Brick Paver Manufacturers I use in Southeast Michigan

Using a high quality Paving Stone or Paver Block is essential to maximum results

For over 30 years now, I have been using and recommending two major brick paver manufacturers in Southeast Michigan.  The first is FENDT Builders Supply which is headquartered in Farmington Hills, MI.  The second is North America's largest brick paver manufacturer - UNILOCK.  UNILOCK has a manufacturer plant in Brighton, MI.

FENDT Builders Supply is a local Michigan company that has over 80 years of experience & knowledge. Offering a wide spectrum of concrete paver products, tools, accessories, and support, FENDT has positioned themselves as a supplier of affordable, quality & attractive paving stones and modular retaining wall systems.

UNILOCK is an international brick paving manufacturer that has lead the innovation & production of brick pavers and modular retaining wall systems in North America.  UNILOCK has positioned themselves to offer a full pricing range of low cost to high end products.


My commitment to these two quality manufactures arises from their wide range of products, colors, shapes, textures, warranties, and availability offered.  Unlike paving stones offered at big box home improvement stores, FENDT & UNILOCK offer many outlets for obtaining their products.  They also maintain an adequate inventory of products and allow for purchase directly at their manufacturing plants.

There are other good brick paver manufacturers that produce here in Michigan or ship into the State, but their availability and sufficient stock of inventory usually is lacking. All my bidding & design utilizes FENDT or UNILOCK products. My crew and myself are very familiar with the possibilities and limitations of these products.

My 30 years experience with these companies has allowed me to witness their commitment to guaranteeing their respective products.  If it is not right, they will replace their products.  Both manufacturers have a Sales & Service representative structure that will advise & train contractor or homeowner alike.

When bidding a paver project, I usually do not favor any one manufacturer over the other.  I evaluate the homeowner's need and budget before recommending which products, colors, textures, etc..  should be proposed.  I am confident in the quality & performance of both paver manufacturer's products so the overall project design, color, and paver shape will determine which manufacturer will be recommended.

Old Paver Patio Replaced with New Brick Pavers

Homeowner elects to replace old Brick Pavers if total rebuilding of Patio is required

This homeowner in Ann Arbor, MI had Unilock Classico Pavers for a patio for over 16 years.  The trend in the mid 90's for paving stones was circles, fans, and spirals to create fancy designs & European styles.  Though this homeowner enjoyed this creativity of pavers for many years, they now wanted a more conservative design that best met their change in style.


The current brick paver patio required some extensive rebuilding & repair.  The paver patio had not had any maintenance done for over 16 years and the paving stones had become uneven, loose, gapped, and areas pitched back towards the home.  The paver joints had been taken over by dirt, moss, weeds, and other organic matter due to neglect and lack of sand sweeping over the years.  

My recommendation was for total re-installation & cleaning of the paver patio.  The "band aid" approach of repairs was not an option in this case.  Cleaning & sanding would only be a temporary improvement to the appearance unless the extensive repairs where done.  Due to the cost of this paver repair & restoration service, the customer wanted to explore the option of replacing the existing paving stones with a new style of paver.  Though the overall cost of the restoration project will be more, the paver patio will be brand new & updated!

They now wanted a style of brick pavers that was more linear, geometrical, and tighter fitting, while having some flexibility of being creative.  I suggested using the traditional 4" X 8" Holland Paver shape.  Even with it's simple shape, there are many laying patterns & colors that allow for some easy creativity at an economical price.  By using "quilting" techniques like colors, textures, & shapes to achieve creative designs, brick paver contractors can use re-invent boring old paver patios, walkways, driveways, and more.

Every paver repair &  restoration project that I quote, there needs to be a cost / benefit analysis by the homeowner as to the approach to take in restoring their brick pavers.  Function & performance is always the most important approach.  Improved appearance, creativity, and design is then evaluated whether the additional cost is worth the benefit.  For this homeowner, the additional cost to use new pavers was well worth the additional costs.

