Paving stones and Pavers in Landscaping
Stone pavers are pieces of concrete normally used in exteriors. They are also
called paving stones and were first developed in Europe. In the decade of 1970,
they were introduced to the United States and they became a very popular
decoration alternative to plain concrete or asphalt. These pavers are installed
over a compacted stone sub-base and a leveling bed of sand. This kind of bed is
critical to succeed in the installation of pavers, it is important to consider
depth of the sand, and the kind of soil under it. Sometimes soil does not have
enough drainage and an extra layer of gravel needs to be used.
Paving stones come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. They greatly differ
from their European cousins, the famous cobblestones, that were used in Europe
for paving the streets in the 15th century. Of course, cobblestone streets are
no longer constructed and the ones that still remain are used only for tourism
purposes. In older American cities, there are still streets paved with
cobblestones, although some of them were paved over with asphalt.
Commonly Asked Paver Questions
Decorating with Paving Stones
Pavers are very beautiful to decorate exterior landscapes, such as driveways,
patios, entrances and walkway gardens. In fact, they have become a very popular
alternative in America due to their strength and durability. Stone pavers can
support large weights, a quality that is normally needed in high traffic areas.
Due to their high durability, paving stones are a perfect choice to reduce
maintenance costs and increase the value of your property. They can easily
withstand hard weather conditions and their natural material is non slippery
and freeze resistant. They can also hold high temperatures and they are
resistant to sunlight. Another important environmental factor to consider is
that removing snow from stone pavers is relatively easy compared to other
materials.
Calstone pavers are not the only type of pavers available in the market. There
are also limestone, marble, sandstone and bluestone pavers, just to name a few
of them. Normally these are natural stones obtained directly from earth. They
have been formed over millions of years and sometimes there is no manufacturing
process associated to them apart from the mining itself. Not all types of stone
pavers are suitable for all types of applications, so before deciding you
should get some assistance from the experts.
Installing Pavers
To install stone pavers the only special tool needed is a vibrating machine
called a tamper. The idea is to compact the sand as hard as possible. This work
won?t easily be damaged even by heavy rain, but if you prefer a more durable
treatment, a sealing compound can be used to protect the pavers from the
inclement weather.
There are many available finishes after installing stone pavers. The most common
ones are polished, honed, flamed and thermal. Each of them provides a unique
final appearance to the stone pavers. The finish is not only important because
of a purely aesthetical aspect, but because it can directly influence in the
place where the pavers are going to be installed. For example, the thermal
finish is most suitable to walkways and pool decks due to its high skid
resistant element.
Paving stones come in natural shapes and colors but these can be modified using
special equipment in order to fulfill the most exigent requirements. Patterns
can also be applied to the installation to provide one more angle of
versatility to your decoration likings.
Paver Maintenance
Maintenance of the stone pavers is very easy. If for example two pavers are
damaged, they can be replaced at inexpensive costs. Just remove them, prepare
the soil again and install two new stone pavers into the damaged area. It is
also not a bad idea to periodically clean your decorative floor of paving
stones to maintain them away from dirt. Sweeping them is the best method. Also
some plants and weeds may grow between the pavers as the time passes. For these
problems there are in the market herbicides and pesticides which are normally
sprayed into the affected area to keep it clean from plants.
As you can see, stone pavers are a very beautiful option to decorate your home
and at the same time to add more value to your property. They have many
advantages and many possible applications. All this makes them the perfect
choice for outdoor and also indoor projects. We invite you to take a look at
our products and pay us a visit so we can show you the endless possibilities we
can offer to cover your most exigent requirements.
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