Brick Paver Patio Repair in High Demand for 2021

Canton, Plymouth, & Northville bids for patio repair & restoration soars 

Due to the pandemic, homeowners are requesting more than ever to have their brick paver patios updated, repaired, and restored to accommodate more entertaining and their family relaxing outside.  Brick pavers patios are the most popular outdoor living space throughout Southeast Michigan.  

The most popular style of brick paver patios is the Raised Paver Patio.  This patio is raised off the ground or grade level and is usually supported by modular retaining wall blocks & caps. The are very attractive and functional, but they do require more ongoing maintenance & repair than the basic ground level (grass level) brick paver patio.

The Raised Paver Patio was on fire during the 1990's and 2000's replacing wooden decks as the most designed outdoor living space extension in Metro Detroit.  During my company days, we removed more decks and cement patios than I can count.  Rarely did a homeowner request for a ground level patio.  The Raised Paver Patio design offered a more prominent structure and elegance.  I often would design a Multi-Level Raised Patio that offered some height variety & function for improving the landscape and home appearance.

As 15 years has past, the long-term feedback became apparent with Raised Paver Patios.  They require more upkeep than the traditional ground level paver patio.  The main culprit is the natural climate.  In Southeast Michigan, winter ground frost is that culprit.  Assuming the brick paver contractor installed the paver patio to the standard specifications, routine maintenance & repair like all outdoor structures is still needed. 

Homeowners wanting to entertain for this coming Summer and future years, need their brick paver
patios in top notch condition.  Appearance, safety, and functionality is paramount. Years of neglect and tolerance have gone out the window since this pandemic started in Spring 2020.  Creating an improved outdoor experience and necessity for 2021 is soaring as restoration contractors are overwhelmed with early season leads.  Homeowners are smart to get a jump on having this brick paver repair & restoration work contracted early so they can enjoy their Spring and Summer outside.

Paver Patio Restoration in Canton, MI

Cleaning and Sealing Brick Pavers Patios

Our most common brick paver restoration service is cleaning and sealing of brick pavers patios.  This brick pavers patio we restored in Canton, MI this past Fall. The pavers patio had some minor touch up repairs but for the most part it needed some attention to its appearance and paver joints.


Mold and organic growth had overtaken over the brick paver joints and surfaces. The paver joints had many voided spots due to lack of maintenance and attention over the years. The brick pavers and paver joints were thoroughly cleaned and then we re-sanded the joints with regular paver joint sand.

We then sealed with a high quality matte finish brick paver sealant which helped stabilized the joint sand and enhanced the color & protection of the brick paver surface.

We educated the homeowner on the the routine maintenance requirements and signed them up for our Spring Service program.  As a new routine customer service policy, we returned approx. a month later to do an inspection and courtesy "touch up" service for the joint sand.

Brick paver patios can be the outdoor living space that you imagined when you purchased your home. Do not give up just get it restored to its original beauty and function!

Raised Pavers Patio Repair and Restoration

Brick Paver Patio in Canton restored to its original beauty and function

As the 2017 summer continues in Michigan, we are hard at work bringing back some of the original beauty and function of raised brick paver patios.  It has been 20+ years now since the new home building boom in Canton, Plymouth, and Northville, Michigan.

There are many factors over these years that have contributed to the settling, deterioration, and excessive movement of raised brick paver patios.  One obvious reason for settling is winter frost which has ill effects on all pavements in frost states like Michigan.  Also evident for the settling of raised paver patios is the grade settling along the basement foundation of homes over the years.  Another contributing factor of raised paver patios excessively settling was from the original installing contractor not compacting the base in 4" layers or lifts as they built up to

the finish height.  But really the biggest reason for excessive deterioration of brick paver raised patios is the neglect by the homeowner to perform or hire an authorized brick pavers contractor to maintain these structures.

Simple touch up repairs and Spring sweeping of joint sand in the paver joints and periodic compacting will do wonders for maintaining these awesome outdoor living spaces.  Keeping paver joints filled is required for long term performance and compacting the brick pavers to help relock is also essential to the structure.

We also recommend that all brick pavers, especially raised paver patios, are cleaned and sealed every 2-3 years.  Sealing pavers contributes to keeping joint sand harder, thus slowing down any erosion or invasion of foreign organic matter.  Protecting the surfaces of paving stones and  paver blocks & caps will greatly improve the appearance and structural integrity of these popular patio structures.

