Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook teaches his apprentice how to identify and repair a walkway that has been damaged by chipmunks.
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Time: 3 hours
Cost: $100
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List for Repairing a Paver Walkway:
Trowel
Shovel
Buckets
Level
Tamper
Rubber hammer
Push broom
Shopping List:
Stone pack
Stone dust
Concrete
Steps:
1. Examine the walkway. If the pavers have moved around but the base appears relatively firm, it might just be a freeze/thaw issue. If it appears that the pavers caved in, there’s a good chance it was damage by chipmunk tunnels. Keep this in mind while working on the walkway.
2. Before moving any of the pavers, take a picture of the pattern laid out.
3. Remove the pavers and place them carefully out of the way. It helps to lay them down in the same layout they were originally in.
4. Scrape away any soil that has grown between the pavers.
5. Fill in any gaps with pack until the base of the walkway is level with the rest of the walkway. Use the tamper to pack everything down.
6. Level the top of the gaps with stone dust until the base is completely level and compact it using the tamper.
7. Relay all the pavers in order, starting from the point furthest from the walkway and working back in. Refer to the picture as necessary. Use the level to ensure each paver is level with the walkway. Use the rubber hammer to lower and pavers that might be sticking up.
8. Sprinkle stone dust on top of the patch and work it in between the gaps of all the pavers with the push brush.
9. If the damage from the walkway was caused by chipmunks, protect the sides of the walkway by digging a hole on both sides of the walkway.
10. Fill both holes with concrete, then backfill with soil.
Resources:
All the materials Roger used, including the rubber hammer, stone dust, and concrete, can all be found at home centers and landscape supply stores.
About Generation Next:
This Old House’s Generation NEXT initiative shines a light on the urgent need for young people to enter the building trades and fill the skills gap in America today. “There’s a critical need for people in home construction,” says the This Old House master carpenter Norm Abram. The initiative has involved recruiting apprentices—some with no skills, some with a few years under their tool belts—to work alongside the TOH TV pros.
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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Repairing a Paver Walkway | Generation Next | Ask This Old House
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