Enhance Your Property with Pavers, Concrete, and Wall Block Hardscaping
Modern Hardscape Construction
PL has been installing sidewalks before any instituted engineered standards. The annual training seminars now provide us with a more structural approach to the construction process. The training has led to a higher quality installation and a much longer lasting one.
Construction Options/Methods For "Paved" Surfaces
PL Landscape installs three types of paved surfaces. These three types are:
- Concrete Pavers installed on a compacted gravel & sand base (as per ICPI).
- Concrete Pavers installed on a 3" concrete base and
- Stamped Concrete
Before choosing a method, you must first consider the challenges of building long-lasting paving surfaces in Northeast Ohio. Extreme freeze-thaw, abrasive road salts, snowplow abuse, steep terrain, and water drainage are all important considerations for the design of these surfaces. Read over the descriptions below to educate yourself on the basic construction.
Concrete Pavers Installed on a Gravel and Sand Base
ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute) teaches and preaches this method. However, there are some essential things to consider before you choose to do it this way. All the nice glossy paver books will show you a neat little construction drawing that specifies a landscape fabric layer, 4" of compacted gravel, bedding sand, and then the pavers restrained by some edging. That little drawing doesn't consider the condition of the subsoils if you build a walkway or patio; just like the book says, on top of loamy, loose topsoil, the job will look terrible after a few freeze-thaw cycles.
Soil Depth Information
It is critical to excavate down to solid clay and fill whatever gravel it takes to build a solid footing. We have seen topsoil beds or soft soils that go down as much as 24". The amount of soil can drastically affect material quantities and pricing. If we need to excavate out 1-2' of topsoil to hit clay, we will then need to "fill" again with structural compacted gravel to build up a solid footer. The process can result in massive amounts of gravel if done correctly.
Concrete Pavers installed on top of a 3" concrete base.
PL Landscaping started installing patios and pavers utilizing this method ten years ago. Depending on the situation, it generally costs a little more but offers the best structural integrity of any procedure here. This method addresses the subsoil stability concern stated above. In this method, the paver area is excavated up to a foot deep considering drainage (how will water escape beneath the surface area?). Drainage gravel is installed and compacted to build a solid base on which concrete will be poured.
Paver Installation
Forms are set, and the concrete is poured atop the gravel base. Pavers are then laid directly on top of that concrete surface. Border pavers are "glued down" to lock everything into place. Unique water-tight poly sands are used in the joints to provide a surface that sheds the water rather than absorbing it. The concrete beneath will inevitably crack over time but will not affect its job of providing a solid base for the pavers. This method prevents future settling and is an excellent method if you want a long-lasting install past 20 years.
Stamped Concrete
We have yet to see any concrete pad more than 15 years old that has not cracked in some way or another...no matter how tiny the cracks may be. When hairline cracks develop, water/moisture will undoubtedly enter, and freeze-thaw slowly starts to deteriorate the surface of the concrete. It may be ten years, twenty years, or even thirty years, but one thing is certain, it will start to crack eventually.
The most significant difference between concrete pavers and poured concrete is the PSI (pounds per square inch) rating. The PSI is a measurement of the strength of the concrete. Poured concrete from a local manufacturer is typically rated between 3,000 and 4,000 psi. Quality pavers such as Unilock Brand are constructed from concrete mixtures rated to 15,000 psi. The small paver can be up to 3 times stronger than that poured slab when you factor in chipping, scratching, etc. The paver is going to be three times more durable if installed correctly.
Another limitation of stamped concrete is mixed colors. The current trend in paving is to mix material patterns and color ranges to create intricate inlays and border treatments. Stamped concrete cannot achieve the same color and pattern variation level with pavers.
We are here to help! Call us today at 330-825-9900 to get started on your perfect hardscaping project.
