Brick Pavers Repair, Cleaning, & Sealing Peaking this Summer

This past week we completed some intricate brick pavers repair, cleaning, and sealing jobs that restored some of the original beauty & function. Each of these brick paver installations have been installed over 10 years.  After we completed our restoration service, they all looked like they had been installed yesterday!

With high school graduations, weddings, and parties an integral part of Summer events, restoration of brick pavers patios, walks, driveways, and pool areas are at an all time high request for us brick paver contractors.  Balancing needs with budgets is always a challenge for homeowners but an optimum plan of attack has always been manageable.

Each paver restoration project this week required some extensive and touch-up repairs of areas that had failed or where neglected over time. Each project was power washed & cleaned and paver joints were restored. 

The  "coup de gras" was each project was sealed with an approved brick paver sealant to enhance the color and give the brick pavers the much popular "wet look" appearance.

 Each homeowner has committed themselves to a routine maintenance program that will insure long-term performance and appearance.  Minimal routine paver services will help avoid any costly future restoration needs. We educated these homeowners about simple steps to take to maintain the appearance of their pavers and explained the need to observe the signs of distress that may lead to future expensive repairs if not addressed early.

Flagstone Front Walkway Replaces Old Path in Ann Arbor

Flagstone Walks & Patios offer a natural looking option to your Hardscape

Last year we installed a Flagstone Path in the backyard for this homeowner in Ann Arbor.  They enjoyed the natural look of it so much, they had us return this Spring and replace their old & original Flagstone front walkway with our much more appealing flagstone.

Old Path

The old & original flagstone path did not compliment the stone work on the home or give it much curb appeal.  The original installing contractor installed the flagstones to low to grade and left considerable wide gaps.  This lead to constant moisture overtaking the flagstone walkway and left it dingy, mossy, & dirty looking all the time.

The new Flagstone used to re-create the front pathway had a more natural grey tone that complimented the stone work on the home, as well as, give some slight contrast color to the landscape.  This particular flagstone was also slightly thicker and had less chance of cracking or splitting.

The homeowner wanted to keep the same shape and curve of the current flagstone pathway.  After removing the existing flagstones and removing all organic matter, we raised the height of the new flagstone path with additional base material.  We also worked hard to keep gaps to an acceptable minimum.

When you are dealing with irregular shaped natural stone, you have to accept some gapping & imperfections. This is the beauty of using natural stone!  At a much higher cost, due to labor & diamond blade use, we can close up gaps up by saw cutting the stone.  This usually is only cost effective for smaller applications.  If you must not have gaps, you may need to consider using a pre-cut natural stone like geometrically shaped Bluestone slabs that fit tight. These of course come at a higher cost.

Flagstone walks & patios do cost more than installing most brick paver projects.  Aside from the high end brick paver units, flagstones per square foot sometimes cost more than double that of the standard paver shapes.

Typically the prep work of base material & screeding is the same for flagstone as it is for brick pavers.  The issue with flagstone is the random thickness of each unit. You have to individual level each unit whereby brick pavers can be laid quickly once the bedding course is screeded.  So, extra labor time of laying is added when installing flagstone walks or patios. Cutting of natural stones is also more difficult than cutting paving stones and the diamond blade use is exponential.


Flagstone walkways and patios offer a very natural and surreal appearance to the landscape. When considering this option, understand that you need to accept what nature allows for this product to perform and that the overall cost may be more than installing brick pavers.

Pictorial of Transformation from Old Wooden Deck to Brick Pavers Patio

Raised Pavers Patio with Landing, Steps, and Planter Creates Beautiful Outdoor Living Space

In Ann Arbor this past Spring, we created this backyard transformation from an Old Wooden Deck to a beautiful Outdoor Living Space.

Designing & building a raised brick pavers patio with a paver landing & steps made the most of the space available. The pavers patio encompassed a duel Planter / Sitting Wall application that created not only some landscape beauty, but useable sitting area for entertaining.

