[scott C]

I hope this post makes sense I will try and get photos in the next couple of days. In the mean time maybe you can share your thoughts.I looked at a previously installed paver walkway today. (installed 3 + years ago) The walkway is about 75 feet long with a slight slope. At the bottom of the slope is a door. The pavers in front of the door way have heaved so much that the door can no longer open.

1) The pavers were installed by a very reputable and qualified company so lets assume there is a proper base course.

2) The pavers are pitched slightly away from the door so water does not stand.

3)The pavers can not be re- installed with a greater pitch away from the door because of the surrounding asphalt height.

My question is how to solve this problem and why is it happening.

I know that when pavers are installed using a dry laid method they should be able to raise and lower with the freeze / thaw cycles so essentially they are working correctly but....

Do I remove the pavers and base and hope to find something wrong with the original install ?

Could water be running down the slope of the walkway under the pavers causing the problem?

Any Ideas ?

[Will Pacala]

I must say that pictures are definatly going to help us here! Is there any way that you can grade? Maybe even get rid of that slope. To me that's whats causing the problems.

[Stonehenge]

This reminds me of a project that I ran from a few years ago. Guy had a big concrete slab poured in his backyard, led to a patio door. He showed me the rumpled siding where the slab had heaved during the winter - it raised about 6", 4" above the door sill, sealing the door closed until spring.

He wanted a bid to do the job in pavers. I told him we were pretty busy....

I believe the problem there, which is likely the problem in this case as well, is that there is water in the system there somewhere. H2O is the only material in nature that gets larger when it turns to a solid. Anything else turns to a solid and it gets smaller.

So there's got to be water sitting there somehow. It may be several inches below grade. The task, which may not be an easy one, is to discover where the water is coming from, and engineer a way to direct it elsewhere.

Do you happen to know if the location that is heaving is on the North or South side of the house?

[scott C]

Jeff it is facing the north west. Do you think the water lies within the crusher run base, sub base or between the pavers and sand base??.... Ya I know there is no way of knowing.

Will the walk could only be re - gradded with much difficulty and cost but it is possible and might be the answer.


Do you think a deeper base would help rectify the problem. I suppose the company that installed it may have taken a short cut with the base at the end of the walk but I really doubt it.

[Paul]

This one is pretty easy to figure out what is wrong, correcting the problem might be harder.

The walkway is about 75 feet long with a slight slope. At the bottom of the slope is a door. The pavers in front of the door way have heaved so much that the door can no longer open.

We know that the slope ends at the door way. What we have to figure out is how to remove the water from that area.

The pavers can not be re- installed with a greater pitch away from the door because of the surrounding asphalt height.

Here we find out that asphalt surrounds the pavers on at least one side. This will add to the problem, water will collect under the asphalt then drop to the better prepared area under the pavers. (read as deeper base)

Your solution is to find a way to remove the water that collects under the base of the pavers and asphalt.

A drainage system that extends to the asphalt and has at least a 1% slope should remove the water, at the same time check to see if any down spouts in the area drain on to the pavers or asphalt, these should be brought to the same drainage pipe that should be installed.

In my opinion it should be a deep installation that allows water to be removed even in colder weather. Cost of this system might be prohibitive.

[Will Pacala]

A drain under neath the walk and a little re-grading might help. Can the path/walkway be re-directed? Can a stoop the is connected sideways with the walk do the trick? Pictures??

[jwholden]

I installed a wall that literally had running water in the trench when I dug for the base. I ended up installing clear stone in fabric and then the base material on top of that wrapped in fabric so it didn't settle and lock up the clear stone.

Perhaps you could do something like that with or without a pipe. When the base freezes you can be sure it won't be full of water.

I've also heard guys on the site say that the polymeric sand doesn't let water down through the pavers. You could use it to keep the water moving over the pavers. Given this is not a huge amount.

Whatever you do it's going to cost a lot more than the 'typical' (is there such a thing) installation and I would right on the proposal that what you are doing is not guaranteed to solve the problem. Repeat several times when talking to customer.

What type of soil is on the property?

[CountyMaterials]

Paul and Jeff have hit the nail on the head. Scoot, you said something that doesn't make sense though. You said that "at the BOTTOM of the slope is the door" and "the pavers are pitched slightly away from the door." That would mean that there is a gully at some point that the water would flow to and then probably back to the pavers by the door. There doesn't have to be standing water, it could go off the sides or straight through. Especially, like JW mentioned, if they didnt use any polymeric sand, it probably went through to the base.

Also, something to check out. Are there any eaves troughs (sp?) above the doorway or does the water fall directly on to the pavers? Without them, thats alot of water falling directly on the pavers in the same area everytime.