Concrete Pavers for a Beautiful Yard
The perfect way to complement the greenery and flowers of your yard is to add a bit of hardscaping – a driveway or a path or a patio. It provides just the right bit of contrast to make your beautifully manicured lawn or those lovely spring flowers stand out. If traditional surfacing materials bore you, then you can turn to concrete pavers. Pavers are the flat stones used to build walkways, patios, driveways, and pavements. They are available in different paving materials like concrete, stone, brick, and others. Concrete pavers are an attractive and affordable option for your property. They are easy to install and maintain, because of their modular nature.
Type of Concrete Pavers
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There are two types of concrete pavers:
Interlocking Pavers: This type of concrete paver was invented by the Dutch after the first world war because the traditional paving material, brick, was scarcely available. European roads are mostly made of concrete pavers because of this reason, and most of these roads are still in good shape. This is the reason why concrete pavers come with a lifetime warranty and are ideal for driveways. Though a practical choice, visually interlocking pavers do not look natural. They have a texture like frozen oats and the shapes are quite plain to look at. Interlocking pavers have the following characteristics:
- Edge spacers that create uniform joints
- Made out of very strong and firm concrete mix
- Thick slabs are very suitable for all kinds of uses
Architectural Pavers: These are the more visually appealing type of concrete pavers. They are not as good as interlocking pavers at handling traffic and are thinner, but they look very close to brick or natural stone while costing much less. They have the following characteristics:
- No edge spacers.
- Made from wetter concrete to look like brick or stone
- Thin slabs, not suitable for driveways
Installing Concrete Pavers
You can hire a professional to install concrete pavers or if you go the bold route and decide to do it yourself, here is what you need to do:
Order Materials
Order the concrete pavers. You will get the number you require from manufacturer handouts that specify the number of pavers needed per square foot. Order about 10 to 15% extra so that you have some spare material.
You will also need sand and paver base for installing concrete pavers.
Set the Blocks
- Dig out the space to reach the layer of stable and undisturbed subsoil.
- Spread the paver base, followed by a one-inch layer of concrete sand.
- Fix the edge by nailing down plastic or metal edging for giving the concrete pavers sturdy support to keep them in place.
- Lay down the concrete paver pieces close to each other.
- Use mason’s sand to fill the gaps. Spread the sand over the surface and use a vibrating plate compactor to push it into the joints.
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Concrete Pavers
Advantages
- Concrete pavers are much cheaper than their brick or stone counterparts.
- They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
- Concrete pavers are quite easy to install.
Disadvantages
- The color of concrete pavers can fade with continued exposure to sun rays.
- They wear away with time.
- Concrete pavers are prone to erosion.
- The lifespan of concrete pavers is shorter than those made with bricks or stones.
Concrete pavers can be your choice of material if you are looking for an affordable alternative to stone or brick. They can make your yard look really good at a lesser cost and is easy to install, you can do it yourself, saving the installation cost as well. Make your driveway or yard path stand out with concrete pavers.
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