Permeable Paver Cleaning & Joint Restoration in Nashville, TN
Clogged permeable pavers don’t need to be torn out. They need the joints cleaned out and refilled with the right stone. Permeable Pavers by Smarter Scapes restores permeable paver driveways, parking lots, plazas and walkways across Middle Tennessee so water drains the way the system was designed to.
Call (615) 205-8166 or request a restoration estimate below.
Signs Your Permeable Pavers Need Restoration
A permeable paver system drains through the open joints between the pavers into a clean stone base underneath. Over the years those joints fill with leaves, silt, pollen and organic growth. Once they clog, the pavement starts acting like regular pavement:
- Standing water or puddles after a rain where there never used to be any
- Weeds, moss or grass growing in the joints
- Dark, packed joints instead of visible clean stone
- Joint stone washed out or sitting well below the top of the pavers
- Runoff sheeting off the surface into the yard, the street or a storm drain
- Pavers starting to shift because the joints no longer lock them in place
Paver manufacturers and the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) both plan for this. Routine sweeping and topping up the joints keeps a system healthy year to year, and a complete restoration of the joint aggregate is part of normal long-term maintenance for any permeable pavement.
How We Restore Permeable Pavers
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Protect & prepare | Protect surrounding landscaping, hardscape edges and structures. Clear loose leaves, soil and surface debris. |
| 2. Clean out the joints | Remove the failed joint aggregate and organic buildup with controlled methods designed to avoid disturbing the pavers or the open-graded base underneath. |
| 3. Install & consolidate new aggregate | Sweep clean, open-graded ASTM #8 or #9 joint stone into the joints, compact, top up and finish at the correct joint height. |
| 4. Stabilize (optional) | Apply a permeable joint stabilizer that locks the joint stone in place while still letting water through. It is not a conventional sealer. |
| 5. Final detailing | Remove excess stone and job debris and leave the surface clean and finished. |
Two Ways to Restore
| Option | Joint Material | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Standard restoration | Clean ASTM #9 open-graded chip | Restores drainage and appearance. Joints get topped up periodically as stone settles or is swept out. |
| Stabilized restoration | Permeable joint chip + permeable stabilizer | Long or sloped driveways, high-traffic lots and areas with heavy leaf fall. Resists washout, sweeping loss and weed growth. |
Residential Driveways & Commercial Lots
Paver Driveways
Wooded Nashville neighborhoods like Green Hills, Forest Hills, Brentwood and Franklin are hard on permeable driveways. Leaf fall packs the joints every autumn. Restoring the joints brings back drainage, stops the weeds and keeps a high-end driveway looking the way it did the day it went in.
Parking Lots, Plazas & Fire Lanes
On commercial sites, permeable pavement is often part of the approved stormwater plan, and Metro Nashville requires annual post-construction inspections of stormwater BMPs. A clogged lot can fall out of compliance. Joint restoration brings infiltration back without tearing out the pavement.
Keeping It Draining After Restoration
- Blow or sweep regularly, especially in the fall. Leaves left to break down in the joints are what clog them.
- Don’t point a pressure washer at the joints. It blows the stone out or breaks down a stabilizer early.
- Top up the joint stone when it settles noticeably below the top of the pavers.
- Never use sand or polymeric sand in permeable joints. It seals off the drainage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can clogged permeable pavers be fixed without replacing them?
In most cases, yes. The clog is usually in the top of the joints. Cleaning out the failed joint material and refilling with clean open-graded stone restores drainage without lifting the pavers.
How often do permeable pavers need joint restoration?
It depends on tree cover, traffic and how well the surface is swept. Routine sweeping and topping up should happen every year. A full joint restoration is typically needed every several years, sooner on heavily wooded or high-traffic sites.
Can I use polymeric sand in my permeable paver joints?
No. Polymeric sand and regular sand fill the voids that let water drain and turn a permeable system into an impermeable one. Permeable joints need clean, open-graded stone, with or without a permeable stabilizer.
What about pavers that have sunk or shifted?
Joint restoration does not include resetting pavers. Sunken, heaved or broken pavers are assessed separately, since they usually mean the bedding or base underneath needs repair.
Do you restore permeable pavers you didn’t install?
Yes. We restore permeable paver systems from any manufacturer, including Belgard, Unilock, Pine Hall Brick, Techo-Bloc and Keystone.
Request a Restoration Estimate
Send a few photos of the joints and the overall surface to sales@permeablepavers.contractors, or fill out the form.
Related: Permeable Paver Installation in Nashville | Permeable Paver FAQ | Smarter Scapes LLC
Permeable Pavers by Smarter Scapes LLC
425a 36th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37209 | (615) 205-8166 | permeablepavers.contractors