Paving for Home Owners and Pavers

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Where a seasoned landscaper, specializing in paving, shares his tips and ideas, reviews materials and equipments and brings you the ins and outs of the paving world.

Concrete and Masonry Cut-Off Saw

Posted by admin on Jul 24 2008 | paving machinary

This beastly baby is a driveway and paving contractor’s best friend. Powered by a gasoline and oil mix, it has the portability and the power to cut through any asphalt surface from asphalt to dense concrete in any form, poured or pavers. It utilizes either a diamond blade or a relatively disposable asbestos or composite one, “disposable” because they lose the cutting edge in a faster time than the diamond blades. But they are also cheaper, so there is a trade off.

These little workhorses can run wet or dry. By “wet”, I mean they most always have a connection device to attach a garden hose or some water supply. Failing that, one can literally carry a hose in hand and water while cutting or have someone else handle the hose. The reason this is a good idea is owing to the tremendous amount of pulverized dust these machines create. It can be pretty amazing. You look over and there is Kenny, lost in some uber-dusty fog, ripping and snorting on his bad machine, lol. This machine can prove the adage of “The bigger the boy, the bigger the toy!” While they require some getting used to, plus involve the back in a huge way by the posture required, they are a fast an totally efficient and versatile machine.

Inasmuch as this workhorse has a virtual open blade, needless to say safety concerns are huge. Gloves, masks and eye protection are not optional, and I would also suggest protecting the ears from the noise level as well. Nasty little suckers, all in all, but a real indispensable buddy out in the field.

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making curving paver sidewalks

Posted by admin on Jul 18 2008 | design elements

One of the very coolest-looking ways of using pavers is in the construction of sidewalks. It is entirely possible to make an undulating, curving walkway out of even the most uncompromisingly straight paving blocks.One can see from the pictures above that a curved line is a most doable and attractive thing in a landscape.

Making curving paver sidewalks is actually not as hard as it might appear. Generally, of course, being a contractor means I have to cut a lot of pavers to conform to any sort of curve. Now, having said this. one can tweak and bend pavers by spacing without creating too much of a gap. There is just this vague but obvious limit on how much space to leave between them. The rule of thumb is not to exceed 1/4 inch, but that is a contractor’s statement. For us, the general demand is pretty steep. For a homeowner, I would imagine there is a much larger tolerance, and many of these still look terrific.

Generally, I typically lay out the pavers beyond the lines to be cut, then scribe in a crayola-inscribed line often using irrigation pipe to form a smooth and consistent curve to where I want it, using the pipe held in place above the surface to trace alongside of. We then go to our saw or guillotine cutter and cut along the line. Amazingly excellent curves can have a series of very straight lines and still look positively curvy. A look at the pictures here can prove this. All of these examples were cut in this manner.

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asphalt paving

Posted by admin on Jul 12 2008 | paving materials

Asphalt paving is a very typical pavement surface of a tough and relatively durable nature that spreads easily and quickly and solves any number of specific driveway problems. Particularly where cost is an issue, asphalt paving is one of the better solutions. Long winding driveways for example can be cost-prohibitive when finished with concrete or brick pavers. Asphalt can provide a pretty expedient and less costly solution in a fraction of the time. Finishing a 2 or 3 inch spread of compacted asphalt can cover an enormous amount of space in a pretty fast window of time.

The disadvantages of asphalt are in its durability over the long haul. However, having said that, few items are easier to repair, nor is it particularly costly doing so. Asphalt also has a flexibility that concrete lacks, thus allowing some alterations in grade or compaction problems underneath more leeway in determining the lifetime of a driveway. Where concrete literally breaks and sometimes even flakes away and deteriorates over time and exposure, asphalt remains pretty sturdy owing to this flexibility. Still and all, asphalt requires the same attention to sub grade compaction and requires the same necessary materials composing an adequate and professional sub grade as any other product. And maybe even more so.

Continual stress from heaving and sinking can alter the composition of asphalt to the extent that it will also break up into sections. When asphalt loses it monolithic element, it then is far more easily pulverized and broken up than concrete.

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Using Large Pavers

Posted by admin on Jul 07 2008 | general

One of the recent technological improvements in cement technology is the manufacturing of larger “pavers”, up to 2 feet square. Compressed just as well as their smaller brick paver cousins and as highly PSI-rated, these gorgeous stones can be used in a wide variety of ways. Their potential in a landscape is endless. They are road worthy to a degree, provided the base beneath them is properly done. Owing to their size, some rocking and thus breakage may occur when the base beneath them gives. As always, but even more so in this case, the sub grade work requires a definite level of professionalism.

