Your Garden Questions Answered
Episode: # 10 09/06/07
Presenter: Nigel Ruck
Since joining The Garden Gurus, Nigel has had plenty of emails about paving. First of all he would like to thank everyone for your much appreciated support and getting in touch.
How to fix sunken pavers is a common question, and it is not unusual. There are a few reasons why it might happen, common ones being subsiding foundation material or poor compaction of bedding & sub-grade material, tree root activity, broken or leaking stormwater pipes or perhaps ants.
Usually, fixing the problem is fairly straight forward, but does require an element of detective like modus operandi, involving a three point plan. Investigation, diagnosis and solution.
In a case where the pavers have sunk, the first thing to do is lift all the affected pavers and begin your investigation. This involves removing the bedding sand, road base and foundation material, where the problem is most likely to be found.
Be mind-full of any services or pipes, so proceed with caution to avoid further damage or an accident. A shovel going through electrical conduit can have shocking consequences!
Once you have found the problem, it is time to fix it, remembering that any repair work to damaged services must be done be a licensed professional, should that be part of the problem.
As often the case, it can be a question of settling underneath the pavers, remedied by removing & replacing the failed materials.
The depth of replacement will vary according to the depth of the problem, pre-mixed concrete, or a 4:1 mix of cement and road base or crushed rock are good sub-grade materials. Then it is just a question of carefully re-laying the pavers on a compacted layer of paving sand, and replacing the jointing sand.
Where tree roots are concerned, the pavers will most likely be raised and distorted. The obvious solution is to remove all of the roots. You must remember that this will affect the tree or plant, and can have serious consequences. Aside from very minor roots, it is always best to consult a relevant professional, such as an arborist.
Presenter: Nigel Ruck
Since joining The Garden Gurus, Nigel has had plenty of emails about paving. First of all he would like to thank everyone for your much appreciated support and getting in touch.
How to fix sunken pavers is a common question, and it is not unusual. There are a few reasons why it might happen, common ones being subsiding foundation material or poor compaction of bedding & sub-grade material, tree root activity, broken or leaking stormwater pipes or perhaps ants.
Usually, fixing the problem is fairly straight forward, but does require an element of detective like modus operandi, involving a three point plan. Investigation, diagnosis and solution.
In a case where the pavers have sunk, the first thing to do is lift all the affected pavers and begin your investigation. This involves removing the bedding sand, road base and foundation material, where the problem is most likely to be found.
Be mind-full of any services or pipes, so proceed with caution to avoid further damage or an accident. A shovel going through electrical conduit can have shocking consequences!
Once you have found the problem, it is time to fix it, remembering that any repair work to damaged services must be done be a licensed professional, should that be part of the problem.
As often the case, it can be a question of settling underneath the pavers, remedied by removing & replacing the failed materials.
The depth of replacement will vary according to the depth of the problem, pre-mixed concrete, or a 4:1 mix of cement and road base or crushed rock are good sub-grade materials. Then it is just a question of carefully re-laying the pavers on a compacted layer of paving sand, and replacing the jointing sand.
Where tree roots are concerned, the pavers will most likely be raised and distorted. The obvious solution is to remove all of the roots. You must remember that this will affect the tree or plant, and can have serious consequences. Aside from very minor roots, it is always best to consult a relevant professional, such as an arborist.
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