Stubborn wavy pavers

[K.Mac]

Hi all,

In need of advice, I have a driveway that has nice wavy pavers, some have sunk and I need to level them off, and I can't replace them as nowhere sells them anymore.

These pavers are wedged tight and I've tried screwdrivers, cement trowels, crowbars and a pick axe to try and get these up but they are solid, they aren't cemented in, they are packed in sand.

Any ideas/solutions to lift them would be immensely appreciated.

 

[Bucko]

Since you have tried the above methods and not had any luck you may try blasting the heck out of the joints with a pressure washer to dislodge any sand that's packed in and tap on the pavers with a rubber mallet. Then start over with your already used methods. Alot of the time it just takes persistence and patients. They do make a polymeric sand that has mortar in it so if they used that it may be locked in and take more effort.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I use "hooks" made from bent steel wire. Push the hooks in along the long sides close to opposite corners. Turn them 90 degrees (so the hook is under the brick) and pull the brick straight up. Sometime tapping or wiggling helps.
If one is particularly stubborn I pull one or two next to it.

 

[K.Mac]

Since you have tried the above methods and not had any luck you may try blasting the heck out of the joints with a pressure washer to dislodge any sand that's packed in and tap on the pavers with a rubber mallet. Then start over with your already used methods. Alot of the time it just takes persistence and patients. They do make a polymeric sand that has mortar in it so if they used that it may be locked in and take more effort.

Tried the power hose, didnt get between the pavers, unbelievable packed tight together. Thanks though, was def worth a shot.

 

[K.Mac]

I use "hooks" made from bent steel wire. Push the hooks in along the long sides close to opposite corners. Turn them 90 degrees (so the hook is under the brick) and pull the brick straight up. Sometime tapping or wiggling helps.
If one is particularly stubborn I pull one or two next to it.

Honestly I can't even get thin air between them, managed to get a couple up then pushed a pick axe underneath them to prise/push them upwards and out but still no dice. I'm at the last resort, con-saw, and try and cut in a diamond shape and maybe put a pattern of different pavers in and make it look like I designed it that way.

 

[ybnormal]

use a pickaxe/drill to break the sunken ones into smaller pieces and pull out. replace with ones from the driveway entrance. pour a new concrete edge where you pulled the other ones from

 

[K.Mac]

Thats definitely an approach worth trying. Will give it a crack and see what's what. Much appreciated.

 

[eejack]

How about drilling an anchor into them and setting a bolt you can pull them out with....assuming of course they are two sided and you can flip them when you reinstall and hide the hole

 

[crguy]

How about drilling an anchor into them and setting a bolt you can pull them out with....assuming of course they are two sided and you can flip them when you reinstall and hide the hole

Pavers aren't reversible.

 

[K.Mac]

Unfortunately the top of the pavers have a curved surface and the bottom is flat and smooth. Although an 8mm eye bolt is a cracking idea to lift them, just trying to think how noticeable an 8mm drill hole would look with a cement infill with a sprinkle of the the paver chips. Gona find a paver as close to the design of mine, buy it, drill it and try and blend the surface.

 

[K.Mac]

I've just had another idea sent my way, A friend said since I have a few up already, try and remove the sand under 1 or 2 of the pavers, slide in a car jack and a thin piece of metal to brace the bottom of the jack and let the hydraulics do the heavy pushing from underneath.

 

[flyingblind]

Plate compactor. Use 1/2 ply over the uneven area and plate compact it all flat again. Use Poly sand in the cracks and lock them all back in place. Otherwise start dismantling them from the edge in and start over.

 

[K13]

You need to remove bricks outside the area that has sunk. Around its perimeter. Trying to get just the bricks that have sunk out is a waste of time. Bricks that are not flat will almost never come out in one piece. Pavers should have bumps on the sides that insures spacing for the sand so if you get to a flat section you should be able to dig the sand out and get down the side of them and pull those out. You will probably have to go most of the way around the section that has sunk to get it out.

 

[LXCam]

I’d try a masonry blade on an oscillating tool and have compressed air handy. Carve down two side while blowing the debris out. That should loosen it up enough to try the hook idea. And if two sides don’t cut it, do four.

 

[CSRPenFab]

Would one of those "paver extractor" tools work? Your local rental yard may have one...

Paver Extracting Tongs

Adjustable jaws can be reset quickly to accommodate most stone shapes & sizes. Serrated tempered steel blades. 11in maximum opening. Ship wt 11 lb.

www.amleo.com

 

[PugetDude]

Sounds like the polymeric sand between the pavers is doing its job. Cam's idea sounds like the best option so far.

 

[Fav Onefour]

I have a **** load of those pavers on four different patios. They were already in the yard when I bought this place so I kept making patios.
Anyhow, you are correct that they are hard to start pulling. They are not impossible. If the surface is uneven, you already have a gap on the topside where the dropped section starts. I use a couple big screwdrivers for the first one. The trick is a slow wiggle with the screwdrivers working back and forth on different sides. It can take some patience for the first paver. I've often had them close and then drop back into the hole. Brute force with the screwdrivers doesn't work well. You can chip and break the pavers.

After the first one is out, I use a gooseneck crowbar to lift the rest. Mine have a thin sand layer under the pavers. I can slide the short end of the crowbar through the sand and get it directly under the paver. That trick helps a lot because you can lift straight up on the pavers.

I've not sure what you have for edging, but there must be cut pavers around your pad. If you get out that far, stack the cut pavers in sequence so they can be reused easily.

I've been through the process way too often. My patios all have channel drains that I've been reworking. I also have a couple service trenches underneath that have been settling. I chipped a couple pavers until I learned the tricks. I haven't lost any since.

I actually like the wavy pavers. The do lock well. I'm not sure why they were discontinued.

 

[lolaetype]

Would one of those "paver extractor" tools work? Your local rental yard may have one...

Or a less expensive version.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/QLT-by-Marshalltown-BRICK-TONGS/5001606179?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-bdm-_-ggl-_-PLA_BDM_210_Concrete-Block-_-5001606179-_-online-_-0-_-0&gclid=CjwKCAjwkeqkBhAnEiwA5U-uM6rsdyWUNEwWlo1Wtx9M0bBPEHAfwN9afZyKRuzuA2BDhFie441KChoCDnAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds