Paver Walkway Restoration Project

This walkway built with interlocking pavers had been damaged by erosion and roots. The side had been sinking due to the base material eroding away from runoff. Meanwhile, roots had created bulges in certain spots. Due to all the shifting and bulging, the interlocking nature of the bricks had become increasingly compromised. As a result, other bricks started shifting more and more as well and the joints between them grew and became increasingly unsightly.

An arborist was brought in to first deal with the larger roots. After that, the entire affected side of the pavers were pulled up and any small roots leftover were rerouted to minimize trauma to the plants or removed when necessary. The sand base was excavated and much of it removed and bricks were cleaned of soil and algae growth.

Next, new road base gravel was brought in and compacted to ensure a stable surface. The previous installer had in certain areas overused sand, which is more prone to shifting and washing out over time. In order to futureproof this build as much as possible, we applied extra gravel and very little to no sand on the right side of the pavers, where previously water erosion had caused the pavers to sink and shift. Gravel being composed of larger rocks than sand is much more difficult for runoff to shift and this should add significantly more stability while still promoting drainage.

Finally, the bricks were laid back in the same pattern as before and new joints sand was brought in. This will help combat weed growth and more or less renew this decades old walkway. The old decrepit edging both plastic and concrete were removed as they had shifted and cracked and had failed to prevent the shift of the pavers to that side. New steel spikes were brought in along with new plastic edging. Additionally, the plastic edging is now resting on top of gravel rather than soil and sand, giving the edge more stability and thus more ability to support the pavers. Everything was then compacted with a plate compactor to maximize stability and longevity. This now should last many more years and look like new.