CHOOSING THE RIGHT DRIVEWAY PAVERS FOR YOUR SONOMA COUNTY HOME
Concrete pavers are an incredibly resilient, durable, and beautiful material that can perform many functions around your Sonoma County home. From walkways to patios, and pool surrounds to driveways, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens and more, concrete pavers are an excellent material that can not only improve your home’s curb appeal but can increase it’s resale value as well.
Get Your Free Estimate On a Concrete Paver Driveway
Concrete pavers are manufactured to stand up to the elements and heavy use. They can be textured, making them slip resistant and perfect for use around the pool or in other wet environments, can be made to resemble natural stone, and thanks to their durability, are the ideal material for use in the driveway.
Let’s look at the three main choices for your new or replacement driveway; asphalt poured concrete and concrete pavers.
ASPHALT, POURED CONCRETE, OR CONCRETE DRIVEWAY PAVERS?
When it comes to surfacing your driveway, you have several choices that can stand up to the stresses and weight of your vehicles. One of the most popular materials that is both durable, and cost-effective is poured concrete. Today you have options regarding colors and patterns. However poured concrete, while less expensive than some other choices is prone to cracking and can be difficult, and costly to repair. A poured concrete driveway can take up to 7 days to properly cure and can support up to 2000 psi.
Another popular choice among homeowners is using asphalt to surface the driveway. Again asphalt is durable and can stand up to the stresses of everyday use. Asphalt is the cheapest of the three; however, it should be noted that asphalt is only moderately durable and will break down over time with use. Asphalt’s load-bearing capacity depends heavily on how thick the top layer of asphalt is, combined with the sub-base. Asphalt has approximately the same weight bearing load as concrete if it is correctly installed.
Properly installed interlocking concrete pavers offer up to four times the load-bearing strength of poured concrete or asphalt at up to 8000 psi. The high load bearing strength of concrete driveway pavers allows for heavier loads than both concrete or asphalt and offers a longer lifespan. While concrete driveway pavers are a little more expensive up front, over the long-term concrete driveway pavers will last longer and require much less maintenance and fewer repairs.
DRIVEWAY PAVER BENEFITS
Concrete pavers are one of the best choices for a new or replacement driveway if you’re looking for design versatility, durability, and easy maintenance. Concrete driveway pavers can handle almost any residential vehicular load with a load bearing capacity of 8000 pounds per square inch. Along with their superior load bearing capacity, concrete driveway pavers are aesthetically beautiful, flexible in terms of design, are available in a wide range of colors, sizes and styles, are a low maintenance surface and with proper installation can last for decades. Permeable driveway pavers are an environmentally friendly alternative that can reduce storm runoff, and allow water to percolate through them replenishing groundwater supplies.
When installed over an adequately compacted sub-base, concrete driveway pavers will not shift, crack or settle under regular vehicle traffic. Because the pavers are laid over an aggregate bed, they are both durable, and flexible. With proper sealing and the use of polymeric sand in the joints driveway pavers require little more than sweeping and the occasional pressure washing. If polymeric sand is used, the joints will rarely need any attention.
To maximize their performance, a professional hardscape contractor will follow these best practices:
• Use a minimum of 8 – 12 inches of well-compacted base material and a 1-inch sand setting bed.
• The will use pavers with a minimum compressive strength of 8000 psi and a maximum water absorption rate of just 5%
• To completely prevent shifting, edge restraints anchored by spikes are installed before paver placement
Concrete driveway pavers offer homeowners a durable, beautiful, low-maintenance, easy to repair surface that can stand up to multiple vehicles and high traffic for literally decades.
If you’re planning on resurfacing or adding a new driveway to your Sonoma County home, give the experts at Bayside Pavers a call at 1-866-287-2837. We can help you design the perfect hardscape driveway to meet your family’s unique needs. Our knowledgeable team members are ready to help you create the outdoor living space you’ve been dreaming about!
If you’re in the San Francisco Bay area, our location in Concord, CA at 2455 Bates Ave, Ste K, services East Bay and South Bay homeowners. Our Santa Rosa, CA location at 1619 4th Street Ste 12 can help you with your North Bay hardscaping projects.
