Patios, Walkways & Brick Paving/Hardscapes

Plantique takes great care in the installation of all our hardscapes to keep problems such as settling to a minimum. We take into account the drainage properties of your soil type and the seasonal fluctuations in temperature for our mid-Atlantic region. Unfortunately, we cannot always control or predict the ground conditions lying deep below each individual yard, and sometimes settling can occur over time. Luckily, there are some fairly simple steps homeowners can take to help prevent and remedy minor problems.

After all the frost is out of the ground, you should always evaluate your brick, paver or flagstone area's condition. Often, patios and walks will return to their original grade once the frost is finally gone.

If you do find settled areas, they can be raised without too much difficulty by lifting the bricks, adding #10 grit until the correct levelness has been achieved, and then resanding the joints for a finished appearance

Maintaining the levels of sand will also help keep weeds and grass from growing between the bricks, pavers or stones. If you still find an occasional unwanted plant popping out from between the bricks that you cannot simply pull out, you may want to try a soap-based weed killer (such as Sharpshooter) or systemic herbicide (such as Round Up), but be sure to test the product on an brick or paver left over from your hardscape project first to make sure it will not stain. Some people have reported success with pouring boiling water on weeds and grass growing between their bricks, but since the hot water can splash and burn you, extra caution should be taken when trying this method. Just as with the sprays, spot check on an extra brick, paver or stone first.

Click here for more information about the use of salt and other snow removal methods on paver, brick and stone walkways and driveways.