PAVING

The prepared earth surface is compacted with a vibrating roller in order to receive the new paving. Once the blocks have been laid on a bed of riversand the surface is compacted again with a plate compactor in order for the blocks to bed into the sand. Where heavy vehicles are driven over the paving it may be necessary to prepare the earthworks in numerous layers that require further passes with a heavy roller on each layer.

There are certain misconceptions regarding the effectiveness of weedkiller. Industrial weedkiller has a guarantee of up to one year, hardly encouraging for an investment in paving which is to last around twenty years. Most weedkillers travel and do more harm killing off the surrounding grass and plants. Weedkiller is only really necessary where there was grass or shrubs in the area previously. Most new weeds start when seeds fall in the joints of the paving and then germinate from the top down. Although there is no way of preventing this from happening, one can maintain a weed free surface simply by either manually pulling out the roots or applying a surface spray available from any nursery or hardware.

No. A plastic underlay provides an unwanted slip surface between the paving and the earthworks. When a car turns on this, the paving moves with the tyre and could be damaged. Again this method of weed control causes more problems than it offers solutions and should generally be avoided. In special circumstances such as under garden paths this method can still be effective.

Cement grouting is only used for areas such as walkways, paths, patios or pool surrounds, where the main purpose is for light pedestrian traffic. Driveways and parking areas should not be grouted with cement since the weight of vehicle traffic would crack the cement joints and the paving blocks would not be able to reset. Laying these blocks on a riversand bed with clean plaster sand grouting offers the paving a certain amount of flexibility which is important in maintaining a strong durable surface. Rain and wind does sometimes cause a loss of this filler sand, however this should not be a concern. If heavy losses do occur after heavy rain plaster sand can be swept back into the joints until the paving finally settles.

Concrete and clay are both porous substances and would therefore be subject to similar amounts of marking over time. Should this be a concern on a sensitive area such as a patio there are sealing agents on the market that will coat the surface and prevent marking.

Any area that is outdoors and subject to rainfall must be laid on a slight slope to aid in the run-off of water. Laying it flat would result in ponding. The required fall can be as little as 1% that is undetectable to the naked eye.

Our paving is grouted with clean plaster sand to ensure its flexibility. This means you can drive on it immediately. In a rigid system of flagstones on a pathway the cement grouting would take around 7 days to reach full strength.

This depends on personal choice and the general colour scheme of your home. Clay pavers generally have more earthy tones but there are a variety of concrete pavers of all shapes and colours (earthy or bold) available on the market that you will definitely find one to suit your preference. Here is a table of the pros and cons:
The pros of concrete:

• highly accurate sizes
• highly accurate sizes
• plenty of shapes, colours and textures
• relatively inexpensive
• wide choice of depths from 40 to 100mm
• very high compressive strength

The cons of concrete:

• aggregate may be exposed over time
• paving will last at least 20 years
• colours fade slightly over time

The pros of clay:

• extremely hard wearing and resistant to abrasion
• natural colours will not fade

The cons of clay:

• prices are usually higher than concrete
• prone to moss
• size tolerance is variable due to the manufacturing process
• limited depth and shape: always rectangular

For strength in parking areas the herringbone pattern is regarded as best since it is fully interlocking. There are, however, a large variety of special pavers that have their own interlocking pattern. Some are packed with a random pattern for a less formal look. Below are some of the most common patterns that are used with generic pavers. Unless there is going to be very heavy loading the choice is really one of aesthetics and should be left up to the individual.

Efflorescence is a white powdery substance that is a by-product of salt present in new clay and concrete pavers. It is not detectable in grey paving. It will last around three weeks into the life-span of the paving and should be no cause for concern since it is easily brushed off.