# Plowing over brick pavers?



## sk187 (Dec 7, 2006)

Does anyone have to plow over brick pavers?
A property we service has long 12' wide brick paver sidewalks.

The property has been doing them with a small little tractor with no down pressure.

Wondering if anyone else is plowing them and with what.


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## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

Most guys that have several of those kinds of properties use a rubber cutting edge I believe. I can't personally give you much advice as I don't have any of those and never have. One idea that might work though, would be find the high spot on the driveway, drop the blade and don't put it in float. That would leave some residual snow on the drive, but you wouldn't be pulling up any pavers. Don't know if that would work or not, but it's an idea.


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## peteo1 (Jul 4, 2011)

I've always just dropped the blade and went with it. Never had a problem. Keep the blade angled and let it float and you should be ok


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

We had a poly edge made at a plastics supplier.


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## Boomer123 (Dec 18, 2011)

peteo1;1728792 said:


> I've always just dropped the blade and went with it. Never had a problem. Keep the blade angled and let it float and you should be ok


I do the same. I have one resi driveway big one with all pavers. I just drop the plow and go a little slower and have yet to flip a paver.


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## mike33 (Feb 15, 2006)

I do retaining walls and some pavers as my main business. When I went thru ICPI certification class for pavers that was a big question. Instructors says no problem don't worry. I haven't had to plow any but turned down a apartment complex that had compete lot of them. They was the permible style with wider gap grouted with stone to keep water on site. Could you imagine a couple sticking up and tearing out a few hundred before you got stopped.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

If the pavers are done properly plowing the lot with a steel edge and no shoes = no problem.

I've been plowing a lot that was done with pavers for 10yr now and have yet to catch one, no matter what angel I've had the plow set at .


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## jasonv (Nov 2, 2012)

It really would depend on the requirements for the specific lots, ALSO depends on how well the pavers are laying. If the pavers are LUMPY or otherwise uneven, that really increases your chances of digging them out.

If it is critical that you don't scratch them, poly/rubber/etc.
If you just don't want to dig them out, gravel shoes. Gravel shoes will scratch, but not nearly as much as the full blade, and won't dig them out.
If the pavers are smooth and tight, and it doesn't matter if you scratch them up a bit, just drop the steel blade and do it.


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

I have some driveways made of these and I use a poly blade. It does not scratch them up or leave any rusty marks. I also does not leave those brown rusty marks on concrete driveways.


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## tpendagast (Oct 27, 2012)

fisher makes a poly edge to bolt in place of your steel edge...

poly edge is worth using on everything in my opinion unless you are trying to plow very rough unpaved stuff

many snow pushers come with poly edges.

Poly wont scratch or gouge the pavers like the steel edge might.


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## snowman55 (Nov 20, 2007)

aren't pavers supposed to be harder and denser than poured concrete? if so why would your worry about scratching them? I do one lot and was told by owner no problem use steel they always have and I saw no scrapes or damage on them.


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## jasonv (Nov 2, 2012)

snowman55;1731884 said:


> aren't pavers supposed to be harder and denser than poured concrete? if so why would your worry about scratching them? I do one lot and was told by owner no problem use steel they always have and I saw no scrapes or damage on them.


That would depend on the concrete mix. A parking structure, for example, will typically have an extremely strong mix. Compared to asphalt though, almost anything is stronger.

The main issue with pavers, is that they are usually selected to be somewhat decorative. That being the case, it can often be more important to avoid damage to them. Again though, depends on the owner.


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

The other thing is that people seem to think they will be hurt so they look for it. Also these driveways are very expensive compared to asphalt. I use the poly blade and charge more because no one else in the area seems to have one. For most snows I like it better and it also lasts way longer than steel. So I really should not charge more but that the way it is.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

snowman55;1731884 said:


> aren't pavers supposed to be harder and denser than poured concrete? if so why would your worry about scratching them? I do one lot and was told by owner no problem use steel they always have and I saw no scrapes or damage on them.


Cutting edges generally leave rust streaks on them and if they are uneven the high stones get scratched. Really depends on how anal your client is.


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## Rockyroad (Oct 24, 2013)

We manufacture edges specifically for those types of applications.


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## Weeded! (Nov 13, 2009)

*Tried Reaching Rockyroad*



Rockyroad;1734985 said:


> We manufacture edges specifically for those types of applications.


I left a message and sent emails to you this week about ploy edges...please contact me.
David
Weeded! Lawn Service


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## CMD (Jan 16, 2010)

Was at boston city hall last week , the whole area is either brick pavers or stone in some areas. There was two city 4wd trucks parked with fisher straight blades.......between the cutting edge and the trip edge they had sandwiched a flat of hard rubber about an inch thick x 10" the full width of the plow. Figured this was to reduce wear on the brick. Always looking at equipment for ideas.


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## Weeded! (Nov 13, 2009)

*We do a mile of brick roadway*

I went better-safe-than-sorry and used 1" thick rubber cutting edge. I also used some poly (not specifically plow poly) for the ATV plow. Both worked well, though the plastic seemed to clear better.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

if you wore off enough steel to leave rust marks your cutting edge would be worn out in no time.

Your not going to wear off enough steel that's going to stick around long enough on a drive that is exposed to the elements to leave rust streaks.

Maybe if your rusty shoos were put into service just before you plowed you would leave streaks on the pavement.
Most of us run our stuff enough so rust doesn't build up on the equipment.

The lot I plow with pavers shows no wear from plowing all of the bricks are intact.
I guess it depends on the quality of the paver.

Our city bricked some streets.
It was omg, omg, we need poly edges on a couple of trucks and dedicated them to plowing the bricked streets.
now, years later they just plow them with the same plows they use every where else with steel edges.


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## tpendagast (Oct 27, 2012)

SnoFarmer;1736355 said:


> if you wore off enough steel to leave rust marks your cutting edge would be worn out in no time.
> 
> Your not going to wear off enough steel that's going to stick around long enough on a drive that is exposed to the elements to leave rust streaks.
> 
> ...


:laughing:
good story.

Ive personally seen some really messed up pavers from bad snow plow ops before, but int hose cases it was either a grade change (multiple usually) involved or in a couple cases where some dill hole used a skid steer with chains and was spinning his tires! Yowch!


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

^ Sure, they can be messed up but it depends if the plow-jockey, bobcat-jockey knows how to plow and what not to do.


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## sk187 (Dec 7, 2006)

Thanks for all the replies, we are currently doing it with blade angled. No problems yet........


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

SnoFarmer;1736355 said:


> if you wore off enough steel to leave rust marks your cutting edge would be worn out in no time.
> 
> Your not going to wear off enough steel that's going to stick around long enough on a drive that is exposed to the elements to leave rust streaks.
> 
> ...


Really now oh wise one. If you take light grey coloured pavers and run a cutting edge over them 30 times in a winter you will get rust streaks. The rust isn't from the rust on the cutting edge it's from the little bits of steel left from your blade that turns into rust. This is off topic anyways as I don't think this will bother the posters client.


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