We slightly changed the dimensions of this paver patio and installed an impressive design that the customer loved and admired.  The size was increased to create two usable patio areas, one for seating & dining and the other for casual seating, lounging, or sun bathing.  The homeowner plans on adding a decorative fire pit or chimnea to complete their outdoor experience.

 The simple creativity of this new pavers patio is not only functional, but improved the appearance of the home's landscape. Now educated and aware of simple routine maintenance, this homeowner will never need to restore their paver patio again. What turned out to be a undesirable situation for the homeowner resulted in a very positive experience and new addition to their outdoor living space.

Paver Walkway updates Historic Home in Ypsilanti

Aesthetics and Function play role in this Brick Paver Walk installation

This past week a homeowner wanted us to update the look and accessibility of this historical home in Ypsilanti, MI.  The homeowner was looking to improve the experience of Historic Home visitors at this Summer's home tour. I designed a simple traditional look using modern interlocking brick pavers to create a subtle meandering walking with flares at each end.


The product of choice was Fendt's Holland Paver in Rustic Blend color. The laying pattern was a common "runner bond" or "staggered joint" pattern with a soldier course border frame.  The traditional 4" by 8" brick shape pavers are usually your most economical solution.  With some design creativity the traditional brick shape can be laid in several patterns to give some distinct contrast or quilting effect. The use of multiple colors is another effective technique of this brick shape to achieve added variety & character.

The end result was a simple ,dignified , and economical solution to a need for improved appearance and function.  My crew was able to install this brick paver walkway from start to finish in one day and brought a smile to the homeowner's face. With routine Spring sand sweeping of the paver joints, this paver walk will give endless years of performance.

The 2013 budget has already been set to replace and expand the current back concrete patio area with matching brick pavers which facilitates the event's cookout & gathering location.

Old Neglected Pavers Patio is Redesigned, Rebuilt, and Restored

New Patio in Ann Arbor will bring endless enjoyment and entertaining

When I came across this old neglected brick paver patio in Ann Arbor, I was surprised to its condition since it was in an affluent neighborhood.  The homeowner admitted they rarely used this patio the past 10 years and in turn, had neglected keeping it up.  Now that their time of traveling for work had subsided, it was time to update their outdoor living space for personal enjoyment and entertaining.

We discussed their current needs and wants for a functional and aesthetically pleasing raised paver patio.  The current size was sufficient for their needs and they liked the multi-level patio layout.  We also discussed the feasibility of using the existing Holland pavers and disposing of the old railroad tie framing.  A patio sitting wall was designed to create additional seating and divide the appearance of the different patio levels.

  I gave them the cost option of replacing the current pavers and we both felt it was worth reusing the current bricks.  I assured them we could clean the current pavers to bring back some of the color.  We also would mix in some new bundles of pavers since we were going to add a brick paver walkway from the paver patio to the driveway. Sealing of the pavers was contracted for later in the year to further enhance the color.

The old railroad tie framing was upgraded to a new modular retaining wall blocks and caps. In this installation, the customer selected FENDT's Country Manor Stonegate for the raised patio walls, paver steps, and sitting wall.  I also recommended a curved design to soften the geometrical shapes of the house.  

The homeowner was ecstatic with this transformation from an old neglected and dilapidated paver patio to a new exciting outdoor living space.  I took the time to educate them with the minimal maintenance requirements so they can avoid ever seeing the eye sore they had created in the past.

Fendt Introduces New Paving Stone Color... Polar Ash

Interlocking Pavers offer great color choices for your Patio, Walkway, Driveway, Porches & Steps

In the Fall of 2010, Fendt Builder's Supply introduced a new color to its "Spectrum Collection" color line of paving stones. This new color is Polar Ash. This new color of paving stones has been a great addition to the premium line of colors offered by Fendt. There has been great demand for a whitish grey brick paver pigment to match popular natural building materials.

