Pro Handyman Blog

A lot of us have concrete patios, but some forego the maintenance-free concrete and go with the more cosmetically appealing patio pavers. As a handyman, I’ve done a few of these and if you like backaches, then this job is for you.

Patio pavers are hand placed into position. Pavers can be from a variety of materials, from stone to brick. Pavers are set into a bed of either concrete or sand. When you find a loose paver, it is typically one set in sand rather than concrete.

It’s not difficult to repair a loose paver in sand. Typically, the perimeter of the paver has worked its way loose as the sand that fills the gaps has gone. Remove the paver and add or subtract sand from under it to get it level with the surrounding pavers. You can used washed sand for this. Add small amounts at a time, spread it around and push the paver into its space with a slight twisting motion. Make sure the gaps from the paver to its neighbors is all uniform and then fill in the gaps with more sand. Normally if you were installing an entire patio, you could use a vibration compactor, but for a couple of pavers it’s not worth it.

Use a push broom and push the sand around the gaps to fill them. You can tap on the pavers to get the sand to settle or even sprinkle some water on them and then refill any voids.