Brick Pavers Repair, Restoration, Cleaning & Sealing, and Maintenance Programs for 2014

Canton, Plymouth, Northville, and Ann Arbor lead the way in requests for brick paver repairs & restorations 

This past 2013 year, brick pavers and retaining wall repairs, restorations, cleanings, sealings, and maintenance programs gained a lot of ground in the industry.  A growing area for overall brick paver restorations is the Canton, Plymouth, Northville, and Ann Arbor areas.

Due to the booming growth in the 90's for these communities, they experienced the unprecedented installation of brick pavers and retaining walls in there landscape projects.  Now 20 yrs later, the life of these brick paver installations have come full circle.  Lack of maintenance and neglect will greatly reduce the shelf life of any pavement in Michigan.

Poor installations by unqualified landscapers and lack of educating the homeowner of seasonal maintenance requirements greatly contributed to the failure of many paver patios, walks, steps, and driveway installations. The great home foreclosure period we experienced also contributed to the added neglect of paver installations that basically where left for dead.


As the economy slowly improves and job security is more prevalent in these once booming communities, homeowners have focused their attention on restoring their brick pavers.  Whether it is due to appearance or safety issues, homeowners are contacting an experienced and specialized brick paver company. Homeowners want to resurrect their once functional and desirable outdoor living space.


 
Canton, Plymouth, Northville, and Ann Arbor are regaining ground lost from the past 10 yrs. The increased requests for repair and restoration for a homeowners brick pavers has mirrored this stable growth in 2013.  Re-creating that beautiful paver installation you once enjoyed is a feasible possibility if you hire the right  brick pavers contractor for the job! 

Severely Neglected Brick Paver Walkways are Restored

Homeowner was overwhelmed and gave up on Brick Pavers but we did not!

Upon my arrival to this bid, I really did not think the homeowner was serious in restoring these brick paver walkways since they had been severely neglected.  It is not the first time I have witnessed such disregard of maintaining brick pavers, but the extent of neglect was severe.



 The good news was that we can restore these paver walks to there original beauty & function.  The homeowner had doubts but I assured her that it may even look better than the day it was installed. Our goal is to bring back the homeowner's confidence for using brick pavers that they originally believed in.

The homeowner had maintained these walkways for many years, but over the past few years many personal situations became more priority.  The homeowner was unaware that any contractor offered a seasonal maintenance program for brick pavers.  Their past brick paver installer was not interested in addressing any paver repair or cleaning services. In fact, they never even got back with an estimate on restoring the current pavers.  This is where my crew and I stepped in and came to the rescue!


When brick pavers are in this condition, it is imperative that they be completely lifted up and re-installed.  The organic matter from the weeds, grass, and soils in the joints have to be completely removed.  We concluded that @60% of the brick paver walks on this job site needed complete re-installation.  The other stretches of pavers needed paver surface & joint cleaning, new joint sand, re-compaction, and touch-up repairs.

 We also removed all the raised plastic edge restraint and replaced with the tired-and-true hidden cement bead.  Michigan frost does a number on edge restraints and after 30 years, the hidden cement bead edge restraint has performed the best.  Also, it is the easiest & least costly to repair if needed .



The end result of this paver restoration project was total redemption for brick pavers!  The homeowner who has been strong through her challenging times, was very emotional about the results we achieved.  We will be returning next Spring to perform Phase 2 restoring a paver patio & additional paver walks.  At that time, we will perform our Spring maintenance service on the completed Phase 1.  The homeowner is pleased to know that we will be there to maintain for future years and she can avoid any costly restoration expenses.

Full Service Brick Paver Contractors Give You the Best Option

Homeowner's will need post or after installation services of their Brick Pavers

I sold a brick paver patio cleaning and sealing project this week whereby a homeowner had a prominent Ann Arbor landscape company install their brick paver patio last Fall.  They contacted this landscape firm this Spring to have the paver patio sealed.  The homeowner was told they do NOT provide any of those services! I hear this theme on a daily basis and this has shaped the business model of our company.

Poorly sealed Paver Patio

When some of these contractors do perform these services, they usually send inexperienced labor and not skilled workers.  This has lead to many frustrating problems for homeowner's who are left with inferior repairs and discolored sealed patios.  I had one homeowner who's paver patio & walkway had totally turned white from an inferior sealer or was improperly applied. He was told to "wait a year and it will go away".


I have been preaching for years that homeowners must do their due diligence when hiring a contractor to install, reconstruct, or redesign their brick pavers.  Start by hiring a true brick pavers contractor who's main business is interlocking brick pavers & modular retaining walls & steps.  Then make sure they offer after installation services, such as, after warranty repair, cleaning & sealing, and routine maintenance programs.