Polar Ash is currently only available in the 4X8 Holland Series and Old World Vintage Series of paving stones.  As demand for this color increases, other paving stone series may be added. As always, Fendt can produce a special order (requires minimum order size) in Polar Ash for most of its line of paving stones. The Polar Ash color is the eighth addition to the Spectrum Collection of colors.

Fendt's Spectrum Collection of paving stone colors are intensified pigments in the pavers to offer a vivid upscale look without the high cost. Though Spectrum colors do have a nominal cost, these brilliant color enhancements are unmatched in the brick paver industry.  You can expect to spend @ 50cents to $1.00 per square foot to upgrade from the standard colors.

It is always good to see brick paver manufacturers improve and recreate their product lines. Fendt has always had the pulse of the brick paver industry and is quick to introduce new products into the market to meet ever changing consumer or contractor demands. Fendt plans on some new retaining wall products and colors to be introduced in 2011. As a brick pavers contractor, I always embrace new products, colors, & accessories that I can offer my clients.

Retaining Wall Repair needed quickly in Ann Arbor

Repair of Landscape Wall

We were needed recently to repair a Retaining Wall in Ann Arbor that was beginning to collapse. The corner of this retaining wall was beginning to separate and slide off it's bottom foundation. The homeowner had recently noticed further gapping of the blocks and leaning of the wall towards his front walk.  Time was of the essence and the modular retaining wall needed total reconstruction.

The homeowner was frustrated because the original landscape architect & contractor would not properly address the issues regarding this landscape retaining wall.  Because of my 27 years experience constructing & repairing modular retaining wall systems, I had some theories as to the reason this block wall had drastically settled.

From my visual inspection, I had noticed that the 90 degree corner of this retaining wall had failed miserably and some lower modular blocks had "slid" off the ones below them. This particular retaining wall system is Fendt's Keystone Old World Country Manor and requires a fiberglass pin system to hold the structure together.  These modular retaining wall blocks also have a hollow center that requires to be filled with gravel.

I had concluded from my visual inspection that these  2 key factors contributed to the failure of this retaining wall system.  As we disassemble this landscape wall, my conclusions were accurate. See the pictures to the right to see the poor installation of these retaining wall blocks.

The corners of modular retaining wall systems are the most important part of any large landscape walls.  They require extra reinforcement because the brunt of hydro static pressure & gravity can compromise the weakest part of any retaining wall construction. This retaining wall lacked the basic requirement of fiberglass pins to help secure the blocks in place. The landscape contractor choose to just "glue" the corner blocks. The result was a lower landscape block "sliding" off the foundation block below and allowing the pressure to push the retaining wall out.

As we tore down the complete wall due to excessive gapping, leaning, & settling, we also observed that none of the block's hollow centers & gaps were filled with gravel.  Filling all voids in a modular retaining wall system is required to give the wall additional mass.  Landscape wall systems are engineered with minimum specifications to help insure long-term performance. This particular retaining wall failed to meet 2 key installation specifications.

We disassembled the entire retaining wall from the top down. We re-leveled and recompacted the gravel base, reinstalled the bottom blocks to the correct level, and reconstructed the modular retaining wall blocks one-by-one, using the correct number & location of fiberglass pins and filled all voids with gravel. The finishing touch was to re-cap the wall and touch up the surrounding landscape.

We paid special attention to the corner of this retaining wall.  We replaced the small blocks the past contractor used and used the larger blocks in the retaining wall system so we could properly pin the units. We also constructed the corner using the "log cabin" method of overlapping the corner units as each row was stacked, pinned, filled, and backfilled. 

This retaining wall repair situation is very common in Ann Arbor. The landscape architect & contractor had a good design and good use of product, but the execution of installing was poor.  It does take some expertise & experience installing modular retaining wall systems properly. This particular landscape wall construction should have started and constructed from the corner out. It only took "one" block to slide out and destroy the performance of this very popular retaining wall application.