Pavers Guide

Beautiful landscape designs for your yard is only part of the equation – you have to consider the hardscape design as well. You have to make sure that your driveway and outdoor space matches the beauty of your flowers and yard.

This is where pavers come in. They are long-lasting solutions that can instantly elevate the aesthetic of your outdoor living space. Chic lounge area, a beautiful pool deck, a cozy outdoor entertaining area – there’s so much you can do with pavers! Most pavers require very minimal upkeep as well, saving you time and money in the long run.

However, hardscaping services and pavers could be a substantial initial cost, especially if you’re in a remodeling frenzy. To help you make the wisest choices, here are four things you should know before planning a hardscape.

The Types Of Pavers

Each style has a range of colors, strengths, and disadvantages to boot, making picking the perfect paver even more difficult. You don’t want to waste time and money getting a paver that doesn’t work with your home style, or worse, causes problems. It’s impossible to list all the paver styles on the market since there are so many, so here are some common types of pavers. 

Natural Stone Pavers

Natural stone pavers are made out of stones found in nature, like granite and limestones. The beauty in these pavers lies in the variety of the stones since you won’t find two stones that look exactly alike. Different types of stones will also give you a different aesthetic. For example, flagstones go quite nicely with colonial homes, while sandstone has a wide range of color options that go great with garden patios. 

Natural stone pavers are among the most expensive types of pavers on the market since they last forever. On average, they cost about $10 per sq ft but can go up to $30 for more expensive types.

Pros

• Natural-looking 
• High quality and low maintenance
• Infinite design opportunities from the extensive selection of stone types and slight color variations between stones
• Adds value to your home

Cons

• Natural stone pavers tend to absorb more moisture, expand, and crack
• One of the priciest pavers

Concrete Pavers

Concrete pavers are often referred to as ‘cement pavers,’ but that’s not entirely true. Cement pavers, or poured concrete, use wet concrete poured into place, while concrete pavers are made up of sand, cement, gravel, and pigments. During manufacturing, this concrete mixture is poured into molds and vibrated to create more density. Because of this, concrete pavers are less susceptible to breakage than poured concrete.

The best thing about concrete paving stones is limitless design options. Since it is so versatile, it can go with any home style to create any effect you like for your outdoor area. It’s also relatively easy to maintain since you can just wash it periodically and pull out the weeds when they come out. If any individual pavers break, you can simply remove the broken pieces and replace them with new ones. They typically cost about $2 to $5 per square foot. 

Pros

• Stronger than poured concrete
• Low maintenance
• Can replace individual pavers
• Better traction when wet
• Great design flexibility

Cons

• Can move from roots, frost heave, and settling
• Color fades quickly from exposure to sunlight
• More complicated base preparation process

Brick Pavers

Like pottery, brick pavers are made from clay formed into shape and put in a kiln to cure. Because of the kiln firing process, the shape and the size of the brick paver might change, making them a little more inconsistently shaped than pavers made in a highly controlled environment like concrete pavers. Brick pavers also have limited paver laying patterns. 

Brick pavers are an excellent option for your pool patio or walkway as they are durable and provide good traction when wet. They don’t require much maintenance asides the occasional cleaning either. These lovely pavers typically cost around $0.25 to $4 per brick or $4 to $8 per square foot.

Pros 

• Better color retention, especially when exposed to UV rays
• Requires less maintenance
• Provide great traction
• Timeless charm even if the bricks chip
• Eco-friendly as brick pavers are often salvaged, cleaned, and reused 

Cons

• Limited color choices and paver laying patterns
• Size variation due to the kiln firing process
• More breakable under stress, like heavy vehicles

Porcelain Pavers

Porcelain pavers are sought after mainly after for their aesthetic appeal. They go very well with European-style houses as they look luxurious and expensive. Because they are manufactured with printed designs, they come in a vast range of design options, colors, and sizes.

They are perfect for driveways, given how heavy and durable they are. Outdoor porcelain pavers don’t degrade much over time as they are water-resistant, fireproof, and stain-resistant. But because of how tough they are, they can be quite challenging to cut, making them less ideal for DIY home improvement projects or weirdly-shaped spaces. They typically cost around $7 to $9 per square foot.

Pros 

• Broad range of attractive designs
• Water-resistant
• Stain-resistant, especially when glazed
• Fireproof
• Long lifespan

Cons

• Might be hard to install if you’re not an expert
• Heavy

There are many other options out there for pavers, but these are some of the most commonly used and best value for money options. 

