Over time, driveway paving stones or patio pavers will require repair to retain their appearance and function.

Although concrete is the hardest substance to lay on your floors, sometimes you may find that it has some damages or has sunken below and needs to be replaced or repaired. This is often seen in driveway pavers, as it undergoes the highest amount of traffic from heavy vehicles and people constantly walking over it. You can either re-lay or replace it. Here is an easy guide on how to repair your driveway paving stones.

Pavers repair is not a difficult task. You can also do it yourself. If you decide to replace the stone, the first thing that you have to do is find another stone that fits perfectly. It is driveway paving possible that when you built your driveway, paving stones were bigger. But the ones available in the market now are slightly smaller. If you have a few extras from when the stones were first laid, that will help a lot. But if you don’t, then there is nothing to worry about. Just pick a stone from a far corner of the driveway, like one adjacent to the wall or something. You could use this paver stone to replace the one that is damaged, and in its place put the newer one, which will be slightly ill-fitted. But no one will notice it since it’s not in a prominent place.

Make sure you wear all your safety gear. If you have a weak back, don’t hesitate to ask for help. You will need a chisel and a club hammers. First, make sure that the floor is appropriately wet so that the sand softens and it is easier to remove the stone. Using the chisel and the hammer, loosen the stone and work around it. Next, bring a spade to lift the stone up. Use a slab of timber while doing this to protect the slab next to it.

Loosen the sand below and add more if necessary. Use a standard leveler to level the sand. If the stone had mortar below it, then start breaking and loosening up the mortar. If you need more, then mix four parts of sharp sand and one part of cement. Slip in the new slab. Make sure it is at the same level as the surrounding slabs. To do this use can use a rubber mallet to ensure that it is well seated. Or you could use a timber-off cut along with a club hammer to do the same thing.

Once you feel that it is at the right level, pour sand all over the patio slab and broom it into the edges. This will ensure that the gaps are filled and that there is no more space for it to move or loosen again.