Interlock Repair & Releveling

Interlocking paver surfaces are designed to last 25-30 years or more, but the base beneath them is subject to the same soil movement, drainage issues, and settling that affect all ground-level structures in Metro Vancouver.

Over time, pavers sink in areas where the base has settled or eroded, shift laterally where edge restraints have failed, develop wide joints where polymeric sand has washed out, and accumulate weed and moss growth in the gaps — conditions that are accelerated by Metro Vancouver's heavy rainfall, clay soils, and the mild damp climate that promotes aggressive biological growth year-round.

The good news is that unlike poured concrete (which cracks and must be demolished and replaced), interlocking pavers can be individually lifted, the base corrected, and the pavers re-laid — a repair methodology that is faster, less expensive, and less disruptive than full replacement.

Sinking and settling are the most common paver problems in Metro Vancouver. Localized sinking typically occurs where the original base was inadequately compacted, where underground utilities were backfilled with loose soil, or where poor drainage has allowed water to erode the granular base material from beneath the pavers.

Releveling involves lifting the affected pavers (they pop out individually by prying up with a flat bar or using a paver extractor), excavating and re-compacting the base with additional granular material to restore the correct grade, re-screeding the bedding sand layer, and re-laying the pavers in their original pattern.

For larger areas of settling, a geotechnical assessment may reveal a deeper soil issue — expansive clay, organic soil decomposition, or inadequate original excavation depth — that requires more extensive base reconstruction.

Joint sand replacement is the second most common paver maintenance need. Polymeric sand (the hardening sand used between paver joints) degrades over time due to UV exposure, rain erosion, power washing, and foot or vehicle traffic. Once the joint sand fails, weeds and moss colonize the gaps (a rapid process in Vancouver's climate), ants build nests in the sand, and pavers lose their interlock — they begin to shift, rock, and develop uneven surfaces that become trip hazards.

Re-sanding involves removing all existing joint material (a combination of pressure washing and vacuuming), cleaning the paver surfaces, allowing them to dry completely, sweeping new polymeric sand into the joints, and activating it with a light water mist. For Vancouver's wet climate, a high-performance polymeric sand rated for heavy rainfall and freeze-thaw resistance (such as Techniseal HP Nextgel or Alliance Gator Maxx G2) is recommended over standard polymeric sand.

Paver replacement addresses individual pavers that are cracked, chipped, stained beyond cleaning, or damaged by vehicle impact or root heave. Matching replacement pavers is straightforward if the original product is still manufactured — reputable installers will have recorded the paver brand, colour, and size at installation.

For discontinued products, closely matching alternatives can usually be found, and mixing the replacements throughout the repair area rather than concentrating them in one spot minimizes the visual difference. WorkSafeBC coverage should be confirmed for all contractors.

Interlock repair and releveling in Metro Vancouver typically costs $8 to $20 per square foot, depending on the extent of base correction needed, the area size, whether joint sand replacement is included, and the number of replacement pavers required.