The Function and Beauty of Brick Pavers is in full effect!

Repair & Restoration services for brick paver patios is soaring!

The ground is freezing in Michigan and the ever expanding nature of pavements, such as, interlocking brick pavers, begin to stress under this Winter occurrence.  Pushed to the limit, brick pavers will look wavy, pushed up, or contorted.  Our clients who we educate that this is a normal and natural event needs to exhibit some patience before getting discouraged about the performance of their brick paver patios, walks, steps, driveways, etc.. 

As Spring approaches, we will begin the inspection and bidding process. To properly assess any need for paver repairs to damaged or failed brick pavers, the ground frost must have exited the ground below to make an accurate estimate.

Brick pavers maintenance is a growing need for our clients and we reward them (and us) by contacting them each March regarding our yearly brick paver services available.  We start every Spring by offering to service OUR CLIENTS first!  We contact our clients prior to doing any estimating of new business to allow them to get on our schedule.  Aside from touch-up repairs or the releveling of the pavers, we offer the following brick pavers services each Spring: 

We begin each Spring season offering our valued clients our Spring Sand Sweeping and Compacting service.  We re-compact their brick pavers using a plate compacting machine or tamper to help re-lock the brick pavers and hopefully knock back down any pavers left sticking up.  We then finish with sweeping regular paver joint sand over their pavers to help refill any voided joints from the Winter snow, ice, & thaw.  Keeping paver joints filled is the number one maintenance need of brick pavers to help avoid erosion, shifting, & weed growth.

The next popular service we offer each Spring is Cleaning, Sanding, and Compacting of our clients brick paver patios, walks, driveways, etc..  This valuable service just adds cleaning of the brick paver surface and joints.  Clients usually take advantage of this service every 2 years as dirt, moss, mildew, or vegetation growth may reappear.


Brick Paver Sealing is becoming our largest growing service over the last 5 years as customers want to restore the original look and preserve the appearance of their paver patios, walks, and driveways.

Cleaning, sanding, & compacting is always included in this sealing service, so basically, its a total restoration of your brick pavers. Sealing of brick pavers is usually performed every 2-3 years depending on your personal preference of  their appearance. 

We offer these valuable services to ALL clients, old and new.  Once you have become one of our clients, you will get priority each Spring to have your brick pavers maintained and preserved to your liking for many years to come!  This is our goal and this is our business!We service Canton, Plymouth, Northville, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Belleville, Michigan areas.

Raised Paver Patio Repaired After Collapse

Elevated Brick Paver Patios need special attention to avoid expensive repairs

This Raised Brick Pavers Patio in Belleville, MI had a severe collapse of its outer retaining wall block & cap.  The brick pavers above sank and washed out making this patio virtually unusable and unsightly.  Finally, the wall blocks & caps fell over this Summer and this brick pavers patio was at a great risk of deteriorating further.

The homeowner noticed about a year after this pavers patio was installed by an inexperienced landscaper that the wall blocks & caps were leaning out.  The outer rows of brick pavers behind the wall caps had sunk lower than the height of the caps.  The homeowner ignored this sign of stress for the pavers patio and eventually he sits here today with a costly repair.

I pointed out to the homeowner that this particular wall block & cap system was not the proper retaining wall system for a raised pavers patio.  This particular wall block the landscaper used is for low height landscape or gardenwalls around the landscape to border beds or create accents.  When the correct modular retaining wall system is used and properly installed, raised pavers patios will give you the best economical performance over the years.

 For raised paver patios, a strong engineered modular retaining wall system must be implemented.   The cost to replace ALL the current wall blocks for a more sophisticated wall system was too cost inhibited for the homeowner so he elected to reconstruct the paver patio with the same products.   With low cost routine maintenance, he will save money then totally replacing the old wall blocks & caps.

My crew and I reconstructed the outside retaining wall for this patio from the ground up, compacting each layer as we go, and filling any voids.  The brick pavers above were pulled up a few feet into the patio and re-installed in the same shape & design.  The end result was a total revival of this homeowner's pavers patio!  We performed several other touch-up repairs to the patio, steps, and walk.  We also cleaned the pavers and re-sanded with new joint sand.

I took the time to explain to the homeowner that even though the landscaper made a huge miscalculation of  using this product, his own neglect to address the early signs of stress contributed to the severe condition and collapse of this pavers patio.  I explained that any time the outside row of pavings stones sink below the height of the wall cap, they must be reset to allow water to flow over the top of the caps, not behind and under them!

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.

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.

Paver Patios Repair, Cleaning, and Sealing

Paver Patios restored to original beauty will bring many years of enjoyment again

This past week we restored several brick paver patios to their original beauty and function. These paver patios needed minor repairs, cleaning, sanding, and sealing to bring back the life and appearance these homeowners once enjoyed.

A few homeowners thought they needed to replace their old paving stones with new ones to get the appearance they wanted. I was able to assure them that a less expensive option was available.  We repaired settled areas as needed, cleaned the paving stones & joints to bring back some color & texture, and then completed the paver restoration process with sealing the paving stones with a long lasting and approved paver sealer.

Some other homeowners had tried to restore or repair their own paver patios but without the results that an experienced brick paver contractor can return.  I commend their effort but if you are not patient, experienced, or have the proper tools, the paver patio restoration results will fall short. 

If you are discouraged with your brick paver patio, walk, steps, porch, driveway, etc.. due to its unsightly appearance, don't fret!  They can be restored and made beautiful again. Call a qualified brick paver contractor today to see your options and associated costs.

