Push to complete Fall Brick Paver Restorations in Full Gear

Completing Paver Repairs prior to Winter in Michigan is Essential

Our Fall season push for completing Brick Paver repair, sanding, cleaning, and sealing is in full gear.  Fall restoration of paver patios, walkways, driveways, paver steps, etc.. is essential to be completed prior to late Fall rains & Winter ground frost.  Both rain and ground frost are the biggest contributors to expanding the occurrence and size of paver repairs.

Compromised or settled brick pavers & retaining walls are stretched to their limits if left unattended or not properly reset.  Water flowing into settled pavers areas & paver joints results in face paced erosion and further damage.  Winter ground frost will heave and expand the structure and if the brick pavers or retaining walls are not properly set,  the whole interlocking paver system will begin to fail.

Before

When I am bidding in the Fall, I often hear the response from homeowners that "we may wait until next Spring to have this done".  This can be a costly mistake.  Aside from the compromised areas increasing in size and thus more labor or material costs, Fall prices are usually less than Spring prices for services.  Most brick paver and landscape contractors in Michigan are slowing up in demand for services in the Fall.  Once Spring arrives, the demand is incredibly high and the pencil is not so sharp! 

After

I also explain to my customers that usually after Jan 1, our renewals for businesss, auto, workmans comp,& liability insurance occur. These costs are always rising.  Crew member wages usually increase beginning each Spring too. Labor is the largest cost variable in our brick paver services.

This past week we performed some brick pavers restorations that not only improved the performance & appearance of their pavers, but insured that their cost for repairs will not increase by waiting until Spring.  When Spring arrives, these homeowners will enjoy their newly restored pavers and not have to wait to have done when the weather breaks.  Most important is the cost savings having done in the Fall versus the Spring!

Small Raised Paver Patio & Steps Restored in Ann Arbor

Brick Paver Patio is Rebuilt to Restore Original Beauty & Function

On a weekly basis, we are rebuilding Brick Paver Patios to restore the original beauty & function that they were intended to provide.  This small raised pavers patio in Ann Arbor needed a complete rebuild restoration.

When giving an estimate on a paver patio restoration, we always provide cost options for the customer to consider.  In this particular project, a total patio rebuild restoration made the best sense for the homeowner.


The homeowner admitted to never performing any seasonal maintenance or addressing the settling of the wall blocks and paving stones the last few years.  Had the homeowner performed some simple routine maintenance and addressed the first signs of settling, they would not have the current cost for a total rebuild of this raised pavers patio.


My very experienced crew attacked this neglected raised pavers patio with precision and resolve.  The paver steps where re-leveled & re-glued. The raised patio wall blocks & caps were totally torn down and re-installed. Lastly, the paving stones where removed, cleaned, and re-installed in the same dimensions, shape, & design that the customer enjoyed so many years ago in the past. It takes alot more expertise to rebuild a pavers patio then to originally install from scratch.

With routine seasonal maintenance and attention to any settling in future years, this raised pavers patio will last a lifetime of enjoyment & function.  When we witness brick paver patios in this condition the major factor contributing to their demise is homeowner neglect.  Treat your brick pavers like any other outside maintenance need or project you address each Spring and the results will be spectacular.

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.

Pavers Patio Repair , Restoration, & Cleaning in Ann Arbor

Old Brick Paver Patio and Window Wells are restored & redesigned

I came across this brick paver patio in immediate need of repair and restoration this month.  To the homeowner's admission, no maintenance or joint sweeping had ever been performed for 15 years on this deteriorating brick paver patio in Ann Arbor. 

Since it was installed in 1996, this paver patio had been neglected and ignored.  The current patio was full of dirt, water stains, weeds, dips, gaps, and pitching towards the home.  I assured this homeowner that my crew and I can restore this patio to its original beauty & performance.

The homeowner and I discussed some important design improvements that would give this paver patio an updated look.  The homeowner was very happy with the current size & dimensions so I suggested we soldier course frame the entire brick patio with a contrasting color that closely matched the house siding color. This small detail really gave this patio restoration the wow factor!

I also suggested we replace the old steel window well units with new landscape wall blocks that would be more functional and aesthetically pleasing.  The old steel units usually push up with frost and contort and warp over time.  The new landscape blocks will flex to future frost movements and drastically improve the paver patio appearance.

With these new improvements to the patio restoration approved, my crew and I began this project by completely lifting up the entire paver patio for reinstallation.  We cleaned the current paving stones and removed the contaminated top layer of base material.  The new landscape block window wells where installed and the current existing base material was recompacted. We added additional base to create proper pitches away from the house and reinstalled the paving stones with the new colored soldier course borders.

The end result was an incredible transformation and updating of this brick paver patio.  The new landscape block window wells were a perfect match and the paver patio now properly pitched from the home. The new color accented soldier course border gave the patio some "pop" and the cleaning brought back most of the original paver color. Next year the homeowner is having us return to seal this  paver patio to complete the total restoration.

It is usually never too late to update and restore an old pavers patio. An experienced and knowledgeable repair and restoration brick pavers contractor can meet your expectations for revitalizing your patio, walkway, driveway, etc...  Do your due diligence and you will not be disappointed.

Raised Paver Patio, Steps, and Planters Revitalizes Pool Area

Interlocking Brick Pavers and Modular Retaining Wall Blocks and Caps are versatile

This past year we were hired to transform this backyard poolside area. The current homeowner inherited this eyesore when they purchased the home 3 years ago.  Though they were satisfied with the current layout, it was time for us to replace the old deteriorating clay pavers, rotting timber planters, and unsafe steps.

