Block Paving Repairs: Relaid, Re-Sanded and Locked Back Together in Dorridge

Block paving is the most repairable driveway surface there is, and that is exactly why it deserves proper repairs: because lifting and relaying blocks is quick, the temptation is to do it superficially — pat a sunken block back into its dip without asking why the dip exists. That approach fails within a season. This page explains how block paving fails, how we repair it so the repair holds, and what maintenance keeps it that way.

How block paving fails

The system depends on three things working together: jointing sand locking the blocks into a single surface, edge restraints holding the field in place, and a compacted base carrying the loads. Failures follow from those. Sand loss — to weather, jet washing, ants and traffic — lets individual blocks move, which pumps out more sand and spreads the looseness. Edge restraint failure lets the boundary blocks creep outward, and the loosening migrates inwards. Bedding or base problems — sand too thin, base poorly compacted or eroded by water — show as sunk and rocking areas at wheel paths and parked positions. Water is the underlying accelerator in all three: it washes sand and fines out through any joint, softens what is below, and freezes open what it has loosened.

How we diagnose

We walk the drive and read the pattern: widespread fine movement says sand; a loose band at the boundary says edges; dips at wheel paths say bedding or base; areas worse after rain say water is washing through. We lift blocks in the worst areas — which takes minutes, not demolition — to inspect bedding and base directly, and check the falls to see where water goes. The diagnosis decides whether you need an afternoon of re-sanding or a structural repair, and we will tell you honestly which it is.

The repairs

Re-sanding: joints cleared and fresh kiln-dried sand brushed in to lock the surface — quick, and often all a tired drive needs. Edge repairs: failed restraints rebuilt — a solid edge course set in concrete or a proper kerb — because relaying blocks against a rotten edge just restarts the creep. Re-laying: sunken or rocking blocks lifted, disturbed bedding removed, base re-levelled and compacted, fresh bedding laid, blocks relaid and re-sanded. Structural repairs: where the base itself has failed over an area, that section is excavated and rebuilt in compacted layers before any blocks go back — and if our assessment shows the failure is widespread, we will say plainly that relaying the field or rebuilding is the economical answer, quoted after survey. Block replacement: cracked or damaged individual blocks are swapped — one of the system's genuine advantages — provided matching or complementary blocks are available, which we will discuss honestly since discontinued patterns sometimes cannot be matched exactly.

What we guarantee and what we don't

We do not guarantee that jointing sand will never need topping up — it is a consumable, especially after jet washing — nor against future weathering or settlement, particularly on drives with soft ground. What we do is fix the structural causes, relay properly, and tell you the annual maintenance — sweep, top up sand, keep drainage clear — that keeps the repair earning its keep.

Costs and booking

You pay a booking fee when you book, and labour is charged hourly at a rate that depends on how soon you need the visit. The full cost of the repair is quoted and approved before we start, with materials — sand, blocks, concrete — quoted separately; a full relay or base rebuild is a bigger project quoted after survey. When you book, tell us the area affected, whether blocks move underfoot or under vehicles, and whether it worsens after rain — and mention if you have spare blocks, because matching matters.