Paver Steps Leading Down to Patio are Rebuilt

Poorly designed & installed Brick Paver Steps are our number 1 repair request

These set of Paver Steps in Ypsilanti where not only poorly designed but also poorly installed.  The inexperienced landscape contractor that the homeowner hired used an inferior garden block to construct these paver patio steps.  These garden blocks where not intended for paver step construction but more suited for landscape walls around plant beds.

Upon evaluating the cost of replacing the existing paver steps with a more appropriate engineered block & cap system versus reconstructing the pavers steps using the same products, the homeowner elected to have us reconstruct using the same products.  Due to budget and other household priorities, the repair cost made more sense for the homeowner at this time.

 Aside from the fact that these paver block steps may violate a few building codes, the attention to detail for construction was ignored too.  The end result was a set of paver steps that slowly deteriorated and became extremely unsafe for the homeowner & their guests.  The paver steps where sagging, separating, loosening, and collapsing quickly.

 Upon reconstruction we used the proper adhesives and geotextile fabrics inside the structure to reduce future erosion & settling.  We took every step to maximize the performance of these paver blocks & caps.  We instructed the customer to keep an eye on any future failure and make sure it is addressed immediately to avoid the same adverse situation they had just experienced.


There is no guarantee that these garden blocks will perform properly in the long-term because they are not intended for this particular application.  It may require routine touch up repairs, but for some homeowners weighing the cost for total replacement, this is the "cost/ benefit" chance they are willing to take.

Proper Paver Steps for Bay Windows

Steps leading to Brick Paver Patio are very important

The most important aspect of any Brick Paver Patio are the Paver Steps that are constructed to lead down from the doorwall.  For years I have watched many inexperienced landscape or so-called brick paver contractors install improper Steps at bay window doorwalls.  These are doorwalls that bump out from the wall of the home and have an open or cantilever bottom.

Many unqualified contractors try to wrap the paver wall blocks & caps around the side openings and enclose the bay window doorwall. If you encounter any brick paver installer who suggests to enclose your bay window overhang, you better run!


There are some important reasons why you should never enclose a bay window doorwall.

First and foremost, a builder will tell you that the opening under this bay window needs to have open air flow to prevent the wood from rotting underneath.  If enclosed, moisture will be constant and the possibility of the flooring inside the home being compromised. Some of these bay window overhangs have exhaust or soffit vents that need to be open.

Secondly, it is virtually impossible to properly pack the base material under the bay window to prevent the pavers and wall blocks from collapsing in over time.  After 28 years, I have never seen a set of paver steps that wrapped around and enclosed a bay window that did not require constant repair maintenance & resetting. It is one of my number one repair requests!

Just as important, constructing a paver step structure that is not encased within itself at a bay window doorwall is an inferior design & installation.  The wrap around approach to closing in a bay window opening with paver step blocks & caps will pull away and collapse over time.  By building a 4 sided structure up against the bay window, this paver step structure is encased within itself and therefore much stronger for long-term success. 

Basically a 4 sided paver step structure has it's own "back wall" to build up against as shown in these pictures. It is structurally sound and allows the proper flow of air under your bay window opening.  We can build them with straight or curved steps in the front leading down to the paver patio.

Most homeowners ignore the importance of the paver block steps leading down to their brick patio. Inferior design and installation will lead to years of frustration and safety issues.  Paver steps require expertise and are not cheap to build.  They are usually the most time consuming aspect of any brick paver installation.  Homeowners take paver steps for granted and pay for it in the (near) future.

A functional and creative set of paver steps can be the focal point of your paver patio, walkway, porch, or front entrance.  If you are going to cut back on expense, make sure it is not on the paver steps. There have been jobs in the past where we installed the paver steps and returned a year later to actually install the paver patio.

If your brick paver contractor is stumbling on recommendations for a paver step design, it would be beneficial for you to move on.  Make sure they supply you with a detailed description or picture of the set of paver steps you will be having installed.  If you ignore this detail of your paver installation, you may have years of aggravation and disappointment.

Here are some more ideas for Encased Paver Steps:

Brick Paver Patio Steps Repair

Paver Patio Steps need some expertise performed by a brick paver specialist

One of the most common Paver Patio Step repairs that we perform is the restoration & releveling of Brick Patio Steps.  Pavers Steps require knowledge & expertise to be installed or repaired properly. Every day I am amazed by the inferior layout and construction by inexperienced landscape and brick paver contractors.

Brick Paver Steps require a sound design for strength and longevity. After properly designing a safe & sound layout, the execution of properly installing is crucial.  The set of Patio Steps above where installed only 3 years ago and required us to totally rebuild them from the ground up.  The wall blocks had leaned, the coping caps where gapped and loose, and the brick paver inlay had drastically sunk.

Upon reconstructing these Paver Patio Steps, we noticed the lack of using filter fabric materials, lack of filling all holes & gaps of the blocks, the lack of compacting in 4inch lifts, and the use of inferior adhesives for the caps. These block steps & caps never had a chance to properly perform.

This all resulted in this homeowner having to get a qualified brick paver specialist to repair.  The most disappointing thing for the homeowner was that the original installing contractor was not interested in servicing his needs.  The homeowner was thankful he was able to contact us and get his Paver Step repair done correctly and in a timely manner. Brick Doctor Bill and crew are restoring "one step at a time!"