Michigan's Boulder & Hardscape Specialist
Paver & Natural Stone Walkways in Northern Michigan
Beautiful, Durable Paths Designed for Your Property
A well-designed walkway does more than provide a path from one area of your property to another. It can connect outdoor living spaces, improve access and become an important part of the overall landscape. Boulder Brothers LLC installs custom paver and natural stone walkways throughout Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake, Roscommon, St. Helen, West Branch, Gladwin, Harrison and surrounding Northern Michigan communities. Whether you're looking for a clean paver walkway leading to your front door, a natural stone path through the landscape, or a walkway incorporated with boulder walls and outdoor stairs, we'll design it around your property.
Paver Walkways
Pavers provide a clean, finished appearance and offer almost unlimited possibilities for walkway layouts, patterns, colors and borders.
We can install paver walkways for:
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Front entrances
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Side yards
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Paths between the house and garage
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Patio access
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Lakefront access
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Garden and landscape paths
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Connections between outdoor living areas
We primarily recommend high-quality pavers from established manufacturers such as Unilock, with different styles and price points available depending on the look you're trying to achieve. A properly installed paver walkway should look great when it's finished—but what is underneath the pavers is just as important.
Built on a Proper Base
One of the most important parts of a paver walkway is something you won't see when we're finished: the base. Northern Michigan's freeze-and-thaw cycles can be hard on improperly installed hardscapes. Without adequate excavation, base material and compaction, pavers can settle, move and become uneven. Our paver installations typically include approximately 6–8 inches of properly compacted base material, depending on site conditions and the application. We often install a base that is 1–2 inches thicker than minimum requirements because we'd rather put the extra work underneath the project than come back later because it moved. Proper grading is also incorporated to help move water in the appropriate direction rather than toward your home or other structures.
Polymeric Sand Matters
The material between your pavers matters too. After installation, polymeric sand is swept into the joints and activated to help lock the pavers together and reduce joint washout, weed growth and movement. We recommend using a high-quality polymeric sand rather than choosing a product based solely on price. Our preferred products include Dominator polymeric sand, which we've used on paver patios and walkways throughout Northern Michigan. Quality materials cost a little more initially, but the joints are an important part of the finished paver system.
Natural Stone Walkways
For homeowners who want a more organic Northern Michigan appearance, natural stone can be an excellent alternative to manufactured pavers.
Natural stone works especially well around:
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Boulder retaining walls
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Natural stone stairs
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Lakefront properties
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Wooded landscapes
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Garden areas
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Cabins and cottages
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Beach access
Every piece of natural stone has its own shape, texture and color variation, giving the finished walkway a character that manufactured materials can't exactly duplicate. Natural stone paths can be designed to look formal and structured or more rustic and natural depending on the property.
Walkways That Work With Your Landscape
Some of our best walkway projects are not standalone features. A walkway can connect a paver patio to the lake, transition into natural stone stairs, run alongside a boulder retaining wall or provide access through a landscape bed. Because Boulder Brothers LLC installs multiple types of hardscapes, we can look at the entire area instead of designing the walkway in isolation.
Your walkway can be incorporated with:
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Boulder retaining walls
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Natural stone or timber stairs
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Paver patios
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Landscape beds
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Boulder edging
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Beach areas
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Firepit areas
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Drainage improvements
The goal is to make everything look like it belongs together.
Replacing Old or Failing Walkways
Existing brick and paver walkways can sometimes become uneven as the base settles or washes out.
Other common problems include:
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Sunken or raised pavers
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Large gaps between bricks or pavers
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Poorly cut edge pieces
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Failed joint sand
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Weeds growing through joints
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Water collecting on the walkway
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Edges spreading or moving
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An inadequate or poorly compacted base
Depending on the condition of the existing materials, we can evaluate whether rebuilding the walkway or installing a new walkway makes the most sense. When an old walkway has failed because of what's underneath it, simply resetting a few pavers may not solve the underlying problem.
Pavers or Natural Stone?
Both can create a beautiful, long-lasting walkway when installed correctly. Pavers provide a more uniform appearance with a large selection of colors, patterns, shapes and borders. They're an excellent choice when coordinating a walkway with a paver patio or more formal landscape. Natural stone provides a unique, rustic appearance that works especially well with boulder walls, lakefront properties and natural Northern Michigan landscapes. Not sure which one fits your property? We can discuss both options during your estimate.
Complete Hardscape Design
A new walkway may be only one part of your project. Boulder Brothers LLC can design and install multiple hardscape features together, allowing the materials, elevations and layout to complement one another.
This is especially useful on lakefront properties where a project may include retaining walls, stairs, walkways and a patio or beach area at different elevations.
Ready for a Better Walkway?
Whether you're replacing an old walkway or adding a completely new path to your property, Boulder Brothers LLC can help you choose the right materials and design.
