If you own a home in Queensborough, or in neighbouring Richmond, you've probably noticed it: a driveway with a dip in it, a patio with a low corner, or an asphalt surface full of cracks and potholes. It's one of the most common calls we get from that part of the Lower Mainland, and we repair sunken pavers there all the time. The cause is almost never the surface itself. It's what's underneath.
Why Queensborough Ground Moves
Queensborough sits on Lulu Island in the Fraser River delta, right beside Richmond. Much of this area is built on soft, silty river soil and fill, with a high water table. That kind of ground compresses and settles over time, and it doesn't settle evenly. One corner of a driveway can drop while the rest stays put.
Water makes it worse. Rain that can't drain properly softens the base, and moving water can carry fine material out from under a surface, leaving a void that eventually collapses.
Why Asphalt Gets Potholes
Asphalt is a rigid, continuous surface. When the ground under it settles, the asphalt cracks. Water gets into the crack, softens the base further, and traffic breaks the weakened spot into a pothole. Patching the hole fills the symptom, but the ground underneath is still moving, so the problem usually comes back.
Why Pavers Handle It Better
Paving stone is built from individual units sitting on a compacted base and joint sand. When the ground moves, pavers flex with it instead of cracking as one piece. And when one area does settle, the repair is local:
No resurfacing. We don't tear up the whole driveway.
No mismatched patch. The same pavers go back in, so the colour and pattern match.
No waste. The existing stone is reused.
How We Fix Sunken Pavers
Fixing a sunken area properly is about rebuilding what's underneath, not just topping it up with sand:
Mark and lift the pavers in the affected area, and set them aside in order.
Find the cause. Is it a soft spot, a drainage problem, or a void where material has washed out?
Dig out and rebuild the base with proper base material, compacted in layers.
Reset the pavers to the correct height and slope so water drains away from the house.
Refill the joints with sand and compact the surface.
If the cause is drainage, we fix that as part of the repair. Otherwise the area will just sink again.
Signs It's Time to Call
A dip or low spot that holds water after rain
Pavers that have dropped below their neighbours or become uneven
Gaps or open joints where sand keeps washing out
A surface that now slopes toward the house instead of away from it
Catching these early keeps the repair small. A few sunken pavers are a quick fix. A large section that has been sinking for years is a bigger job.
Planning a New Driveway in Queensborough?
If you're replacing a cracked asphalt driveway, the base is where the project is won or lost on ground like this. A well-built paver driveway on a properly prepared base is designed to handle some movement and to be repaired in sections if it ever needs it. We're happy to walk your property and explain what your site needs.
Areas We Serve
Square Yards Landscaping proudly serves the Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore & Belcarra), Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Burnaby, Vancouver, and the rest of the Lower Mainland.
Contact Us
Have a sinking driveway or patio? Reach out today:
Phone: +1 (604) 314-2350
Request a Quote: squareyardslandscaping.ca/contact