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Originally Posted by Pairadocs
What options exist for a paver drive that is relatively good condition, but has deteriorated in places along edge, and has half a dozen pavers with cracks ? Must all pavers be removed and brand new concrete drive be poured ? In general, over the years we've noticed the plain concrete work in this area of Fl does not seem to be high quality...perhaps since the temp extremes are not as great as in the northern states, high quality is not a priority ? Does any know of, had any experience with any kind of topping, or overlay that can be done over a paver drive if in decent condition ? Not talking about just another expensive "sealing", looking for a more permanent solution if one exists. I am guessing the expense of first having an entire paver drive and walks removed, hauled away, and then contracting for a new, poured, drive is prohibitively expensive ? Looking for ideas and ball park costs for a "standard" 2 car drive about 24' and a few feet to walk to front door. If you've replaced, or resurfaced your in some way, very interested in your experience, costs, satisfaction, etc. Thanks so much !
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Thin pavers over concrete are fine. If there is a problem with them, it will be a result of poor installation.
When we bought our 15 year old house, there were several cracked pavers on each side of the driveway. This resulted from the pavers overhanging the edge of the concrete because the installer didn't take the time to trim the edges of the pavers flush with the edge of the concrete. The pavers then cracked from being run over by the giant riding mower used by the lawn service.
To my great fortune and surprise, the installer had left a number of pavers stacked behind the air conditioner compressor. I removed the cracked pavers, scraped the old mortar and dirt out, fit replacements, and glued them in place with waterproof construction adhesive.
There were a few cracked pavers that were not at the edges. These cracked because the installer did not apply enough mortar when installing the pavers. There should be a dab of mortar at the four corners of the paver and a fifth at the center (you apply the construction adhesive the same way). To replace those, I used a masonry blade in a circular saw to score an X in the paver and then used a chisel and hammer to break up the paver. After scraping out the old mortar and dirt, I fit a replacement and glued it in place.
Hopefully, your installer left a supply of pavers somewhere around your property. The air conditioner compressor is a good place to start. The attic is the next place to look. If you're lucky and find some extra pavers, the replacement of the cracked pavers is reasonably easy whether it is DIY or by a handyman (this is not a job requiring great skills). If the installer didn't leave you replacement pavers, you can search all the construction supply houses for replacements. This may prove frustrating as the sizes, shapes, and colors are often changed.
If you don't want pavers or can't find enough replacements that will allow you to repair the existing ones to your satisfaction, you will need to remove them and have the driveway painted. This can be a hell of a job. It can be DIY, but be prepared for a lot of hard work.
You will need a heavy-weight scraper from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Ace Hardware.These sell for $40-$60. You could also rent an electric jackhammer at HD with a scraper blade. You start at one side of the driveway and scrape and pry the pavers free from the concrete. You then sand or, more properly, grind the old mortar from the concrete. You can do this with an industrial floor sander/polisher with the proper disk, or, if you are a glutton for punishment, on your hands and knees with a hand-held angle grinder and a carborundum disk. I did this with an angle grinder at our last house in the Southwest. I was young and foolish and, likely, took years off my life.
You then have to paint the concrete. If you choose this route, I'd first contact the company which will do the painting to see if they will grind away the old mortar as they, usually, have to sand, etch, and fill any cracks with epoxy before painting.