Included here we have a picture of a walkway/patio where we used the larger units to provide an access to the water feature and lower lawn areas. We cut the 2 x 2 stones in half to allow an interesting separation as a design feature, then filling the spaces with Thyme, a nice-smelling and gorgeous flowering ground cover which filled in nicely and smelled terrific, year round.

For patios, walks and even driveways, the ease of installation means a more rapid conclusion as well. These large flat stones have abundant purposes and look marvelous in any application.

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Resin Bound Paving

Posted by admin on Jul 02 2008 | paving materials

An interesting new technology being developed and actually making a small splash is a process known as “Resin Bound Paving”. It is primarily a surfacing technique, adapted to apply color, texture, depth and artistic applications on an existing hard surface. Crumbling or flaking driveways, sidewalks and patios suffering from too much sun or weather, or from the salts and chemicals used to get rid of snow and ice, can be freshened up and made to last longer with this resurfacing. The fact is, it even offers a bit more longevity by providing a layer of protection.

This technique takes typically 4-6mm pieces of almost any natural gravel, crushed stone, imported marble and recycled materials and binds them in a mass, held together by the most durable adhesives now being developed, polymer resins. This clear adhesive is amazingly strong and works exceptionally well out doors. It can stand up to weather and to traffic.

The epoxies and resins used act as the binding agent for the actual stones or pieces composing the overall surface look. The color comes with the materials themselves and they can be applied in any wild number of ways. I have seen many of these last quite a while, still as pretty as ever, still composed of fascinating bits of gravel, glass or what have you. The surfaces possible are absolutely mind-b;lowing in their wide variety and nearly unlimited imaginative scope.

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Laying patterns for brick pavers

Posted by admin on Jun 27 2008 | general

Laying patterns for brick pavers are another twist in making things interesting. There are so many patterns available for use, the mind reels. But some things are a given in all this: some patterns are more interesting than others. The typical laying patterns naturally depend in the pavers themselves. There are some packages of pavers which demand only one pattern usually serving as an immovable and visually-pleasing completed product in and of themselves. Yet, still other twists remain among those pavers which one can toy with. This is an area of much subjective discussion, with “what works” best often the result.

One fact pertains above all with brick pavers: The rougher or “tumbled” (also sometimes referred to as “Antiqued”) pavers can give wide latitude in the choice of paving pattern treatments.

Enclosed above I have included two examples of how seeming boxy and rectangular pieces of cement can take on a more elastic effect as laid in curving patterns. Both these treatments worked fabulously well and developed a relationship with their surroundings in a most intimate and congruent way. Not only are the colors fantastically suited for their place, but the curving laying pattern softens the otherwise hard lines of the rectangular pavers and leads to a much more pleasing and “softer” look. Click on the pictures to get a larger version -

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stamped concrete

Posted by admin on Jun 22 2008 | general

While on the subject of concrete…

Stamped concrete is a new and most powerful aesthetic development in paving technology. Whereas, the appearance of almost all cement work in the past has revolved around the top finish with hand tools, there has developed in the last 15-20 years a burgeoning practice called “Stamped Concrete”. Using the very same concrete as in the past, this new development takes that cement and adds color and texture to the original grey and comparatively boring original.

I have included just a couple of pictures here which give some idea of the creative scope available with this exciting new phase of outdoor decorative concreting. The color range is actually pretty phenomenal and the colors are very long-lasting, if not utterly permanent. Naturally, a sealing coat can insure a longer and mote protected color existence.

Stamped concrete uses a textural template, usually of soft rubber or malleable plastic where the pattern desired if place on about a 3 foot wide platform. This platform is laid onto the cement at the proper time, then is embedded in a process where the applier steps on or otherwise presses the mold onto the wet cement. Picking it up, the corners are matched and the pressure application repeats itself until an entire swath of poured cement is done. The colors can be put on prior (even in the mixer to provide a base) or applied in powder or liquid form, as an extremely penetrating dye. Thus rendered, what can also be arrived at is some variations in tone and color that act as shadows or even as an apparently mineral-rich substance.

In any event, the look can vary from totally stone-like and primitive to geometrically-complex. Inasmuch as the application of these process occurs at a time the cement is wet and still-drying, one can also take some license and apply things such as the gears and machine parts shown in one of these pictures. Obviously, the result is a most interesting artistic success, which can actually be said about the entire stamped concrete process..