[EpicInterlock]

Guys,

I just got an interesting email from a homeowner today.

He just had a driveway interlocked this summer by another competitor, and he still has a patch of pavers that never dry after a rainfall. Even after 10 or so consecutive days of full sunshine, it still never dries out. He was told (by whoever, I don't know) that the surface underneath the pavers are wet, thus keeping the pavers wet.

I have no idea what the cause could be....Anyone know?

He also wants to know if that section should be redone or would sealant help?

[jwholden]

Sounds like a red flag to me.

He contacted you via E-mail. He is talking about work another installer did.

Reply that you are sorry he was left with substandard work by one of your competitiors. You will be happy to conduct an exploratory exam or his drive...and a recommendation to fix the problem...for the modest fee of $250.

For that rate you can go out and dig up a section of his drive and see what the heck is going on under there. Then, most likely give him a price to redo the entire project the right way.

Do not even consider sending him a goodwill reply of what you think the problem is. If he wants your professional advice he has to pay your professional fees.

Let him waste some other poor souls time.

Thank you Michael C. Stone!!!

[Stonehenge]

Amen to JW's response. This is someone looking to get you to spin your wheels for him for free.

Your expertise was hard-earned and should be compensated for when used.

[EpicInterlock]

Thanks Jwholden and Jeff. I was thinking the same thing when I first read the email. I'll email him back and see if he's willing to have a professional to drive by and have a look see, at a fee of course.

Anyone else have any experience in this area? I have a few ideas of what the problem may be.....I want to see what you guys think first.

[Uni Bob]

Hey Epic,

There is another possibility for having wet pavers well into a dry spell. Sometimes pavers hold water because they are low density, they are called "soakers" in some circles. Basically these pavers have a high absorption and act like a sponge.

If you have any kind of freeze thaw in your area it will destroy the pavers from within.

I agree that you should charge for your services, and in my experience be aware that you might be getting into a rat's nest.

[Stonehenge]

Amen to Bob as well. Several years ago we did a project two hours north of our usual market, and the client (a contractor) insisted that he purchase the pavers. Whenever it rained, he claimed there were 20 or so pavers that always stayed "darker", and wondered if we installed them upside-down. Knowing the mfg, I knew it was the problem Bob mentioned - they were 'porous' for lack of a better term and just held water far longer than the other pavers.

[EpicInterlock]

Bob,

That's one of my worries - a defective paver that just so happens to have a little too much water, or is a little more porous than the rest. (it happens a lot, believe it or not)
I'm very well aware that I could be stepping into a rat's nest, hornet's nest and bee's nest all in one, but I've been doing this for awhile now, so I'm prepared. Thanks for your response.

For the record, I still haven't heard from the homeowner for 2 days now, so I assume he either was trying to get someone to spin his wheels for him, or he's one of the cheap-o's that we've all run into one time or another.