I suggested we use FENDT Country Manor blocks & caps to construct new paver steps and planter retaining walls.  We used the traditional 4"X8" shaped FENDT Holland paver to replace the old cracking & chipping clay paving stones used for the raised patio.

We discussed in detail the pros and cons of replacing the cement areas around the built in pool. Since the cement was still in good shape and properly pitched away from the pool, we jointly decided to keep the current concrete in for now. We decided that replacing the cement with paving stones would be a phase 2 project in the future.

We did power wash clean the cement areas to give it an improved appearance and polymeric sanded some open joints & minor cracks. We did saw cut out some small cement areas to install paver pad transition areas and modify the planter wall layout.

As seen from the photos, the transformation of this poolside area is dramatic.  Interlocking pavers and modular retaining wall blocks & caps create beauty, functionality, and low future maintenance & replacement costs. 

Brick Paver Raised Patio Restored in Canton

Paver Patio Walls and Paving Stones repaired & cleaned for new life!

After 15 years, this Raised Brick Paver Patio in Canton was in much need of restoration. The homeowner was not the original owner but the need for using their paver patio became a priority when they began to work out of their home.  With some aggressive repair techniques & surface cleaning of the wall blocks, caps, and paving stones, my crew and I where able to renew this homeowner's passion for morning breakfast on the patio.

In so many reconstructions of raised paver patios, the wall blocks & caps needed stretches rebuilt to retain the pavers properly.  The wall caps were removed, cleaned of glue & dirt, and re-adhered after we completely re-leveled the wall blocks that had dipped and leaned out. 

We removed all the paving stones, removed any contaminated base, re-compacted the existing base material, and added additional base as needed.  We relaid the pavers in the same herringbone pattern and then power wash cleaned them.  We finished as always by sweeping in paver joint sand, compacting, and then sweeping again.

The new homeowners were amazed by the transformation.  They had just avoided using this raised paver patio for the last couple of years due to its state of distress.  Embarrassed to have family or friends over, it was time for them to take action.
There is no reason to be discouraged, embarrassed, or scared to use your brick paver patio.  There is no reason you can't enjoy morning coffee on a pristine pavers patio that can be newly restored.

Brick Paver Patio and Steps Restored in Saline

Brick Pavers allow for reinstallation at a minimal cost

In Saline, MI this past week, we restored the original beauty & function of a brick paver patio and paver steps.  After 5 years, this pavers patio needed immediate attention that the customer could not provide.  The original landscape contractor did not provide after market services and the homeowner was at a lost.

This existing brick paver patio was pitching back to the house and the homeowner was experiencing water in the basement.  The brick paver steps were beginning to loosen, settle, and becoming unsafe for foot traffic.  The grass had grown over the outside row of paving stones and the plastic edge restraint had lifted. Both of these conditions was creating a dam for water to flow off the patio, therefore resulting in water stains and moss growth.

The fact that most of this paver patio was pitching back to the house at a consistent level lead me to some possible conclusions.  The original landscape contractor either did not properly screed the pitch out into the yard, or the compaction of the paver base material was not properly executed.  Inexperience brick paver contractors try to "eye ball" the pitch and usually are blurred.  If they lack the proper tools & techniques to install interlocking paving stones, the result will be the same as the status of this brick paver patio.

We approached this brick paver repair and restoration with a complete re-installation of the paving stone patio.   Due to the severe pitch back to the home foundation, it was necessary to completely reinstall the patio.  A "band aid" approach was not feasible since 90% of the patio was below the grade level of the yard. 

 We lifted up all the paving stones, cleaned them off, recompacted the existing base, added additional paver base material, and screeded the bedding course.  While using a builders level (transit), we screeded the paver patio with a 2" slope or pitch away from the house into the yard. We then relaid the brick patio with a similar shape, size, and pattern.  Additional paving stones were needed to complete the cut pieces since most will not fit back in or be usable.

While compacting the newly installed paving stones and finishing with a paver joint sand sweeping, we addressed the brick paver steps that had deteriorated.  The bottom 2 curved paver steps were fine and only needed the block caps re-adhered.  There were some excessive gaps in some of the saw cut caps so we recut in some new caps to close these gaps.

The top landing curved step needed to be completely torn down and rebuilt.  The existing paver landing step had sunk and was tilted forward.  The inset lay of paving stones were below the height of the caps and loose.  We totally reconstructed by removing the caps & blocks, recompacting the the paver base material inside, and reinstalling the blocks, caps, and paving stones.

The homeowner had this brick paver patio & steps installed as a "landscape package" deal  5 years ago. Unfortunately, due to the poor installation by their landscape contractor, this paver patio needed to be unnecessarily repaired and restored.  The contractor did not educate the homeowner on the necessary paver maintenance requirements or signs of distress. To make matters worse, the origingal contractor was not interested in servicing this paver patio. 

This brick paver patio and step repair service was an unexpected cost for the homeowner but was minimized by low materials cost since we were able to reuse 95% of the current products. They indicated that our price was about 1/3rd of the original cost charged by the landscape contractor. Though they may have made a bad choice of selecting a brick paver contractor, they made a great choice of choosing interlocking pavers & paver block steps for their outdoor patio.