The picture above from a Chinese supplier gives a reasonable range of color possibilities regarding natural stone paving. Having worked with paver-sized, small Granite blocks for the construction of major driveways, I can verify not only how gorgeous they look, finished, but also what a pain to install they could be back when they were not of the more uniform sizes offered now. In this I am comparing, of course, to the ease of formed and exact shapes of prefab interlocking cement pavers.

Well – Good news! These are also now on the market. Perfectly cut and sculpted natural granite and other stone products have emerged as a somewhat major player in the paving game. The advent of technologies where plasma cutters and simply elegant and efficient diamond blade saws are so common has led to yet another gorgeous paving option for driveways, patios, streets, even and walkways. Needless to say, the virtue of stone paving is huge – just look at the endurance and longevity of Europe’s many cobbletstone streets.

This is a refreshing and hopeful development in paving beauty and practicality and one we should all follow closely. It frankly excites me to think I can replicate what the Romans did. Just better!

The picture above illustrates both side of any root barrier’s occasional necessity. Almost all trees tend to root laterally given that the water from rainfall and even the washing of surfaces tends to sit on top of the roots before percolating. Roots are like people. They take the quickest and easiest route to satisfaction, as it were. What we see in the top picture is the result. Nor is that result merely a result of it being a permeable interlocking brick paver set-up. The same events occur in other trees as well, as the picture below indicates.

‘Unintended Circumstances’ are a truism of construction in general. Planning ahead is a far more recent phenomenon, especially regarding landscaping. In the lower picture above, we see the effects of what root barriers can achieve. By orienting the roots downwards from the onset, we become far more assured of an adequate protection at the top. Better irrigation practices, such as pipes embedded to deep water the roots and adequately-timed drip irrigation can also be effective.

An expert on the root barrier issue who I often consult is Ofer El-Hashahar, late of England. His website features recycled plastic edging and barriers, complete with some interesting pictures and information. I recommend anyone to check him out, especially those in the UK, where he is based.

Root barriers are effective and actually somewhat vital if one is concerned with the long term effects of roots in a landscape or street scape. Easy enough to install, they induce easy principles and the trees and plants which grow inside them have little if any complaints. It’s win-win.

This Kerr Lighting Cambridge Paver Light offers what amounts to a sort of landscape lighting solution to driveways and walkways constructed out of brick pavers. Inserted into the overall formation of the driveway, these 7 Watt lights last a long time and give a most certain security to night driving and locating the edge of things in general. For walkways, their mild glow emits a gorgeous ambiance to the walk, lighting it up just enough to feature itself and the parameters of the walk and providing just enough ambient lighting to feature shrubbery and flowers nearby.

Durable and able to handle automobile and truck traffic, these are all run off a 12 Volt, low voltage system from a transformer which can also switch the lights on and off at the desired times. Elegant as it can be, the broad sweep of a driveway or walkway can be featured in a pleasant and altogether warm and secure manner. Below is a picture of a place we provided this feature. At night it is just stunning. 7 Watts will not overwhelm anyone – in fact, it is the perfect illumination for a soft yet definite demarcation.

(click to enlarge)

Pretty cool stuff. For more product information and for reviews, click here.

Since we were talking about a heavy duty paver splitter, this tile saw is worth a mention as well. It is actually made for cutting pavers too, and will take on marble and stone. Did I say heavy-duty already?

This unit comes with a robust motor. The 1800-watt/15-amp 2.5 HP UL-listed motor runs at 3450 RPM, giving it the ability to get through the hardest of paving materials. Cooled off by strong water pump, you can expect this diamond blade to last for a while, especially given proper lubrication.

The nice thing about this machine is that it manages to bring you top-notch performance, on a super stable table, yet with a reasonable size that can easily fit into your garage. It’s not even that pricey – at under $400 it’s a sound investment in any DIY pavers project.

You can now order this baby directly from Amazon and have it delivered right to your doorstep – click for more details

A tool for pros on display here today. You should only consider purchasing this if you intend of a very large DIY paving project. Of course, if you happen to be a paving contractor, you already have one of those, but if in need of another, we can highly recommend this beauty:

The Belle Group Maxipave is a heavyweight block splitter for all common types of block paving. Paver bricks are dense and hard, and require a quality splitter to ensure clear cut lines. This one has a long lever for easy manual operation and easy-to-use adjustment based on a single screw.

It includes two replacement blades for this heavy duty paver splitter, so a great deal here by Amazon. Click here for current price and full details and get it shipped right to your doorstep.

Finally, coffee table books for us paving enthusiasts! This book is a wonderfully illustrated history of hot-mix asphalt paving in America, with a detailed review of the history of this common paving method.

Its 304 pages cover the stories of the most impressive asphalt-paving projects in history, including Route 66, paving the national parks and many more. This is a lively depiction of history, with a focus on the people behind the materials and designs. While the focus is on America, you’ll find information about historic uses of asphalt elsewhere as well.

A great gift for professionals and amateurs alike  – click to get this book on Amazon.

Almost seems like a contradiction in terms, doesn’t it? a sledge hammer made of rubber?

Well, it actually does make sense. For one thing, rubber isn’t quite as soft as one would imagine. It displays a fascinating combination of softness and strength, which is just what pavers need.

When you need to level those pavers, after sinking them in, a regular iron mallet can easily damage those expensive bricks, scratching the surface and creating unsightly small holes and bumps. Avoid this damage by using this professional sledge hummer, with its easy to grip wooden handle. It’s easy to order this one from Amazon, so you don’t have to go searching high and low – just click here and place your order.