Ground Level Brick Pavers Patio, Step, and Walk Restored

Neglected for over 12 years, these Pavers are Restored by Repairs, Cleaning, & Sealing

Last week in Canton, Michigan, my team and I completed a total restoration of a ground level Brick Pavers Patio, Step, & Walkway. Daily I see these interlocking brick paver patios & walks that have been neglected & ignored until they become unsightly & unsafe.  Since these pavers have been installed over 12 years ago, no pavers maintenance or joint sand sweeping had been performed.  The pictures to the right is the results that you can expect from neglecting your brick pavers.

We started by performing necessary paving stone repairs that had sunk, lifted, and gapped.  Due to riding lawn mower damage, we also reset the outer 2 rows of paving stones for the entire paver patio & areas of the pavers walk that had tilted.  It is important to keep riding lawn movers off your paving stones. You or your hired lawn service contractor needs to weed whip approx. 1ft out from the outside edge of pavers to keep the mower tires off. Also, sprinkler heads need to be adjusted to keep water from spraying over or onto the paving stones.

The most immediate need was to repair the small curved Paver Step at the doorwall. This was not only an eye sore, but it had become unsafe for foot traffic.  We completely rebuilt the Paver Step by re-using the same materials but with a stronger construction.  As soon as Step caps or blocks come loose, it is important to address the issue before it quickly deteriorates.

After performing touch-up repairs to the paver walkway, we cleaned & power washed all paving stones and paver joints freeing them of moss, dirt, weeds, and grass.  We completed the process by sweeping in paver joint sand after the paving stones had dried. We cleaned up the job site and scheduled our return for Sealing all the pavers.

A few days later when all the pavers & paver joints where dry, we returned and applied an approved brick paver sealant over the pavers patio, step, and walkway.  The transformation of this interlocking paver project was tremendous!  The homeowner was ecstatic and I took the time to educate her on the minimal maintenance requirements for long-term performance & appearance.

This total restoration was just under $1,300 which included the repairs, cleaning, & sealing costs for this particular size & needs.  I explained the importance of keeping the paver joints filled with joint sand each Spring and if she did not have the time or inkling to perform, we offer seasonal  paver sweeping services at an affordable cost.

It is important to not blame brick pavers for failure, in most cases I see like this one, it was homeowner's neglect. It's not always the homeowner's fault because they were not properly educated by the installing contractor.  This is why it is important to select a brick paver specialist who offers ongoing advice & maintenance services.  Address the issues early to avoid high costs of repair and frustrations.

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.

Paver Patio Repair, Cleaning, and Sealing

We completed a paver patio repair, cleaning, and sealing this week.  This customer has kept up with yearly paver joint sand sweeping but a few minor paver repairs where needed.  The paver joints did exhibit moss, weeds, and grass growth which became unattractive and evasive. 

This brick paver patio had never been sealed and the customer wanted to improve the appearance of the paving stones while slowing down the weathering of the paver surface.  After 5 years being installed by a brick paver contractor, this paver patio was in need of some tender loving care.

We first performed the brick paver repair, then spent a 2 1/2 hours powerwashing out the old paver joint sand, moss, weeds, and grass growth. We also powerwashed the paving stone surfaces to remove mold, dirt, and other patio stains.

We returned a few hours later when the paving stones & paver joints were dry so we could sweep in new paver joint sand.  After joint sand sweeping, we blew off the excess joint sand with a leaf blower, and lightly misted down with water to help clean the paving stones of excess sand on the surface.

The next day was sunny and dry and we returned in the late afternoon to seal the paver patio. We needed to touch up some excessive sand spots on the paver patio with a wisk broom and leaf blower again. We made sure everything was dry especially the paver joints before sealing the pavers. We used an approved brick paver sealant known as "Super Diamond Clear" by Ever Clear.  We sprayed on a generous coat of paver sealer and instructed the customer to stay off for 24 hours. 

Raised Paver Patio Repair in Saline

This past week we performed an extensive raised paver patio repair in Saline. This multi-level brick paver patio was in distress and needed the raised patio walls & caps to be firmed up.  Brick Doctor Bill and his qualified staff was up for the challenge and the paver patio repair service began.

We first removed all the paving stones from each level so we could evaluate & re-compact the old base material. New paver base was added to set the proper paver patio height & pitches. The biggest challenge was to relevel and sure up all the modular retaining wall blocks & caps.  Most of the current retaining wall caps were loose and shifted. This resulted in alot of the paving stones shifting and eventually sinking & gapping. Loose caps also present a safety issue.

We removed all the caps, re-leveled blocks as needed, and reinstalled the caps to fit tight and accurately. Some new caps where needed for replacement and re-cutting proper angles. All caps were adhered using a SRW adhesive.

All the paving stones were reinstalled with proper brick paver installation techniques & pitches. It was necessary to use an additional bundle of a new style of paver around the inside of the raised paver patio caps laid in a sailor's rope pattern.  The reason we needed some additional paving stones was that the current style of pavers was no longer available.  When you reinstall most large brick paver projects, you will need to recut pavers as they will not all fit back into place.  The customer actually liked this new added detail and said it helped freshen up the look.

It is very important to keep the caps of any raised paver patio, paver porch, or steps secured so the paving stones do not begin to shift or gap.  The same holds true for the modular retaining wall blocks. As they shift or loosen, all base material & paving stones will follow.

A minor brick paver repair service call now will save $1,000's of dollars later as this homeowner experienced.  Remember that brick pavers are low maintenance, not NO maintenance!