Are Pavers Good For Patios?

It's a big step out of the back door: you've decided to build or remodel a patio. If it's not going to be a traditional concrete slab – or if it's going to cover an existing one – you'll need to choose materials that go beyond just looking good. The patio that is made to last must be built with materials that are strong and durable.

Whether working alone or with a landscape architect or contractor, the budget, space size , color and architectural style of your home will influence the choice of materials. The availability is as follows: local stones blend in with the surrounding environment and do not cost as much as the hard-to - find materials that need to be shipped.

Safety and Surface Texture

Think about what the patio will be used for, and who will use it to look at the materials. Flat, smooth, even surfaces are necessary for dining areas, living rooms and accessibility. Rough cobblestones and bumpy aggregate concrete pavements could cause someone to travel or hinder the mobility of a person who uses a cane, walker or wheelchair. Conversely, ultra-smooth surfaces such as concrete or polished granite can become slippery when wet. Apply slip-resistant coatings to high-traffic surfaces that have the potential to become slick.

Stone Options

Visit a local stone yard or supplier to find out what's available in your area; this is one of the things you need to see and touch up close to making a smart decision. Popular types of stones include:

Flagstones
Cobbledstones
The Stone of Veneer
Cut the stones

Stone and concrete pavements are often spaced apart, with loose materials like pea gravel or sand or ground coverings like thyme or Irish moss to fill the gaps.

Consider Concrete

An attractive, cost-saving option is the use of concrete flooring, which can be mounted in a variety of sizes, shapes and colours. Various textures and finishes can be applied to concrete, such as rock salt, aggregate, false finishes, etching, stamping and hand carving. Even simple objects such as brooms or rakes can create attractive textural surfaces.

Some important things to consider when selecting your material:

Costs-what is the price of the product and associated building / construction costs.
Your land-have you got a flat or sloping land?
Maintenance-the time it will take for you to maintain the patio material and the costs of cleaning the patio for your lifetime.
Potential permits-Do you need the approval and certification of the Board to build your patio? (Consider the costs and time here)

When designing a paver-patio, ensure that proper drainage across the structure is taken into account. Building the patio on a 1-2 "slope away from the house will ensure that water and precipitation drain away from the foundation and do not pool under the brick pavements and soak in the basement or lower level. Grading the dirt with a slight slope towards the yard should give proper drainage. A gas-powered compactor can help to tamp down and level the dirt and lower the dirt more so as to direct the water towards the yard.

When laying sand to place the brick pavements, use 1" duct pipes to create the rails so that the surface is smooth and level enough to begin laying the bricks. Place the 1" pipes just inside each of the edges where the patio will be, and then get a 2'x4' that is long enough to cross both pipes. Pour the sand as evenly as possible over the duct, taking care not to bury it. Get someone to help you drag the 2'x4 'across the top of the duct pipes, smoothing and leveling the sand along the way. Do this for the length of the patio, pick up and move the rails as necessary to keep a 1 "level sand base to work with.

Get the foundation stones (those at the very bottom) as level as you can start by using a bubble level across the connecting stones. If the bottom stones are not level, any mistakes made will become more and more amplified and noticeable as the stacks are being built. If you find that some stones are minimally higher than others, use a rubber mallet to pound the high points down a bit until they become level. Low stones will have to be lifted, and sand will have to be added underneath them to bring them to a level.

Once the first level of the pavements is laid and the stones level with each other, it's time to fill them with sand. Pour a thin layer of sand over the stone pavements and sweep the sand into the cracks with the broom. As grains settle and moisture reaches it, sand acts as a natural cement, locking the blocks in place and solidifying the work.

If a 90-degree angle is desired at the corners of the paver-patio, cut the stones at a 45-degree angle using a circular saw and a diamond blade. For the first level of stone, simply cut the corners and put the two corner pieces together and lock them in with sand, but it gets trickier on the upper floors of the patio. Custom-fit pieces of stone may need to be cut in order to avoid gaps in the corners. These small pieces can be glued to a block adhesive that prevents smaller pieces of stone from popping out of place. Use the block adhesive generously in and around the corners, as they are the most vulnerable parts of the patio.

Are You Considering Pavers for Patio?

At DPG Pavers and Design, we’ve been providing our customers with specialized Landscape and Hardscape Design and Build services for over 30 years. With offices throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, we are the best curb-appeal and outdoor living space designer and installers for homes, apartments and municipalities. Appearing on HGTV’s Curb Appeal and featured on Discovery Channel’s program Renovation Nation, our team of skilled designers and landscape engineers provide top-quality service and professionalism our customers love. Have a patio in need of an upgrade? Contact DPG Pavers and Design to schedule your free consultation today!