What do you suggest?

[Growing Green]

Hi everyone, I'm not great at hardscaping, but I'm going to take on this project. What would you suggest I do in order to keep these patio bricks from doing what they are doing in the future? Not sure if you can tell in the pictures, but the last row is starting to lean down. They don't want it to be a step off they would rather it be kind of like a ramp off of the last stamp. I need step by step help if you don't mind. This is new to me. Thanks, Matt

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Austin Organic Lawn and Landscaping Care

[Sprinkler Buddy]

Lawn care business tips

Looks like a job better left to a professional. I wouldn't tackle that job without the experience, I would be scared that whatever you do may not keep long term considering the foundation that was used initially under the pavers. Then it will become your problem all over again down the road more than likely.

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[picframer]

Matt, There is big bucks in this type of work, for me here is how it started.

In May 2009 a customer or mine in woodworking was aware my son and I had started an Organic Lawn Care and Excavation company, she asked if we did walkways and I said yes, although I had only ever did mine.

The walkway had a design, was brick and about 15 years old, you would get sea sick walking on it, frost is the enemy.

I talked to my son and his two helpers, both were engineering students, they did some research, I left them a mini excavator and a tractor with a bucket to help move the brick, OMG the job they did was amazing, they spent 7 weeks in that community redoing walkways.

Like many projects there are trunk slammers as I call them, they come in do the job, looks excellent, a year or two later is a different story.

Here is what we did

Remove brick
Dig down 10 to 12 inches below grade (remember to add thickness of brick)
put two inches of clear stone
put 6 inches of crusher run (Class A) and compact (we had a tamper attachment on the mini excavator)
Add commercial landscape fabric
Add min 2, better 4 inches of sand and compact
run a string/plumb line
Add edging on one side
Start laying brick
Add opposite side edging
On the top, add and sweep in Polymere sand, prevents weeds, blow off brick lightly
Water three to four times and you are finished

They will never have the problem again

Here is one that I did with my crew, somewhat different as we removed a pavement walkway and installed castlestone, once again we stayed in that area for weeks just word of mouth and people walking by

http://www.gopherforum.com/showthrea...hlight=walkway
add

[Sprinkler Buddy]

Andy is right, there is big money in it. I was thinking your customer was wanting a ban aid to fix the problem. If they are allowing you to redo the entire walkway, that is the only way to do it and sleep good at night. Not sure if they are wanting to pay to have it done right, that would be some big money to do so.

[Growing Green]

Great info Andy and Sprinkler Buddy! They are actually just wanting me to take off the outer bricks and try to fix it not take up the whole thing. I'm with you guys where I don't like to do things and they not last for many years. What would you guys suggest I use as the edging and what would you guys do to just fix the outer row of bricks? They are not wanting to spend a lot of money and of course I understand that you get what you pay for.

Matt

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Growing Green

Great info Andy and Sprinkler Buddy! They are actually just wanting me to take off the outer bricks and try to fix it not take up the whole thing. I'm with you guys where I don't like to do things and they not last for many years. What would you guys suggest I use as the edging and what would you guys do to just fix the outer row of bricks? They are not wanting to spend a lot of money and of course I understand that you get what you pay for.

Matt

Matt, the few patch jobs we have done always come back to haunt us, even when in writing we express concern.

I personally would walk away, mainly as we had more customers wanting it done right than we could handle.

To repair you would remove two rolw around the edge, build the area up with sand and compact, install the brick then the edging (this is specific edging for bricks, we held in place with 14" spikes every 6"

Add sod on the outside to feather up to the brick and tie into the lawn.

[Growing Green]

Thanks Andy! I really appreciate the info. I think I'm going to be having to do this more and more and you have eased my nerves alot. I normally won't do things if I know I can't do them right. But I guess I have to start somewhere. I take care of this customers lawn so I'll be able to keep an eye on it.

Do you go through that whole process every time you install a walkway or patio?

Matt

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Growing Green

Thanks Andy! I really appreciate the info. I think I'm going to be having to do this more and more and you have eased my nerves alot. I normally won't do things if I know I can't do them right. But I guess I have to start somewhere. I take care of this customers lawn so I'll be able to keep an eye on it.

Do you go through that whole process every time you install a walkway or patio?

Matt

Always, a couple of years back we had a discussion on here about educating your customer, to me it is critical in business for a host of reasons, #1 it gives them peace of mind that you know what you are doing, most people will pay to have it done right the first time.

In this case my opening line would be, your patio bricks are moving because the preparation under the bricks is not correct, one has to allow for proper drainage of water and moisture and provide a base that will not be prone to movement when frost is in the ground. Also they have grass growing between the bricks which means landscape fabric and poly-mere sand was not used, this creates movement issues and it looks bad.

To do this our experience is ............list the process

Don't be afraid to offer new services, the Internet is your largest library of how to, also in this case talk to the local stone depot's, they are a wealth of information and they want your business on future jobs that may require their product(s)