# Forum Home Renovation Paving  Can I lay pavers over existing brick paving

## d00biez

Hi Everyone, 
I'm looking to do some landscaping in my backyard and currently have an area about 3m x 7m of brick pavers which are in pretty good condition although starting to sink a little here and there after many years.  
I would like to lay new pavers (maybe something like 400mm*400mm sandstone or similar) and have been researching the best way to do this. I could save myself a lot of work and trips to the dump if I didn't have to pull up all the old brick pavers. 
I know its possible to lay pavers over a concrete slab but I can't find any information on laying over existing paving. I would still use road base and bedding sand and a plate compactor before putting the pavers down and there should be good good drainage thru the old bricks. Jointing sand and a plate compactor over the finished job should have it all packed pretty tight too. 
Does anyone have any experience or thoughts/advice ? I'd really appreciate it. 
Cheers,  
Tony

----------


## Andolate

Hi Tony, 
i would not lay over old paving. If the sublayers are still moving/sinking now I am pretty confident they would still continue to do the same. 
 I would pull up the old paving and sublayers and hire a dingo to excavate the sublayers. Maybe worth hiring a skip if you dont have dump site. This would save you many a trip to the tip and tip costs. You also might be able to recover some cost advertising the old pavers for sale.
It sounds like you would be happy with the higher new height the pavers would be, if you did pave over the existing area.
If this is the case, once you have removed all of the sublayers it should leave you with a fair amount of excavated area to whack down a good lot of gravel which is not that dear, then the sand. This should help ensure no future sinking and movement for the new job.

----------


## d00biez

> Hi Tony, 
> i would not lay over old paving. If the sublayers are still moving/sinking now I am pretty confident they would still continue to do the same. 
>  I would pull up the old paving and sublayers and hire a dingo to excavate the sublayers. Maybe worth hiring a skip if you dont have dump site. This would save you many a trip to the tip and tip costs. You also might be able to recover some cost advertising the old pavers for sale.
> It sounds like you would be happy with the higher new height the pavers would be, if you did pave over the existing area.
> If this is the case, once you have removed all of the sublayers it should leave you with a fair amount of excavated area to whack down a good lot of gravel which is not that dear, then the sand. This should help ensure no future sinking and movement for the new job.

  hi andolate, 
thank u very much for the reply and the advice. i think you are right about the old pavers.. the skip bin is a good suggestion too! 
cheers, 
tony

----------

