The Paving Blog

We talked about paving kits in the last post, so today I’d like to focus on one specific type.

A circle paving kit is a relatively common modular construction made of differing materials but with a similar design trait: all the blocks or pavers inside the circle conform to produce a complete circle. In a design sense, it is a marvelous and frankly easier way of producing circular lines and an interesting pattern alternative. Curved lines always seem so striking inside the hard edges and durable properties of a paving material. One naturally suspects all paving to be some monolithic slab of asphalt or concrete and, yet, these delightful patterns can provide such a refreshing change from the boredom of standard monolithic paving. With the astounding new technologies of value-enhancing products now available as paving materials, the use of eye-catching patterns has become a New Wave in paving in general.

The wide range of materials testifies to the demand and interest in this sort of artistic license in what was once the very boring field of paving. From standard interlocking brick pavers to Terracotta-like stone angular placements within a system, circular paving kits offer a rapidly-installed and aesthetically-satisfying paving design alternative. Softer lines and more visual interest make circular paving kits a very substantially beautiful paving addition. The kits themselves are a step up in productivity. Once, an installer had to cut and fit himself, all the various parts of circular paving materials. Now, one can readily order them to match the pavers used surrounding these gorgeous circles.

A block paving kit is a packaged product complete with all the paving necessities to complete a specific task.  People often speak of “kits” as if they were utterly uniform in size and scope, but obviously paving needs are a different animal altogether.  There are very, very few applications in paving blocks which resemble one another and there is some satisfaction to be taken from this. Nevertheless, calling a packaged amount of pavers a “Kit” is apt.

The “kit” referred to here presents a preset, pre-patterned modular system of paving materials ready to install in a predictable and preset pattern. Beginning at an edge, one merely follows the directions given relating to the pattern and periodicity of angles and any odd insertions, such as circles or artwork.  An entire driveway, no matter the size, therefore becomes a “kit”, recognizeable owing to its redundancy. The puzzling aspects of the modularity soon take on the normality of any other craft or project inasmuch as they become predictable, requiring little tho0ught other than following directions for installation.

Kits make life a lot easier.  Fortunately, nor does “paving block kit” have to take on some less-than-acceptable connotation.  It is what it is, a kit for assembling a complex and satisfying bit of paving or patio surfaces, complete with instructions!

After the last post, another low-cost option for driveways came to my mind. Low-cost enough to carry on the discussion with -

Asphalt is the least expensive of all the different surfaces offered applied above the base itself. It has all the benefits and detriments of monolithic surfaces, in that it is intact and total as a surface. It is one color and consistent in that. It can be applied in shapes without form material, leaving curved edges, indentations at a designer’s whim, and without the forming and handwork of cement.

Asphalt’s only real disadvantages are that is has a definite life span and that it is monolithic, a problem when dealing with heaving and contracting sub soils in severe cold. Blazing heat can also act to loosen the integrity until it flakes, chips or loses durability in general as well.
There are protecting sealers, such as Slurry Seal that can be applied over the top and which can act to extend the life of an asphalt driveway, but these are required pretty much every year in more severe climates.

Having discussed interlocking pavers as one option, as well as the size of the driveway, let’s talk about the low-cost option for driveway paving.

Faced with rising prices on just about everything any more, we often face a need to cut back costs on some of the items, that we once had bigger plans for. Things such as patios or the more exotic stuff like elaborate entryways, walkways and sidewalks bear on this, but driveways are the most cumbersome of all, in this case, owing strictly to the area involved. When we face a situation like this, a level head and some creative trimming can arrive at a place that we can still work with. Knowing the costs of any project prior to its installation is the key here. Extrapolating from a known figure allows us to come to some conclusions. I will now list 2 options:

Gravel and Base Material

Gravel does not have to look bad, nor does it need to be gravel, as such. The fact is the same base material we work with providing the sub grade for all paving projects can be utilized quite efficiently as a driveway surface. The virtues of base material are a few fold:

1: It compacts extremely durably and can be re compacted and reshaped at any point. Car tires do not really impact it as much as one would think, as long as a sufficient depth and compaction is reached. It is, after all, the structure upon which we base every single other covering.

2. It is in place when we want to upgrade. The next phase will be adding an overlay of cement or asphalt to an already-groomed, compacted area. The labor saving will be substantial in spades.

3. It is not unattractive. Well-compacted base material is the same material taken almost always from rock native to the area. It is almost always produced locally. Graded correctly, this material can allow water to run off appropriately and wash up revealing some fairly effective rustic color. In terms of “finishing elements”, it is also possible that another layer of different, more picturesque gravel could be added for color and general appearance.

