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If a few of the pavers in your patio or driveway have begun to sag, don’t fret—there’s an easy, DIY-friendly fix. Here’s how to handle the project.
Listen to BOB VILA ON SUNKEN PAVERS or read the text below:
First, remove the pavers using the tip of a small, flat-bladed screwdriver. Little by little, pry up the end of each paver. Sometimes employing a pair of screwdrivers—one at each end of the paver—helps with the wiggling process. If the pavers are wedged in tight, pound them with a rubber mallet to loosen things up.
Next, prepare a screed board of the kind used to level freshly poured concrete. You are going to use the board to scrape and level out the now-exposed ground beneath the sagging pavers. For that reason, make sure the board’s long enough to reach across the exposed area, all the way to the level pavers surrounding the problem area. Butt the board against the in-place pavers and notch its edges about an eighth of an inch below where the pavers hit.
Finally, add all-purpose sand to the low area and, with the notched ends of the screed aligned with the level pavers, pull the screed over the sand to level it out. Reset the pavers. Then use the rubber mallet to pound them down until they’re level with the other pavers. Sweep dry sand into the joints and you’re done!
Bob Vila Radio is a 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day carried on more than 186 stations in 75 markets around the country. Click here to subscribe, so you can automatically receive each new episode as it arrives—absolutely free.
