What Are The Pros And Cons Of Using Pavers For Your Driveway?

Pavers are made of molded concrete formed into tiles that either resemble stone or brick, or look proudly like what they are: concrete. In general, the pavers fall into two types. The first one is a thick, durable interlocking paver. Similar to density bricks, interlocking pavers are often used for driveways as they can handle the weight of a vehicle.

 

Pavers are made of molded concrete formed into tiles that either resemble stone or brick, or look proudly like what they are: concrete. In general, the pavers fall into two types. The first one is a thick, durable interlocking paver. Similar to density bricks, interlocking pavers are often used for driveways as they can handle the weight of a vehicle.

 

Advantages:

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1. Flexibility.

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The concrete paver walkway or driveway consists of hundreds of individual bricks that are locked together with polymeric joint sand. This allows bricks to support heavy loads while maintaining the ability to move with seasonal changes in soil moisture content. Often, things that are strong are also very rigid, not with a driveway or walkway made of concrete pavers.

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2. Ease of Repair.

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If a section of your driveway or patio becomes uneven over time , a small section of the pavements can be repaired without having to re-do the whole thing. Changes and expansions can also be made in such a way that they are indistinguishable from the original space. The ease of repairs and additions means that these changes are more economical than with poured concrete.

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3. Wide range of styles, colors, and patterns.

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With so many different types of concrete flooring available, the design options are almost endless. Much of the work we do is in elegant monochromatic color schemes, but vibrant, striking designs can be achieved by using contrasting paver colors and mixing different styles and patterns.

 

4. Immediate Usability.

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In contrast to poured and stamped concrete, which has to be healed for 3 to 4 days, the pavers are ready to enjoy as soon as the installers have cleaned the work site. No "wet concrete" signs are needed.

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5. Low maintenance requirements.

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There was a time when concrete pavements required some effort to keep the common sand from being washed away and to keep the weeds from settled in the joints. The introduction of polymer sand has eliminated these problems , making patios and driveways almost maintenance-free.

 

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Disadvantages:

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1. Initial Costs.

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Concrete pavements are initially a little more expensive than some of the other patio options. But, they 're going to keep an almost new appearance longer than poured concrete. If you factor in the ease of repair and alteration of paver bricks, you may find that the longer-term cost of concrete is actually higher.

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2. Difficult DIY Project.

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For those of you who enjoy the challenge, it's certainly possible to do the pavements on your own, but it's not as easy as pouring the concrete. Without some specialized skills and equipment, the concrete paver installation is a very challenging DIY project.