Usually I will go through a stage-by-stage description of the process of installing a uniquely designed paver patio. This post will give you a visual pictorial of the stages of production that lead us to the spectacular conclusion to this project. Pictures will tell the story this post. Enjoy!

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.

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.

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.

Pavers Patio and Walkway Restored after 25 years

Brick Pavers are resilient and offer the best long-term pavement solution

 
We recently restored this Pavers Patio and Walkway in Ann Arbor that was originally installed 25 years ago.  The homeowner gave up about 5 years ago removing weeds from the open & gapping joints. I assured the homeowner that we could re-use the existing brick pavers and re-install the paver patio and paver walkway to their original dimensions, design, and appearance.  Aside from the normal effects of weathering, the original function of the paving stones would be restored.

We completely lifted up the brick pavers, removed any organic matter, re-compacted the original base material, added additional base as needed, and reinstalled the paving stones in the original shape, size, and design.  We cleaned the pavers and re-sanded with regular joint sand.  We then returned a week later when all was dry and applied an approved brick paver sealant.  The main purpose for sealing was to protect the paving stones from any further weathering.


  The homeowner was never instructed by the installing contractor that they needed to keep the paver joints filled with joint sand. The installing contractor at the time told them that "brick pavers are NO maintenance" and they " will never move".  This was a constant theme I encountered through the early years of brick pavers in Southeast Michigan. 

At the completion of this brick paver restoration project, we spent the much needed time educating the customer of the minimum maintenance requirements of interlocking pavers.  Spring sand sweepings of the paver joints and periodic spot repairs of any settled pavers will insure endless years of beauty and function.

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!

Pavers Patio Repair, Cleaning, & Resanding in Ann Arbor

Restoration of Paver Patios is becoming our #1 Brick Paver Repair Service

This past week in Ann Arbor, we were able to transform this neglected Pavers Patio back to its original beauty & function. The homeowner was having a graduation party this Summer and needed help!

 Covered in moss, mildew, dirt, weeds, and grass, this paver patio hid some much needed repair to settled & loose paving stones and spreading paver joints.

We see this condition of brick pavers on a daily basis all too often.  I have always believed that once things get this far out of hand, homeowners give up.  This particular homeowner stopped maintaining this paver patio about 5 years ago and it shows. Neglect is the number one reason for the failure and unsightly appearance of paver patios, walkways, driveways, etc.

 This homeowner stopped sweeping joint sand each Spring about 5 years ago. This lead to moss, weeds, grass, and other organic matter taking over the paver joints. Other areas began to settle due to base erosion under the paving stones from the lack of joint sand in the joints.  As you can see in the before pics, this paver patio gave interlocking brick pavers a bad reputation.

After performing our routine repairs, re-compaction of pavers, cleaning of the paving stones & paver joints, and re-sanding the joints with the proper joint sand,  we were able to bring this paver patio "back to life" and beauty.

Now the homeowner can get a new start on maintaining this beautiful paver patio or sign up for our affordable paver maintenance program to insure endless years of enjoyment & performance!

Never enough Supervision for our Pavers Repair Crew

Pulling out All the stops to make sure our Brick Paver Repair Service is A1

Our brick paver repair crews encounter all kinds of challenges each day. But yesterday they encountered a new experience they never imagined.  Inspector Swan, my new independent hire, was onsite to make sure that our paver patio repair crew was performing their service properly and professionally.

With one eye on his expecting Swanette and another on our paver repair service crew, Inspector Swan gave me a complete report that graded our paver repair crew an A1 rating!  Though he was not impressed by their nature to walk upright and the lack of wings & feathers, Inspector Swan was impressed by the total professionalism, hard work, clean-up of the job, and most of all their attention to good grooming.

Good job crew! I know you work hard to do your best.  My advice is to keep an "eye-in-the-sky" on the next paver repair project!

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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