The Paving Blog

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.

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.

Tile saws are often used on bricks as well, even paver bricks, although, to be honest, the larger makes of these saws should be used on those tough and thick brick pavers.  Their density and the amount of force required can overpower a smaller machine and lead as well to fuse and breaker problems owing to amperage issues.

More about the Tile Saw in the picture here on Amazon

A plate compactor is a vibratory machine whose heavy build and rapid shaking serve to compact soils and materials beneath where it runs. I can think of zero paver and paving contractors who do not own one, it is literally that necessary. For heavier projects requiring thickness of base material over 6-8″, these relatively little units might not be called for. Larger projects require the services of the “big brothers” of compaction equipment: rollers, jumping jacks and the like. But plate compactors are excellent for 6 inch and under compactions such as your typical driveway or patio.

Indeed, compacting the material underneath smaller areas like patios and sidewalks literally insures perfection for a much longer period of time. Taking out soils subject to heaving and sinking like clays or those containing a lot of organic material and replacing that with a compactable inorganic gravel mix is the height of wisdom. As proven over time, the “base materials” form the bottom of all hard surfaces we know of, from houses to roads and are considered necessary and professional to the max. Compacted, then covered with whatever surface, the surface applied to this compacted base stands the best chance of enduring even decades of usage.

Plate compactors are just the thing for all this. On our paver installations, we use it as well to compact the finished brick-laying, operating over a skim of sand and shaking the sand into the grout cracks between the pavers. As well, it embeds the pavers into the base and further compacts things to a finished gradient. A perfect machine, frankly.