Simple Pavers Patio Repair and Restoration in Plymouth

Before

Repair, Cleaning, and Sealing of brick pavers patio brings new life

This simple pavers patio in Plymouth, MI was restored this past summer to the delight of the homeowner.  Once left for dead due to neglect and many years of winter frost damage, this brick pavers patio still had enough life for us to bring it back to its original beauty and performance.

So many of our clients believe there is no hope for repairing and restoring their brick pavers patios, walkways, and driveways but hope can happen and we are just the company to perform this magic! 



 

Before

The biggest selling point about brick pavers is that we can in most cases re-use the existing pavers.  With repair & releveling, cleaning, re-sanding joints, and sealing these brick pavers, we can bring back from the ashes the appearance and strong structure that once graced the outdoor living space. 

 

AFTER

Performing this brick pavers restoration requires experience and more expertise than an original installation.  The challenges for a qualified brick paver contractor are numerous and should not be put in the hands of a handy man or landscaper.  Nothing can replace knowledge and experience when it comes to brick paver repair, cleaning, & sealing. 

Brick Paver Manufacturers I use in Southeast Michigan

Using a high quality Paving Stone or Paver Block is essential to maximum results

For over 30 years now, I have been using and recommending two major brick paver manufacturers in Southeast Michigan.  The first is FENDT Builders Supply which is headquartered in Farmington Hills, MI.  The second is North America's largest brick paver manufacturer - UNILOCK.  UNILOCK has a manufacturer plant in Brighton, MI.

FENDT Builders Supply is a local Michigan company that has over 80 years of experience & knowledge. Offering a wide spectrum of concrete paver products, tools, accessories, and support, FENDT has positioned themselves as a supplier of affordable, quality & attractive paving stones and modular retaining wall systems.

UNILOCK is an international brick paving manufacturer that has lead the innovation & production of brick pavers and modular retaining wall systems in North America.  UNILOCK has positioned themselves to offer a full pricing range of low cost to high end products.


My commitment to these two quality manufactures arises from their wide range of products, colors, shapes, textures, warranties, and availability offered.  Unlike paving stones offered at big box home improvement stores, FENDT & UNILOCK offer many outlets for obtaining their products.  They also maintain an adequate inventory of products and allow for purchase directly at their manufacturing plants.

There are other good brick paver manufacturers that produce here in Michigan or ship into the State, but their availability and sufficient stock of inventory usually is lacking. All my bidding & design utilizes FENDT or UNILOCK products. My crew and myself are very familiar with the possibilities and limitations of these products.

My 30 years experience with these companies has allowed me to witness their commitment to guaranteeing their respective products.  If it is not right, they will replace their products.  Both manufacturers have a Sales & Service representative structure that will advise & train contractor or homeowner alike.

When bidding a paver project, I usually do not favor any one manufacturer over the other.  I evaluate the homeowner's need and budget before recommending which products, colors, textures, etc..  should be proposed.  I am confident in the quality & performance of both paver manufacturer's products so the overall project design, color, and paver shape will determine which manufacturer will be recommended.

Brick Pavers Patio and Step Tune-up in Canton

Repair, Rebuild, Cleaning, and Sealing of Brick Pavers will bring back life

In Canton, MI this past week, we performed one of our popular Pavers Patio & Step Tune-ups that will restore some of the original beauty & function of this outdoor living space.  My crew and I have been a leader in this area of expertise in Southeast Michigan for quite some time now offering full brick paver services, education, and follow-up maintenance programs.

This paver patio needed the current paver step rebuilt. The patio had several sunken, gapped, & loose paving stones throughout. The outside soldier course row of pavers where raised and needed re-leveling and we replaced the raised plastic edge restraint with a hidden cement bead.


After performing all the necessary repairs & rebuild of the paver step, we cleaned the patio and prepped it for sealing.  We returned a couple days later to apply a proper brick paver sealant.  The restoration of this pavers patio was very dramatic and well within an acceptable budget for the homeowner. 


