revenues.

Brick paver contractors lived and died by the new home construction sword if they were not diversified with offering "all" brick pavers services.  New home paver installations are the most profitable projects for brick paving contractors and this slow insurgence of new home building will help make this concrete paver industry more attractive.

Repairs & Restoration: 

The flip coin of homeowners not being able to sell their homes or build new ones was the insurgence for the need of "existing" brick paver patio, walkway, driveway, and porch repair. Homeowners quickly realized they were staying put and there was an immediate need for their brick pavers and retaining walls to be repaired and restored.

It is easy for homeowners to neglect their paver patios since it was not a financial necessity.  But as homeowners came to the conclusion that they were remaining in their current homes for years to come, they focused on home improvements.  With a little touch-up and re-focused attention too, paver patios could once again be an attractive and functional family outdoor living space. I predict that my paver repair & restoration projects in 2011 will double due to the emphasis by homeowners to improve what they currently have.

Cleaning, Sanding, and Sealing:

Good brick paving contractors will educate their homeowners to the benefits of touch-up repairs, cleaning, sanding, and sealing (optional) of paving stones.  In Ann Arbor, there has been a tremendous interest in these brick pavers services.  Interlocking brick pavers and retaining wall maintenance is now in the forefront.

With new and improved products for paving stones hitting the market each year, the needs for these opportunities to improve the appearance of paver patios has come to the attention of homeowners. From removing moss, efflorescence, and rust stains to polymeric sand to varying sealer appearances, paving stones products are revitalizing the attention too paver patios, walkways, driveways, and paver porch maintenance.

In conclusion, there is a resurgence in the attention for interlocking brick pavers and modular retaining walls services throughout Michigan as the economic uncertainty is stabilizing. Homeowners are reinvesting in their current homes while new home builidng begins to reappear. Capitalizing on these diverse services of paving stones will improve profits during 2011 for any good brick paver contractor who pays attention to this opportunity.

A Paver Patio NOT installed by a Brick Paver Specialist

The other day I did a brick paver repair estimate for a paver patio in Ann Arbor. I immediately knew that this brick paver patio was NOT installed by a brick paver specialist. It was no surprise the client informed me that the Landscaper they hired installed this paving stone patio.

The first an foremost sign that an inexperience brick paver contractor installed this sub par paver patio is the absence of a soldier course row around the perimeter of the paver installation.  A soldier course row is usually the larger rectangular shape paving stones of the pattern, laid like a "row of soldiers", used to secure & frame the interlocking brick pavers.

The perimeter of most brick paver installations need a whole paving stone on the outside frame to better secure the diamond cut pieces of the pattern. Cut pieces will definitely sink or move if left on the outside edge of paving stones. Also, the paver edge restraint, whether plastic pvc or cement bead, will perform better.

The real advantage of "framing" your  brick pavers patio, walk, driveway, etc.. is the improved design appearance of the finished edges. Look all around your home for finished edges, tops, or bottoms, like trim molding, door & window jams, mason soldiers & ledges, and more. Not only are these "finished edges" functional but also ascetically pleasing. Your interlocking brick paver installation must have the same!

The second sign of this paver patio installation being installed by an inexperience landscaper is the rolling down of the paving stones on the outside edges. All too often, landscaping crews do not prep far enough out from the outside edges of the interlocking brick pavers.  Therefore, the outside edges will settle or "roll down" from the rest of the paving stones since the paver base material past the edges was not prepped or even installed.

For brick walkways, 4-5" minimum prep is needed past the edges of the interlocking pavers. Paver Patios minimum prep is 8"-10" and Paver Driveways 10-12" prep of base material past the edges of the paving stones. This will not only help prevent the ever noticeable edge "roll down" by inexperienced brick paver contractors but also give your paver edge restraint the proper base to be installed upon.

When getting estimates on your interlocking brick paver or retaining wall installations, make sure you do some research on the experience of the brick paver contractor you are hiring. Not all landscapers are inexperienced in installing paving stones, but a majority just add this service to their expanded repertoire.  Brick paver specialists and experts will perform all the major detail work and prep that will insure a long-term success of performance & appearance.

Brick Paver Patio Cleaning

This past week we performed a brick paver patio repair, cleaning and polymeric sanding on a paving stone patio in Ann Arbor.  As you can see in this pic, the paver patio was in an extreme need of cleaning.  The abundance of moss was the direct result of moisture and shade.

We performed a brick paver repair by lowering the paver edge restraint that had raised from frost. The raised edge restraint was not only unsightly but it created a dam around the paver patio and did not allow water to run off the paving stones.  Therefore creating a lot of moisture on the paver patio and allowing moss to thrive combined with the shade in this area.

Reinstalling the plastic edge restraint is not easy. Grass & roots grow around the edge restraint and the spikes rust and make it very hard to remove.  We removed @18" of sod around the paver patio so the client could install enviro mulch or stone mulch. We reinstalled the paver edge restraint properly by making sure the top lip was at least 1" below the top edge of the paving stone border.

The cleaning of this paver patio required an aggressive approach to power washing.  We spent over 2 hours at a high PSI blowing out ALL the paver joints freeing them of dirt, moss, and weeds.  There is a need to be careful not to wash out the bedding course under the paving stones. This may result in paving stones sinking. After the paver joints where free of debris, we widen our spray nozzle and cleaned the individual paving stones to remove dirt, stains, and mold.

When the paving stones and paver joints were dry, we returned to sweep in polymeric sand in all the paver joints.  Keeping up each Spring season with polymeric sand will almost eliminate future accumulation of dirt in the paver joints which allows weeds to fester.  Moss on the other hand can still grow on top of paver joints and paving stones. Moss can be easily controlled by keeping a spray bottle mix of clorox bleach & water.  Also, moss can be sprayed off fairly easy with a traditional hose & spray nozzle on jet stream.

Brick Doctor Bill was able to help this brick paver patio regain its function and luster.  We spent the time to educate the homeowner on the easy & timely brick paver maintenance steps to keep their paver patio at it's best.  Another satisfied client in Ann Arbor!