7 Signs Your Pavers Need Repair (Not Just Cleaning)

1. A low or sunken area

A dip that holds water after rain means the base underneath has washed out or compacted. Sealing over it changes nothing; the water keeps collecting and the dip keeps growing. The fix is lifting that section, rebuilding the base, and resetting the pavers to grade.

2. Pavers that rock when you step on them

A paver that moves under your foot has lost its support — usually because joint sand washed out and the bedding layer followed. One rocking paver today tends to become a loose cluster after the next rainy season.

3. Joints you can see down into

Joint sand should be full to just under the paver's edge. When you can see dark gaps, the pavers are no longer locked to each other, and water is running straight down into the base instead of across the surface.

4. Edges spreading outward

Along driveway borders and pool deck perimeters, pavers can migrate outward when the edge restraint fails. You'll see widening gaps near the border while the field looks fine. That's a restraint repair, and it only gets more expensive as the field shifts.

5. Weeds and ant hills in the joints

Both are symptoms of the same thing: open, unstabilized joints. Pulling weeds and spraying ants treats the surface. Re-sanding and stabilizing the joints removes the conditions they need.

6. Cracked or chipped pavers

Individual damaged pavers can be swapped out, and it's worth doing before sealing so the whole surface finishes evenly. If you have spares from the original install, bring them out — color matching is easiest with the original batch.

7. Water running toward the house

Grade problems are the one item on this list that can cost you more than the pavers. If a patio or driveway has settled toward the foundation, that water has to go somewhere. Get it looked at before the next storm season, not after.

Repair first, then seal

The right sequence is repair, clean, re-sand, stabilize, seal. Doing it in that order means the finished surface is level and locked before it's coated, and the sealer lasts its full two to three years.

We handle repairs and sealing as one project across Palm Beach and Broward County, so you're not coordinating two crews. Free on-site estimates.