The Paving Blog

Concrete driveways were once the state of the art and still remain are a more than adequate driveway material. Hard, durable, light in color - even able now to take a dye - thus potentially colorful - concrete’s durability and strength achieve a high mark for an enduring and serviceable driveway surface. While concrete has disadvantages I will address below, it remains a high-value surface, sought by many homeowners and builders interested in a mid- to high-quality product. The durability issue tends to be it’s major strength, certainly more so than asphalt.

Artistically, concrete serves one major function as being light colored and generally neutral regarding color. Thus, a house or garden, if somewhat colorful itself, will positively glow in contrast. Another feature in concrete can be its finished top. There are methods of producing somewhat arresting finishes by the handwork almost always applied to a concrete still-wet surface. Whereas most concrete driveways receive a “broom finish”, where the bristles from a broom makes tiny channels, somewhat roughened and therefore non slip, they can also receive a “swirl and shine” finish, whereby the finisher swirls his trowel in small circles, resulting in a massive series of the same swirls permanently embedded in the finished top layer. Hundreds of small swirls, all similar make a satisfyingly complex top finish, easy in the eye and quite complex.

Colors can also be applied to concrete, either in the form of dyes sprayed on after the fact or in the cement mixing truck itself prior to the pour. “Stamped concrete” has rich and abundant colors thrown on as a dust which penetrates the drying cement just prior or following the actual stamping and embedding process. This results in a mineralized look, matching rock colors in nature. And, needless to say, concrete can be painted. There are now thick acrylics that easily cover concrete with a durable finish and which can result in come very interesting effects.

Special effects in paving are a chance for someone to show off his slight bit of weird and wonderful genius in an interesting and designer-pleasing way. Bridges, curved effects, cantilevered pool edges all show a special bit of pizazz and out-of-the-ordinary imagination that translates magnificently to the landscape fancier’s eye. These features are an overall part of any exterior landscape and they can thereby enhance not just the experience of those who live there, but they can also simply delight the sense of any visitors. For pure curb appeal and value enhancement, few items in the exterior can produce as much intense interest in a home.

The suspended bridge shown here was poured concrete which was then stamped and colored to produce an arresting and most interesting entry to this once-model home. Indeed, bridges over water features are a sort of Holy Grail to many homeowners. We thought this one performed that function perfectly.

The other picture is of what is commonly referred to as an “Infinity Pool Edge”. Water consistently flows over the front edge, collected and dispersed below. What is most interesting here is that the pavers shown in the foreground are atop a cantilevered 3 foot ledge over the water. Not only does the cantilever aspect form an interesting shadow over the water mere inches below it, but at night a bright light underneath the suspended slab shines brightly and outstandingly, hidden well below the edge.

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.

Interlocking brick pavers are quite possibly the single most value-adding enterprise in the outdoors of any home.  I base this on numerous conversations with Real Estate salespeople, appraisers and with folks who have sold or will sell their homes.

Now, I am a definite “outdoor guy”.  I am a landscaping professional whose entire galaxy of concerns take place on the level of things like initial curb appeal, outdoor living and the expansion of the indoors to satisfying outdoor solutions, all implying an enhancement as opposed to the strictly necessary concerns regarding pure food and shelter. The things I advocate deal with driveways and patios, sidewalks and trees and plants.  It’s an area I am extremely familiar with and knowledgeable about.  I hope my recommendations can create some resonance and perhaps some facts-checking at your end.  If you do take this route, I am absolutely certain you will have my claims about interlocking brick pavers bear out every scintilla of what I am saying. Simply put, they add value and curb appeal.

The rewards of interlocking brick as a paving solution speak foremost of all to longevity and durability.  Prepared correctly and correctly installed, the life expectancy of brick pavers has no limit. It is no accident roads and streets, the Hong Kong Airport and many other permanent structures are using them now. They are simply an amazingly durable product.  Their added benefit is in the ease of repair if something does go wrong.  Pulling pavers out and then reinserting them is child’s play, quick and easy. Monolithic, poured surfaces like cement and asphalt have a life span. In most climates both surfaces eventually wear out and need replacing, either in patches or entirely.  The fact that the segmented nature of pavers allows contraction and expansion and can revert to form means it faces none of the problems implicit in monolithic structures.

Then we come to the other major strength of pavers and it is their look.  Aesthetically, no other surface can even compare to the complexly-woven, patterned and colored surface these offer.  There is no comparison, outside of perhaps “stamped concrete” in terms of texture and color, but even here we revisit the monolithic slab with its maintenance issues and life span.  Simply put, the technology and expanding development of interlocking brick pavers deals with an already near-perfect product in terms of durability, but also now reaches into continually-evolving and more beautiful forms.

Drive way paving presents a potential buyer with a wild array of choices.  Depending, of course on budgets, almost anything is possible.  Naturally, the cheapest driveways, suitable for cars and deliveries, are gravel only. That loose or even compacted gravel gets looser later and is hard to walk on is obvious.  The tendency for it to reach into lawns and gardens is yet another of the many reasons, gravel driveways might be economical, but their disadvantages certainly outweigh the competition.

Asphalt tends to be the cheapest alternative to gravel and, from asphalt, we progress upwards into cement products.  The cost comparisons to your standard average cement driveway as opposed to asphalt reveals a small range of difference. But the step up from there is substantial with some very definite upsides.

A newer method of applying cement is now the “Stamped Concrete” alternative.  It is approximately double the price of asphalt, but the amazingly sleek and colorful patterns and textures of stamped concrete are pretty amazing.

The next category is slightly higher in price to ’stamped concrete’:  interlocking brick pavers. These cost about double what asphalting costs.  Here’s the deal, however.  It turns out paver patios and driveways have few peers in terms of adding value to a home.  In terms of strict real estate value, there are few items within or without a home that appraisers and buyers attach this much value to. What it amounts to is that you really do pay for what you get.  In fact, in this particular case, you might just be getting even more for your buck.