Choosing The Right Paver And Base Material

Choosing-The-Right-Paver-And-Base-Material2Choosing the right paver and base material is important when considering your outdoor project.  Key factors are water drainage, durability, and how thick you need the subgrade material to be.  Sand is one of the most common materials used as a paver base. It’s very accessible and can be spread out to fit most projects.

Discover The Difference With Nicolock® Paving Stones

Pavers with paver-shield™ have a tight, smooth surface texture and will not expose heavy aggregate as they wear. The ultra-dense surface has more color and more protection. Nicolock has color from top to bottom throughout the paver ensuring a lifetime of beauty. Iron oxide pigments are guaranteed not to fade!

Brilliant color can always be found in Nicolock pavers with paver-shield™. Rich vibrant colors are the hallmark of everything they make. With Nicolock’s paver-shield technology, colors stay rich and vibrant. When choosing Nicolock, you are getting pavers with color from top to bottom. The pavers will not expose heavy aggregate as they wear. The ultra-dense surface has more color and more protection, ensuring a lifetime of beauty.

Cherry Valley Country Club Nicolock Pavers With Twin Eagle Outdoor Kitchen Appliances

Gappsi updated the outside areas at Cherry Valley Country Club located in Garden City NY.  We installed Nicolock Graphite Pearl Stone Ridge XL and Stone Ridge Regular.  Both pavers were used to pave the walkways, entranceway, and patio at the country club.  Gappsii’s team removed the old Hanover Paving Stone patio and added a new base of recycled concrete.  New Nicolock pavers were installed over one inch of fine sand. New pavilions and outdoor Twin Eagles kitchens with all new appliances were installed in the outdoor kitchen.

Choosing-The-Right-Paver-And-Base-Material3TYPES OF PAVER BASE MATERIALS

Your base will determine whether your pavers remain smooth and level or grow uneven over time. Qualities of a suitable base material include:

  • Proper water drainage allowance
  • Durability to support weight and endure time
  • Appropriate thickness for your subgrade material

Here are some things to know about the most common paver bases and their properties.

SAND BASE: Sand paver bases are one of the most popular options due to sand’s spreadability. However, sand is not an ideal base on its own. Over time, sand shifts and can create an uneven foundation. If your foundation is anything but level, your pavers will show it.  Sand is often used in conjunction with crushed stone for increased durability. Because sand comes in different fineness and coarseness, all types may not be suited for a paver base. Concrete sand, also known as bedding sand, is coarse and doesn’t trap excess moisture beneath the paver surface. This allows pavers to drain after heavy rain in addition they maintain their structural integrity.

STONE DUST:  Stone dust is a powdery mixture of finely ground stones that has a sand-like texture. Though it can be a helpful base ingredient when mixed with other materials, most professionals recommend that you never use stone dust on its own as a base.  Stone dust and finely ground stone or “screening” fall into a material category that has excessive amounts of dust particles.  This traps large quantities of water that prevent the base layer from adequately draining.   Did you know that water storage compromises a base’s ability to bear and distribute loads? To keep your pavers safe and prevent them from shifting, opt for a base material with a little more durability.

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CONTACT GAPPSI TODAY TO GET STARTED WITH YOUR OUTDOOR PROJECT

RECYCLED CONCRETE AGGREGATE:  Recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is a crushed stone alternative with environmental benefits. Crushed stone is broken into pieces and sold. RCA is made by breaking down existing concrete into gravel. Though RCA functions similarly to crushed stone in a paver base, it is impossible to know the different rock mixtures it contains. This unpredictability may make RCA a less reliable base choice when compared to crushed stone.

CRUSHED STONE:  A crushed stone paver base is made of small stone pieces that have been broken and screened for uniformity. The most common rock types of crushed stone are – limestone, dolomite, and granite. Stone aggregate comes in a variety of sizes, but most experts recommend 3/4-inch gravel for paver bases.  Crushed stone makes a solid paver base because it allows water drainage and is easy to work with. Like sand, crushed stone comes in several varieties. The best aggregate for paver bases is a dense grade aggregate.