Restoration of brick pavers has become a popular option for homeowner's who have neglected or inherited distressed paver patios, walks, driveways, steps, porches, etc.. .  Many homeowners believe they have to replace the current brick pavers with something new paving stones or other products, but in most of my estimates, they are surprised to learn that with some repair, rebuild, redesign, cleaning, & sealing, their existing paver products can look new & beautiful again!


 Of course some weathering effects may exist that can not be reversed, but with some minimal replacement or applying paver sealant, imperfections can be somewhat masked.  Paver restoration benefits usually outweigh the costs of replacing the existing pavers.  Unless a homeowner is adverse to the style or color of the current paving stones, I will always suggest re-using the current products in the restoration, rebuild, or redesign.

It is important for homeowners to know that the restoration of brick pavers is a viable option before getting frustrated and considering replacing them with another product. Your paver installation project needs to be evaluated by an experienced brick pavers contractor to get the best options that will meet your long-term expectations and budget.

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.

Unique Cafe Paver Patio in Ann Arbor

Clay pavers are Cleaned and Redesigned to create New Pavers Patio

Near the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor this week we installed a unique Cafe Paver Patio for a homeowner who wanted to reuse their existing clay pavers.  Currently, they had a tiny paver pad at their side entrance, but wanted to expand this area so they could enjoy an expresso in the morning. 

This paver patio project began with the need to pitch water away from the side entrance door. The existing tiny pad was too low and the current asphalt in this area pitched towards the house.  We surveyed this area to find the reference points to make sure we could pitch the pavers away from the side door and along the house. So, we were solving two needs at once... creating a beautiful small patio and pitching water away from the house.

The homeowner had some additional clay pavers onsite and we cleaned  & reused the existing pavers outside the side entrance door.  We still needed to obtain some additional clay pavers from a local supply company to complete the redesign of this new cafe paver patio. We saw cut the existing asphalt with a clean line and prepped the base as needed.

 We found a close match of clay pavers to complete this installation and by mixing all three sources, we were able to create a very natural and functional paver patio for the homeowner.  This cafe paver patio is accented with the use of a decorative rain barrel that catches the water from an adjoining downspout.

 This use of decorative rain barrels has been gaining momentum and I am an advocate of their use and function.  Any time you can avoid piping under ANY pavement, the long term headaches and repairs associated with drains can be avoided. When it comes to frost states like Michigan, piping for gutter downspouts is an on going frustration and often results in the lack of long term performance.

The adage that "beautiful things come in small packages" holds true with this cafe pavers patio redesign & installation. Though small, this paver patio packs a big punch....much like the expressos that will be enjoyed for so many years to come!

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.

Paver Patio under Deck restored to original beauty!

Pavers Patio rejuvenated in Ann Arbor

Early this past week, we restored a brick paver patio in Ann Arbor that the past homeowner neglected and installed themselves.  The new homeowner was renovating the house and wanted to restore the current pavers patio to its original beauty and function.

The existing pavers patio had settled in several spots and the outside soldier course had creeped out and sunk.  The brick paver joints where full of dirt, moss, grass, and soot from water puddling areas.  This paving stone patio also pitched back towards the house and did not have any paver edge restraint.  The new homeowner was finishing their walk out basement and the pavers patio was a necessary part of their entertaining and enjoyment.

To save the customer some money, I suggested we reuse the current tumble pavers named Old World Vintage which is produced by Fendt in Michigan.  The homeowner wanted to expand the size of the pavers patio to accommodate a newly purchased hot tub.  We did inspect the current paver base material and found it to be sufficient for reinstalling. This also saved the customer a considerable cost.

We lifted up the current paving stones, power washed them off, excavated the additional areas to be paved, install the proper base material in the new areas, and recompacted the existing base.  We added additional base material to properly pitch the pavers patio out into the yard and away from the house.

Because the homeowner had increased the size of the existing pavers patio design, I suggested that we purchase some more Old World Vintage and use the new paving stones as the soldier course border for framing.  This paver design approach would give us enough square feet of paving stone to complete the pavers patio new dimensions and give the overall appearance some consistency.

We reinstalled the existing paving stones with the new pavers for the soldier course border and the end result was spectacular! The pavers patio was properly pitched out from the house to the yard and a cement bead edge restraint was installed.  The new paver soldier course border gave a fresh new look and texture that improved the overall appearance of this patio.