The downside, of course, is in the fact that it is granular, therefore erosive. The granular nature will mean some rocks pop up out of the surface of a strictly ‘base’ driveway and, of course, this tends to increase and not decrease. So there is the maintenance aspect to consider. Attention paid to this will not be onerous at all, however, and takes a small amount of time to rectify and re compact.

As a landscaper, I have often encountered homes whose driveways were some testament to the cement industry’s able sales abilities. I have seen homes whose driveways were as large and expansive as the footprint of the home itself. The current move towards multi-car garages propelled an outbreak of enormous driveways, making me confess to an urge to do my best to ask for some better-reasoned approaches to the issue of driveway size.

While a nice big driveway can mean you have the enormity and ease with which to back up out of your garage and turn around inside your very own roadway, it also can seriously detract from the look and the intimacy a well-designed tract can offer.  Obsequious and over-large, driveways end up a glaring white surface which overwhelms rather that connects.  A certain sterile sensibility injects itself when I look at one of these edifices, and it makes it very hard indeed to mitigate when one tries to draw attention to a nice landscape. In terms of curb appeal, something this huge and essentially hostile could only appeal to a road builder or another concrete fancier. In short, I see a small design disaster. Here are some recommendations:

1:   Consider cutting the space down, somewhere.  Even if a curve can be made that intrudes a bit into the large surface, a mounded area can be formed there with, perhaps a small, weeping ornamental tree whose roots will never affect the driveway.  This would not only add a softer element automatically (the curving line) but it would post a perpendicular “relief line” to the entire picture. One could also plant items which could grow over onto the cement itself which would lessen the effect of the hard lines implicit in big driveway edges.

2.  Consider as well your need for so much space.  What is it used for?  If it is merely used to back up and turn around inside, then consider backing straight out as an option.  As far as absolute necessities are concerned, the contrast between the comfort level of having an enormous space in which to reverse your car, compared to the inevitability of maintenance issues and that of the resale value and curb appeal is pretty striking.

Frankly, in the end, the value of appealing and objectively pretty lines in the design of a driveway is as important as the surface.  Clean and congruent designs of driveways indicate a level of care and of involvement.  They are more welcoming and possess an incredibly more powerful sense of curb appeal and of general warmth.

Something crucial for every home owner when it comes to paving any path or driveway – lighting!

These cute little lights are a great addition to walkways and paths. Run off a low voltage lighting system, the wattage powering the lights is minimal but the rewards substantial. Soft lighting, well spaced and not at all dominating, their soft illumination offers a secure and well-defined edge alongside the exterior lines of the outer portions of a path.

Aside from the obvious enhancement of security, with a well-defined edge lit and sparkling in a muted way, these lights simply offer a nice look. They spread an ambient lighting effect throughout a garden and lawn, offering a mellow effect and highlighting bordering color, including lawns, flowers, foliage and blooms of all kinds. It is a warm feeling looking at something so intimately lit and cozy. The security for passersby and the gorgeous beauty of such understated, subtle lighting effects enhances the life of a home’s owners in a direct and satisfying way.

I use these small lights in whatever way I can, illuminating driveways, patios and walkways with the same arresting and warm effect. It is one of the most satisfying effects a landscaper can provide. Another true virtue is that they are relatively easy to install. It does not take an expert to trench for lighting wire, nor to insert it and bury. The initial hook up is totally simple and most of these implements are designed to bear weight and stay intact after traffic.

Cobblestone paving originally meant paving using found rocks, typically round and requiring little or no chipping, inserted into a lime or sand base. The durability of ancient cobblestone streets and roads is legendary and deservedly so. When originally used, these were simply the most rapid and available resource for making durable roads, suitable for carriages. Naturally, their rough texture and bumpiness caused an amazingly loud journey, complete with uncommonly bumpy rides. As the art of the cobblestone road grew more mature, however, qualities insuring quieter rides and less discomfort soon began popular usage, resulting in a more selective product being placed in the same manner, yet with a flatter side up.

More modern yet, the advent of cement and more studies pertinent to permeable surfaces, allowing rain to drain off and even through, have meant the cobblestones of the ancient past have transformed into a sleeker and more comfortable surface. In other words, far more utile. The other exciting development were the newer and easier methods of cutting stones, which has resulted in a far more reliable product, strictly in terms of function. Diamond blades and. now, plasma cutters, have reduced the cutting to minutes in a rather safe and normalized environment.

The upshot of it all is this: cobblestone paving has lost none of its permanence as a durable product. What is has gained instead, is a glowing patina of ultimate respectability. Functionally, no material tops granite stones as an enduring article of paving. Aesthetically, hardly anything can compare to the sheer primitive beauty of a granite driveway or patio. The workmanship behind the installation of a granite cobblestone paving project leave everyone ultimately satisfied.