The most durable and aesthetic choice for your driveway pavement is interlocking pavers. The interlocking field of individual bricks helps to spread heavy weight better than their concrete or asphalt counterparts. Additionally, since pavers are not mortared together, they can flex with freeze thaw conditions. The affects of upheaval and cracking that occurs with concrete slabs and asphalt are reduced with interlocking concrete pavers. Furthermore, the aesthetic difference between a paver driveway and a driveway of any other surface is unparalleled.
Pavers are arguably the most beautiful hardscape product available today! They are produced in hundreds of different shapes with countless color options. Pavers are made with cement, aggregate, sand, water, and a color dye. This batch of material is then poured into a mold, sent through a machine to properly vibrate and compact the ingredients, and finally they are set out to dry for a day or two. Pavers typically have a compressive strength of eight thousand psi or more. They are produced in varying thicknesses ranging from seven eighths of an inch to three and a half inches.
For vehicular applications, a minimum of two and three eighths inch pavers should be used. This product is installed on top of four to six inches of compacted base material and sand. Base materials vary by location, but common options are concrete fines and limestone. Depending on soil conditions, a geo-textile fabric should be used underneath the base material in order to prevent the base from being sucked into the sub-soil. A concrete edge restraint is troweled around the perimeter of the driveway once the pavers have been installed in order to retain the border pavers and prevent horizontal displacement. In areas with clay or slit soils, a curb restraint can be used in lieu of a trowled concrete edge restraint. This curb restraint is typically plastic, but it nailed to the ground using eight inch stakes. Next, sand is swept over top of the newly installed paver field in order to fill the joints between the bricks. Finally, everything is compacted once more and the job is complete.
Concrete pavers provide homeowners with the absolute best pavement option. They have been used throughout Europe for centuries and are finally gaining a strong foothold in the United States as the new standard for driveways. Since they are made with cement, they are maintained in the same manner. Pressure washing and light chemical washing is permitted to keep everything looking fresh and new. For more information on how to transform your home’s curb appeal, give a Florida Driveway Paver Contractor a call.