COMPACTED SOIL: Soil base compacted soil typically serves as the subgrade level underneath pavers. While you could technically lay your pavers directly into compacted dirt, this can cause issues, such as:

  • Poor drainage
  • Initial unevenness
  • Weather warping

Many of our clients ask us what is the difference between pavers and natural stone.  Unlike concrete, the colors of natural stones are not pigmented, which only adds to their beauty. They’re also not made from mixtures of composite aggregate like concrete pavers, so they can preserve their beauty as they age, mature, and fade.

Top 4 Benefits Of Natural Stone Pavers Vs Concrete Pavers

1. Timeless Elegance – Natural stone pavers come in varying types, from light beige sandstone if you want to get that tropical vibe to dark ebony granite for achieving a majestic feel to your patio.

2. Low Maintenance – Natural Stone pavers don’t usually develop cracks. If for some reason they do, they are easy to repair and replace. Simply remove the paver with cracks and replace it. That’s it! Plus, they also have smaller joints. That means their sand joints are less likely to encounter seed germination. And the best thing about natural stones? They’re effortless to clean!

3. Ages Beautifully – There is no doubt that stones look even better as they age and have a very long lifespan. Unlike concrete, the colors of natural stones are not pigmented, which only adds to their beauty.  And they will look as beautiful as the day of their installation even after hundreds of years.

4. Investment – Utilizing natural stones on your landscape will add more value to your home. It’s an investment that will pay for itself in the long run. They are also regarded as materials with high value and quality. Traits like prominence, elegance, and sophistication are connected to them as well.

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Concrete Pavers And Natural Stone Pavers Installation

Concrete pavers and natural stone pavers both require a fair amount of preparation and skilled labor.  When properly installed and maintained, natural stone pavers will stand the test of time and look great. It’s one of the reasons why people are so attracted to natural stone. However, if natural stone isn’t installed properly, the paving stones can shift over time and even crack prematurely under extreme circumstances. This is especially common if natural stone is set into concrete; poured concrete slabs are notoriously susceptible to cracking caused by fluctuations in the ground underneath. This kind of damage can be extremely expensive to fix.

Concrete pavers also offer outstanding longevity; they can last for many decades even with heavy traffic and wear. One benefit of concrete pavers over natural stone pavers is that it is much more affordable to repair a cracked concrete paver and it’s also very easy to re-level a dislodged concrete paver that isn’t grouted.

Whatever your dreaming of natural paving stones or concrete pavers for your next hardscaping project but wishing there was a more affordable option? Gappsi can meet your paver patio needs.

So, if you’re looking for elegant handcrafted pavers and excellent service, contact us to request a quote today.

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Swimming Pool Built in Lake Grove Long Island NY.

Swimming Pool Built in Lake Grove Long Island NY.Letter From the customer.
Giuseppe and his staff at Gappsi helped us to create our own vacation resort right in our backyard. The quality, attention to detail, and craftsmanship of his work was truly outstanding. He and his team were exceptionally professional and respectful as well as attentive to all of our needs and concerns. Gappsi installed a oversized free formed pool in our back yard, with spill over spas positioned on a second level patio built right next to the swimming pool. The crab orchard mini colonial wall used for the raised patio walls and light piers blend with the natural colors of the random pattern travertine as they were meant to be together. The pool patio height was built one step down from my existing paving stone patio in my back yard, and the hot tub area was built 3 steps up from the pool patio creating enough height for the water from the spillover to fall in to the pool and creating a very pleasant running water affect. Also 4 lions head wall sconces were installed, 2 on each side of the spa spillover. a jandy heater ,jandy salt chlorinator system, a polaris pool cleaner and a state of the art control system that runs all the pool equipment as well as the sprinkler system and the outdoor lights. after the installation of the back yard pool patio we went farther and had Gappsi install a new driveway in the front of the house and 2 walk ways to the back yard one on each side of the house with nicolock stone ridge in oyster blend Gappsi also designed and installed the entire landscape from trees to flower and sod the entire front and back yards. from designing to the last question of the project we did not have to deal with anyone else but Gappsi and the last thing that was done was the installation of the loop lock cover this fall . We would highly recommend Gappsi over and over again with no hesitation. Lou & Emilie Calixte, Lake Grove, NY

Lake Grove NY Swimming Pool Builder

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