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About Driveway Paving & Repairs
Driveway paving and repairs covers two related jobs: laying new brick or concrete paving on a driveway that doesn't have one yet, and repairing paving that has sunk, lifted, cracked or opened up at the joints. Tarworks Construction does both across Germiston, Sunnyridge, the East Rand and Johannesburg, for homeowners, body corporates, managing agents and businesses. Most repair calls aren't really about the pavers themselves — a paver rarely fails on its own; it moves because the bedding sand or sub-base underneath has washed out or was never compacted or edge-restrained properly. That's why our first step, whether paving from scratch or repairing an existing driveway, is the same: assess what's happening underneath before we touch what's on top.
What's Included
- Free on-site assessment before any quote is given
- Diagnoses whether base or pavers have failed
- New driveway: excavation, compacted sub-base, bedding sand
- Brick or concrete pavers laid to chosen pattern
- Lift-and-relay repairs reusing sound existing pavers
- Concrete, stone or manufactured edge restraint installed
- Jointing sand compacted; polymeric option for weeds, ants
- Falls checked with water so the surface actually drains
Our Process
- 1
Assess the Site
We start on site, not over the phone — lifting a paver or two to see what's happening underneath on a repair, or checking the ground, falls and vehicle loading a new driveway needs to carry. You get a written assessment of what we found before we quote a price.
- 2
Prepare and Rebuild the Base
For new paving we excavate to the correct depth, build a compacted sub-base and screed a bedding layer of river sand. For repairs, we lift the affected pavers and rebuild the base underneath to the correct level and compaction, ready to relay on fresh bedding sand.
- 3
Lay Pavers and Edge Restraint
Brick or concrete pavers are laid to your chosen pattern — herringbone for driveways that take vehicle turning movements — and compacted with a plate compactor. Edge restraint goes in along every open edge before we hand the driveway over, not as an afterthought.
- 4
Joint and Check Falls
We brush jointing sand into every gap and compact again to lock the pavers together, using a polymeric sand where weed and ant resistance matters more. We finish by checking the falls across the whole surface with water so you can see it drains before we call the job done.
Project Gallery
Driveway Paving & Repairs FAQ
Can sunken or uneven paving be repaired without replacing the whole driveway?
In most cases, yes. If the pavers themselves are still in good condition, a lift-and-relay repair — lifting the affected section, rebuilding the base underneath, and relaying the same pavers — is usually the answer, and it costs a lot less than tearing out and replacing an entire driveway. It only makes sense to replace the whole surface when the base has failed across most of the driveway or the pavers are too worn or damaged to reuse. We assess the extent of the problem on site before recommending either option, and we will tell you honestly when a small repair is not going to hold and a larger area needs attention.
What causes paving to sink or become uneven?
Paving sinks when the material underneath it moves: bedding sand washing out from water running underneath the surface, a sub-base that was never compacted to the right density when the driveway was first laid, or a void left by a removed tree root or a leaking pipe. The pavers themselves are rarely the cause, they follow whatever is happening below them. That is why we always dig into the base before repairing a sunken area rather than just relaying the surface pavers and hoping the same section does not sink again within a season.
How long does paving last before it needs repairs?
Paving that was laid over a properly compacted base with correct edge restraint can last 20 years or more before it needs anything beyond routine joint maintenance. Paving laid over a base that was not compacted properly, or without edge restraint, can start sinking, lifting or opening at the joints within a year or two. The base and the edge restraint, not the pavers themselves, are what decide how long a driveway lasts, which is why we treat base preparation as the main part of the job rather than a step to rush through to get to the paving.
Can you reuse my existing pavers when repairing my driveway?
Usually, yes, and it is our preferred repair method where the pavers are still sound. We lift the affected pavers, set them aside, rebuild the base underneath, and relay the same pavers on fresh bedding sand once the base is corrected. It matches the rest of your driveway exactly because it is the same material, and it costs less than replacing the whole area with new pavers. Where individual pavers are cracked, chipped beyond repair or too worn to reuse, we replace only those and match them to the surrounding paving as closely as we can.
What causes paving joints to open up or weeds to grow through?
Joints open up when the jointing sand between the pavers washes out or wears away, which loosens the pavers so they can shift against each other under traffic. Once the joints are open, weed seeds and ants find their way in easily. It is a maintenance issue rather than a structural one at first, but pavers that are free to move against each other wear their edges and corners faster, so it is worth dealing with before it becomes edge damage or a cracked paver. We re-sand joints with compacted jointing sand, or a polymeric sand where weed resistance matters more to you.
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