Permeable or Impermeable Pavers

Although they can look similar once installed, the permeability of your pavers determines what happens to your driveway when it’s raining heavily. 

Permeable pavers are typically used for parking lots, walkways, or roads. They have a wider joint, which allows the water to go around it and seep into the group. Besides that, permeable pavers are considered to be more eco-friendly since water goes back to the ground and irrigates surrounding plants. You don’t have to install a drainage system when you have permeable pavers. 

However, you need to clean the joints of permeable pavers once in a while to prevent clogging. This is where impermeable pavers truly shine. Since it is made with little to no gap between pavers, you don’t have to do anything special to clean these pavers. Impermeable pavers are also cheaper to install than their permeable counterpart. But since it doesn’t channel water somewhere else, you might have to install a drainage system if you live in an area with a lot of rain.

Although permeable pavers are more superior to its impermeable counterpart theoretically, the decision to use either depends on your site and budget constraints. For instance, it doesn’t make much sense to invest in the more expensive permeable pavers if you live in an area that doesn’t rain much. 

Brand 

Since pavers’ manufacturing process is standardized across the country, the only thing that matters about brands is the color, recipe, and shapes. 

Belgrad products are synonymous with variety. From permeable turfstone to porcelain pavers that mimic the look of wood, Belgrad boasts a large range of pavers that every homeowner can use for all kinds of projects – patios, firepits, built-in grills… you name it! One of the best things about Belgrad is the ease of installation. You can start your projects immediately after getting their quality pavers with no problem at all.

System Pavers serve customers from Texas, Colorado, and the West Coast, so you’re in luck if you live in these areas. Besides producing high-quality pavers, they also specialize in many beautiful outdoor elements like mailboxes, retaining walls, and outdoor pergolas. They also offer a free design consultation if you’d like a professional to work on your patio instead.

Unilock’s edge over its competition is the large variety of colors and textures they offer to their customers. Not only that, but the quality of the pavers is top-notch as they are able to hold their color despite exposure to natural elements. If you like the idea of making your outdoor area look luxurious and expensive, Unilock is the brand to go for.

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Paver Installation

If you want to DIY your outdoor area, you have to know about the do’s and don’ts of paver installation. It’s a waste of money and effort to lay down your pavers only to tear it up again to repave it. 

Do’s 

• Plan out your project properly: Many people did their paving, only to realize that there’s no space to walk around after placing all the furniture. A good way to prevent this is to come up with a reasonable drawing of the area you want to cover. You can also excavate more upfront, just in case you need more space. 
• Prepare your base properly: Preparing a proper base is the key to ensuring the longevity of your pavers. Many factors go into a good base: the soil quality, the type of pavers you use, excavation, and so on. For example, soft soil is easier to dig through, but you have to dig deeper for your paver to set correctly with the right drainage. 
• Understand the functionality of your outdoor space: Do you want to entertain in your new patio? Are you paving a new driveway? It’s more about using the space; it’s also about the load your pavers can take. Spaces meant to withstand a heavier load, like a driveway or retaining walls, should be paved with a deeper foundation while patios and walkways require less.
• Start paving along the wall: Crooked lines will only get worse as you go on, so make sure that you start long the straightest, longest wall. 

Don’ts

• Don’t put plastic under paving applications: Putting plastic under paving applications to prevent weeds is a common and costly misconception. Seeds typically start from the top and gradually work their way down with their roots. If you’re concerned about weeds, try laying down geotextiles before placing your granular base.
• Don’t cut corners: It’s tempting to dump all the materials in the excavation site to save time. The problem is, most traditional plate compactors can’t compact more than 4” of base. For example, if you put in 6” of base, only the top 4” of base will be compacted. The bottom 2” will settle in the future and might cause your patio to fall. When laying your base, you have to make sure to put in your materials and compact at the same time to avoid unwanted consequences. 
• Don’t lay the pavers too tightly: Packing your pavers too tightly might cause future problems. The recommended space between pavers should be around 3mm. 
• Don’t do the final compaction until you’ve cleaned the surface: Sometimes, dirt and debris on the surface of your new patio can give the illusion of perfection. But it’s important to remember that you can’t change the placements of the paver stones after you’ve done the final compaction. So make sure to clean up and do your final inspections!