We finished off the project with paver joint sand after using the plate compactor to create lock up of the paving stones.  We left the homeowner an extra bag of paver joint sand for any future touch ups this Fall.  We instructed the customer to wait until next Spring to either seal their pavers patio or re-sweep in regular joint sand or polymeric sand.  

We spent about a half hour after the pavers patio was completed educating the homeowner on future brick paver maintenance requirements, sealing or polymeric sand options, and the landscape needs around the outside of the patio borders.  After receiving a hearty handshake and hug from the homeowners, we reminded them we enjoy outdoor parties and hot tubs too!

Brick Pavers Installation : Step 1 PLANNING

For over 25 years I have been assisting homeowners and contractors with design & installation of brick pavers and modular retaining walls. Whether you are installing a brick paver patio, walkway, driveway, planter, or steps, a good guided plan is needed to insure a successful paver installation that is not only aesthetically pleasing but economical.

The PLANNING stage for a interlocking brick paver or modular retaining wall installation will be your easiest step in terms of labor, but probably the most important step. A poor plan of designing, ordering, or installing your brick paver project can lead to alot of frustration and unneccessay redo or repair.

For simplicity we will discuss a game plan for planning out the installation of a paver patio. We will also assume we do not need any steps to transition down. Start by taking measurements of the area that you want to install your brick paver patio and transfer the dimensions of the brick patio area onto some graph paper (boxes). I like to use 1 box = 1 sq.ft. (or linear foot) if the dimensions will fit on one sheet. If not, try making 1 box = 4 sq.ft ( or 2 linear feet). If your paver patio will have a curved design, use the garden hose to layout on the grass the shape & size that you are looking for. If you already have patio furniture, grill, or chiminea, place them in the patio area you mapped out to make sure you have enough room to move around comfortably. Take several reference measurements and transfer the points onto the graph paper.

Now, your first important piece of information needs to be calculated ... SQUARE FEET! This number is easily calculated by WIDTH X LENGTH = SQUARE FEET. When calculating FACE FEET for retaining walls, replace the WIDTH with HEIGHT in the equation above. By transfering your design to the graph paper, you can easily count the boxes to determine the square feet of your pavers patio, especially in a curved design. This square foot number of your brick paver installation will be the crucial information used for ordering your brick pavers, base materials, and other paver products.

The next important piece of information that you will need to know is the ...LEVEL of the EXISTING GRADE! This the level of the land in the area that you will be installing your brick paver patio. This information is very important for ordering your base materials and also important for how deep you need to dig down to install your paver base. We use a surveyors level to perform our brick paver installations but most homeowners do not need to rent one to obtain this information. Get a spool of string, a few small stakes, and line level bubble. Install a stake at the house and tie the string at the level you want your patio pavers at the house. Install another stake at the farthest point out of your patio. Pull the string from the stake at the house and wrap around the new stake while using the line level bubble on the string. Pull the string tight and wrap around the outside stake so the bubble shows level. Mark this spot on the outside stake with a marker and remove the string if you like. In the brick paver industry we will use a rule of thumb for slope of 1 inch per 10ft length. This is just a reference and you can use any slope as long as it is a "positive pitch" away from the home. The more slope you have the better but remember you do not want to create a brick paver patio that is a ramp or your furniture is leaning. 1 inch per 10ft lengths is not that noticeable to the naked eye and seems to work quite well in drainage. For our example paver patio, we will say the outside stake (patio edge) is 20ft out from the house stake. So, we will make a second mark (another color) on the outside stake 2 inches (1" per 10ft) down from the mark that was level. This will represent the height of our patio out in the yard. This is an important reference point so we can see how high our paver patio will be out in the yard. You will be able to determine whether you can just landscape up to the brick pavers or whether you will need a retaining wall to retain the patio.

The last piece of important information will come from re installing the string line from the house stake and wrapping the string around the outside stake where the outside paver patio height was marked with the slope. Now you can measure down @9-10" from this string line to reach the bottom of your digging for installing the proper paver base materials. This will answer one of the most frequently asked questions from homeowners, "How far do I dig down?".

We will go into more detail about prepping for your paver patio in Step 2 but this PLANNING stage will set the "ground work" for a better brick paver patio installation. This is the stage to mentally obsess about the details before you begin to stress your muscles with labor intensive steps, so enjoy!