# Paver Driveways



## natimp

This is my 1st year plowing. I am mainly cleaning resid'l driveways. I am curious on how much damage a plow can have on a paver driveway. Is it nessessary to install the rubber sleeve on the plow for these driveways. Or could I raise the plow to take the weight off. I dont have any of these driveways but I am curious if I do get them will I be buying a new driveway for them. Also, what if you have to back drag it. Any other kind of effect? Thanks.


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## PLM-1

natimp said:


> This is my 1st year plowing. I am mainly cleaning resid'l driveways. I am curious on how much damage a plow can have on a paver driveway. Is it nessessary to install the rubber sleeve on the plow for these driveways. Or could I raise the plow to take the weight off. I dont have any of these driveways but I am curious if I do get them will I be buying a new driveway for them. Also, what if you have to back drag it. Any other kind of effect? Thanks.


It sort of depends on the age of the paver drive. A newer one will peel up easier because it isn't as compacted and locked together as an older one would be. Just run shoes and you will be fine. I just treat them like a gravel drive. Just make sure you tell the customer that you can't scrape it as well as you could a concrete drive.


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## dmontgomery

I won't do paver drives........there are not that many of them around here, so to pass on them is no big deal.....

Derek


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## Turfmower

You can scatch them if it is a new driveway and they might get pissed. I plow 5 or 6 of them I plow them the same as a paved driveway. Plow right on the cutting edge no shoes.


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## Turfmower

PLM-1 said:


> It sort of depends on the age of the paver drive. A newer one will peel up easier because it isn't as compacted and locked together as an older one would be. Just run shoes and you will be fine. I just treat them like a gravel drive. Just make sure you tell the customer that you can't scrape it as well as you could a concrete drive.


They won't peel unless they not installed properly. Pavers are very durable they can use them in roadways that are subjected to heavy truck traffic.


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## drplow

make sure you have something in your contract that your not responsible for the surface or movement of paver's. it could be a shoddy job and by the end of the season, they could get shifted or scraped up. take a heavy truck and drive on the edges of the driveway when the ground is soft. if they move any, then beware.


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## danno

Yeah, I`d talk to the custormer in advance, then have them sign.


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## nekos

i actually do a bank that is all paver brick's < very fun lot to clear > 
all i do is keep the blade at an angle and there is no problem's. 
i would never touch a drive way with paver brick's though. to dangerious, not worth the head ache if something doe's happen.


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## addicted

if you are really worried, get a rubber edge. I made one from the tread of an old tire. Great all around as long as the snow isn't compacted.


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## Big Dog D

My main business is Landscape Construction and I am a Unilock Authorized Contractor as well. As long as they were installed even half-way decent you shouldn't have any issues. I used to plow the local Unilock(the co. that makes pavers) facility and their entire facility was paved with their product and we never had any issues. The install job wasn't even that great(poor grading& machine laid pavers) and still no problems even plowing with large trucks and also using Bobcat & Backhoe. The entrance to my shop is done in pavers, we did the job late last fall and plowed it all year again with various pieces of trucks & equip. No shoes or anything special is needed.

As was said, just inform the customer that you can't be held responsible for damages due to improper installation and that due to the nature of plowing it may cause some surface blemishes. Most people seem to prefer the "weathered & distressed" style of pavers, if it is one of those it won't show any signs.


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## Grn Mtn

Big Dog D said:


> My main business is Landscape Construction and I am a Unilock Authorized Contractor... machine laid pavers)


I haven't heard of _machine laid_, whats the deal there? (The who what and how)


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## PremierLand

Grn Mtn said:


> I haven't heard of _machine laid_, whats the deal there? (The who what and how)


im curious too, that sounds very interesting.


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## natimp

Thanks for all the advice. Sinking wasnt my 1st thought of damage to the driveways. How about scratching the surface of the driveway with the plow? Ever have that type of problem?


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## Fastech

Plowed a paver driveway for years and never had a problem. I did warn the customer ahead of time about the possibility of peeling part of it up and she signed a waiver releasing me of any damage. Just take your time and you should be okay.


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## gpin

I have a customer who had a large paver driveway installed. The installer informed the owner that the driveway had to be backbladed. I have tried this and is is usually not effective or worse. 1-2 " of dry snow is ok but forget about it if the snow is wet. I had a polyurethane edge on one truck which was great 60% of the time. Under wet or even mildly compacted situations, (one set of car tracks) it would not clean well.

I am proposing to do the drive slowly at an angle. Any other ideas?


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## Big Dog D

gpin said:


> I have a customer who had a large paver driveway installed. The installer informed the owner that the driveway had to be backbladed. I have tried this and is is usually not effective or worse. 1-2 " of dry snow is ok but forget about it if the snow is wet. I had a polyurethane edge on one truck which was great 60% of the time. Under wet or even mildly compacted situations, (one set of car tracks) it would not clean well.
> 
> I am proposing to do the drive slowly at an angle. Any other ideas?


Plow it like it was asphalt. We do regularly with no problems!


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## Big Dog D

Grn Mtn said:


> I haven't heard of _machine laid_, whats the deal there? (The who what and how)


They use them on large scale projects. The basicly pick up layers off of the cubes that they are shipped in and set them right in place.


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## PremierLand

Wow thats neat. What is a machine like that called?


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## paponte

Any paver driveways we would plow would have a U-edge on the plow for safety. Not worth scratching one IMO.


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## IMoLwnz.com

I got a poly edge for my plow and I had liked it. It was quiet and was very forgiving with grass. This year I decided to take it off I was having to many problems with driven down snow and when backdragging so I put the metal edge back on. I have a blizzard 760 and the edge is in good shape if anyone is interested.


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## mdb landscaping

we just backblade most of them..........we've been doing a large amount of paver installations on driveways. i have yet to see one we have done get torn up by a plow.


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## Nathan281

One of my customers had a major landscaping job done and they did not finish in time so in return they offered to plow their drive way for free and said if anyone else ever plows this drive way make sure they use a Teflon cutting edge


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## manwoaplow

*The real deal on pavers*

Everyone needs to listen to Big Dog D, he is right on the money with this one. Paver driveways are actually more durable than concrete and asphalt. The compressive strength of a typical concrete paver is far above 5,000 psi which is more than twice the strength of a poured concrete drive (+/- 3,000psi typically). As far as rolling any pavers with the plow forget about it, unless you starting from off of the pavement edge (in the grass) you will most likely never be able to catch anything. It is still a good idea to have a clause in your contract about damage, I have seen too many installers these days doing a poor job with their sub-base prep and install. My advice comes from combined family business experience of over 40 years of doing both paver work and snow removal. Thanks for listening and keep the snow coming.


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## Grn Mtn

Big Dog D said:


> They use them on large scale projects. The basicly pick up layers off of the cubes that they are shipped in and set them right in place.


Wow! I can't believe I had not know about that, I try to learn as much as I can about products I put down and this one stayed under the radar. Thanks for the picture.

I would have to agree, a properly installed paver driveway should have no problem being plowed.

HAS ANYONE PLOWED A PAVER DRIVEWAY AND HAVE IT PEEL-UP?


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