Patio falling apart

 Make sure that these brick paver after installation services will be scheduled work, even in the Spring, and not "fill in work" or the famous "when we can get to it" response.  A true brick paver contractor emphasizes the paver repair & restoration service end of the business and not just when the season gets slow.  The homeowner wants to enjoy their pavers patio, walkway, or driveway during the Summer when Michigan presents its best opportunity.

Reconstructing from the ground up

Keep in mind that doing brick paver repair, reconstruction, rebuild, and sealing services is more difficult to execute than an unrestricted new installation.  It takes experience, forethought, and some expertise to execute some of these repair services. Prepping and making the right decisions on timing and application for sealing brick pavers is crucial too.

Patio reconstructed & sealed

You can not just send anybody out there to perform these paver services.  A true brick paver contractor will have an experienced, foreman type, worker performing your restoration services. The owner will have the forethought to offer the best options & costs that make sense for either the short or long-term. The brick paver company will schedule your work like any other work they perform, and not make you wait until it is convenient for them!

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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.

Brick Pavers Restored in Ann Arbor

Paver Patio, Steps, and Front Walk repair, cleaning, & sealing

If your brick paver patio, steps, or walk is in much need of attention, do not fret, a qualified brick paver contractor can restore them to their original beauty.  This past week my team and I had a challenging paver restoration project in Ann Arbor. Their paver patio was covered in mildew & moss. The front paver walk had alot of gapping & settling. The front walk steps where improperly installed and deteriorating. See this transformation!

Assessing the time & cost of restoring brick pavers can only come from years of experience.  I often work with customers that want to perform the cleaning process and that is fine. Repairs & sealing should be handled by the brick paver specialist to insure long term success & performance.


The pavers patio had never been cleaned or sanded since it was installed. Moss had taken over most of the paver joints and dirt & mildew diminished the color & texture of the paving stones.  By aggressively power washing & scrubbing with a general cleanser, we were able to prep this brick patio for a coat of paver sealant.  After we completed the sealing, this brick paver patio was anew & vibrant.

Look to the right here at the "before" and "after" pics to give you an idea of the magic that can be done to give you the confidence to have family and friends over again!

The front paver walk had several areas of settling and the soldier course row on both sides was gapping. Not only did the gaps present a tripping hazzard, the "opened wound" allows for erosion of the under base and breeds weeds & grass growth.  The paver repairs were performed first, the entire walk was cleaned & re-sanded, and then completed with an application of brick paver sealant. Repair of paving stones are not as easy as the original installation. Re-installing the pavers require attention to detail and foreseeing issues.  Often we find ourselves just relaying stretches of the paver installation because the frustration level will be greatly reduced.

The existing front walk paver steps were improperly installed by mortaring the paving stones together. After years of touch-up and frustrating repairs, the homeowner wanted another solution. In frost States like Michigan, mortared high density concrete pavers will NOT last long as steps. Our solution was to install a modular retaining wall block & cap system for the new steps. If there are any future need for repair, they can easily be repaired at a very low cost and no unsightly patched mortar.

If the brick pavers around your house have been neglected, it is not too late to restore & enhance the beauty and function they once served.  The cost is always determined by the severity of the neglect and the labor time it will take to restore.  The good news is we usually can reuse the paving stones and wall blocks & caps to keep the cost reasonable.  With a little tender loving care, you can avoid the high costs associated with extreme make overs.

TAKE A VIDEO TOUR BELOW OF THE FINISHED RESTORATION !

Paver Patio and Step Repair & Cleaning completed!

We just completed this Paver Patio and Step Repair in Ann Arbor this week.  Our earlier post showed the before pictures of this extreme brick paver repair.  The homeowner was ecstatic with the results by Brick Doctor Bill's attention to detail and paver restoration.

After removing all the brick pavers, recompacting the sub base, adding more base, cleaning the paving stones, re-installing the paver patio & step pads, and sweeping in polymeric sand, the end result is a rejuvenated hardscape installation that they can enjoy for years to come!

The drainage issues are now resolved and the customer can now look out their walkout basement during their next party and not see such an eye sore.  Aside from the obvious safety issues, the repaired paver patio is now functional for entertaining and relaxing.

These paving stones are over 12 years old and are beginning to exhibit signs of weathering and wear.  Brick Doctor Bill will be returning in a couple of months to spot clean and seal the paver patio and paver steps with an approved brick paver sealant.  This will help restore the old color and aesthetics of the original paving stones.