You may be paying professionals to lay your paver patio (Or drive) but that does not mean that you are not responsible if they are installed incorrectly. It is your job to do the research, ask the questions, and keep an eye on things. Here are twelve things that you should know, watch for, or understand to make your final product meet your ultimate satisfaction.
1. See Your Pavers Project as an ROI project (Return On Investment)
Pavers can not only make your patio and yard more beautiful than concrete and yes… even wood, it can also save you money. It might cost a little more upfront, but think of the money that you can save over the long haul. If you want your wood patio to look good every year, you must re-stain it or re-paint it. You will also have to water seal it at least once every two years and more often if you live in a rainy or moist climate. Wood… rots. This is especially true of damp climates that causes mold to grow on it. Your pavers need simple maintenance. All you have to do is throw your pavers deck a good cleaning every now and then you, my patio loving friend, are good to go. You do not have to stain or paint. How is that for an ROI?
2. Can You Dig It?
Digging is the first and most vital step in the paver laying process. While it is true that pavers, by their very nature, are installed to shift with the earth should there be an earthquake, however, they should never shift, buckle, sink, or move for any other reason. That is why they dig six inches into the ground and then tamp the ground with a hydraulic plate. Make sure they use a plate since it is the very best way to make the base a solid foundation of tamped down ground.
3. No Need to Weed
Before pavers are laid but after the ground has been prepared, it is always a good idea to put a solid barrier between the ground and the pavers. This will prevent weeds from sprouting between the blocks. If you have had major problems with weeds before, add an additive to the mix to kill off any hidden weed roots that are biding their time.
4. Can you Dig It Again?
The patio or driveway pavers foundation is based upon layers. Once the foundation is dug, the installers will begin laying layers of sand, and gravel. The trick is that after each layer is in, the foundation has to be tamped again. Even the pavers receive a good pack when they go in. If your installer is not using the plate to pack each level solid, you may not obtain the desired endurance level for your pavers for which you are paying.
5. In Every Life a Little Rain must Fall
That does not mean you want it to rain in your basement. If you have ever seen a professional pavers job on a rainy day before, you know that water does not pool or puddle like it usually does on concrete and asphalt. Professional pavers know that the pavers should fall slightly on an angle away from the house and the house foundation. Most professional have a quarter of an inch decline for every two linier feet of pavers.
6. Right – Tight – and Appealing to the Eye
If you do not tighten up the outer edges of your pavers project, the pavers will eventually separate and spaces will cause expensive damage to your project. In order to avoid this, make sure the exposed edges are tightened up with an edging made from vinyl or metal. The best way to make the edges tight is to brick the edges firmly; however, some people prefer a cement edge called the lip. Whichever way you choose to go, keeping your edge tight is how it is done right and is very appealing to the eye.
7. The Trick to Beauty is a Simple One
If you are going with colors and patterns, you will be fine; however, solids are trickier. If you look at your solid color pavers, you will notice that some are a bit lighter than others. If you separate the lighter from the darker and try to lay these “like” shades together, you are making a mistake.
Laying lighter shades with lighter shades will make it appear that you have patched a problem wand could not get the exact color of pavers when you patched it. The best way to handle the color differential that is bound to happen in a pallet of pavers is to not separate then out by color before laying them. If you scatter whichever shade you have the least of throughout the pattern, it looks natural and the occasional difference is very appealing.
8. Rectangles are for Wood and Concrete… Not Pavers
If there is one thing that you can say about pavers… it is that they are never, ever boring. With a little imagination, creativity, and some smart cuts, you can make any patter or shape that you desire. Ensure your paver installers are using a wet saw for the perfect cuts that do not damage or weaken paver bricks or take anything away from your design. A wet saw sprays the blade with a lubricant as it cuts.
9. An All Natural Filtration System that Works
Mold is caused by moisture and the wrong kind of bacteria that accumulate in places where it can stagnate and grow. Once the pavers are down and have been tamped, pour bags of sand over the project and sweep that sand into the cracks around the pavers. This, combined with your quarter inch of slope with every two linier feet of pavers, creates a natural filter that allows water and moisture to drain and allow good bacteria to clean the area free of bad… including mold.
10. Cleaning and Maintaining your Beautiful Pavers Project
Now that the professionals are gone, it is up to you to maintain and repair when and if necessary. To maintain your pavers project, treat with a weatherproofing solution that is made for pavers. You should reapply every two to three years as needed. You can clean your by sweeping them, but be careful not to sweep all the sand from between them. Put a very mild detergent in warm water and brush your pavers with a stiff broom or brush and then rinse with your water hose.
11. Repairs are So Easy you will Think you Cheated
Ensure you have a half or quarter of a pallet of paver bricks left over and stored in a shed or other enclosed area. To repair the odd single brick that is damaged, simply pull the brick and all the pieces, cut the new brick a quarter of an inch smaller than the old one and replace, adding sand to grip it into place. It does not get any easier… or more beautiful than that.
12. Tricks of The Trade
There are a couple of things that you can do over the next thrity or more years that will help to maintain the beauty and usefulness of your pavers project. The first trick is to use the right materials, ensuring that they match whatever motif your trying to achieve in your life. Move your furniture and fixtures around a couple of times a year and never leave a mat in the same place if sunlight hits that area to ensure even sun fade.
Fade is inevitable for pavers just as age is for us. Just because you were will delivered into this world does not mean you will be perfect and never age. Pavers that are installed perfectly will also age. The secret to maintaining the beauty is to allow them to age evenly by not leaving any portion covered and protected from the sun. Putting a canopy over your patio is also a good idea if it protects it from the elements.
Greasy spots should be absorbed with flour, cat liter, or professional grade oil absorbent. Scrub spot with brush and soapy water or detergent made for the material your pavers are made from. You may not be able to get the stain out but you can diminish its visibility or use a solvent to fade the rest of the patio or driveway. Now stop reading… go and enjoy your pavers project.