Common Paver Driveway Repair: Ruts into Garage

Interlocking pavers are perfect for driveways in Ann Arbor

We performed a brick paver driveway repair this week in Ann Arbor. This paver repair is a common repair you see not only for interlocking pavers, but also for cement, gravel, or asphalt driveways. Look at your current transition area between your driveway and cement floor and I am sure you have experienced imperfections, settling, chipping,and / or gaps.

Driveway ruts leading into the garage are very common and somewhat of a mystery.  Years ago I began reinforcing this area of pavers directly in front of the garage floor by installing extra layers of grid within the base material that was installed & increased layers of compaction.  I have seen good results but this area of a driveway, whether using brick pavers or not, seems to be susceptible to repairs or visible stress.

I have concluded that because this is an area of transition from one pavement, paving stones, to another pavement, usually cement, there is added load stress or frost damge.  One conclusion is that base material under the paving stones may slide under the cement floor of the garage during freeze thaw cycles. Another reason may be the load transfer from the cement surface to the paving stones creates vertical and/or lateral load force that stresses the paving stone & paver base material.

By adding additional reinforcement products like geo-textile fabric (below the base) and strata-grid (within layers of the base), extra layers of compaction (2-3" lifts), and stronger paver laying patterns (herringbone or random joints) have help eliminate the severity of this common brick paver repair. 

This paver driveway repair we performed in Ann Arbor this past week had approx. 8ft long ruts leading into all 3 garage door entrances.  When performing this paver repair, it is necessary to lift up the entire stretch across the garage floor, not just where the ruts exist.  Another brick paver contractor recommended to this customer that they lift and repair the actual rut areas only.  I easily showed the customer with a carpenter's level that the areas in between the ruts are usually raised and the paving stones are tilted.  The whole area in front of the garage was compromised and needed proper attention.

We lifted up the entire paving stone area in front of the garage, re-compacted the base, added more base material, screeded the area for proper pitch, and re-installed the pavers.  I expect that the problem of having future driveway ruts will be minimal but not entirely impossible. This paver repair will reinforce the area for years to come. 



When we were completed with this driveway repair, there was not visible evidence that this area had been repaired. This is the long-term benefit and beauty of using interlocking brick pavers for your next driveway installation!

Brick Paver Driveway Cleaning & Sanding

Brick Driveway Cleaning

Here is brick paver driveway we cleaned and sanded this past week.  This paver driveway was installed about 7 years ago and was in immediate need of cleaning off moss, weeds, and dirt from the paving stones and paver joints.

The homeowner admitted he has not performed any yearly maintenance of paver joint sand sweeping. Due to dense tree growth, moss & mold had taken over the appearance of his paving stone driveway.  This homeowner was desperate to regain the beauty of his paver driveway.

We spent 18 hrs power washing all the brick pavers & paver joints to remove all the mold, moss, weeds, and dirt.  We scrubbed the pavers with a mild concoction of powdered Tide & water in a bucket, agitating them with a short bristled brush. This helps remove & loosen up the unsightly substances. Most people do not realize the tedious time involved in properly power washing pavers & paver joints.

After all the paving stones where cleaned and dried, we swept in paver joint sand.  It is very important to keep all your paver joints filled with the proper joint sand to help keep pavers from shifting and help deter weeds & dirt from taking over.  Paver Driveways require even more attention due to the heavy & frequent traffic of cars.

This homeowner was considering sealing his paver driveway because he thought it would deter any future moss growth or keep him from having to sweep in more joint sand.  I informed him this is NOT true that moss, given the right conditions, will still grow on top of the pavers & paver joints.  Sealing of the paver joint sand will only be temporary as the paving stones flex to the effects of winter frost & snow and future sweeping will be required.  Though there are some important reasons to apply a brick paver sealant to pavers, I would always choose to seal your brick pavers for the aesthetic value or the "wet look" appearance.

So keep your brick pavers clean for years of beauty & enjoyment and keep your paver joints clean and filled with joint sand for long-term performance & success. Your curb appeal investment in brick pavers can not be ignored so if you do not want to do the needed work yourself, call a brick paver professional.