Pavers, Pavers, Pavers…
We HIGHLY recommend interlocking pavers for all sorts of different projects with patios, pathways and driveways involved. Why? There are many reasons:
There are a WIDE array of colors, sizes and styles to choose from, and they have different styles you can use for the outside edging to mix it up even further. There are so many possibilities aesthetically and to get a truly custom look.
They very rarely will crack or break, and they rarely have issues with erosion or shifting; and even if they do get any uneven areas beneath them over time, it’s much easier to address and fix than all other hardscapes. With concrete, mortared brick, mortared flagstone, tile, etc., you basically have none of these perks. The concrete or mortar/grout cracks, so you patch it or replace a section, and suddenly the new section makes the old section look terrible (or vice versa!). With pavers, you simply lift a section, reapply base and reinstall. Even matching and adding new pavers in a section at a later time will still look better than new mortar between a section of bricks or a new square of fresh concrete surrounded by old concrete, and it’s easier to do!
They are quite stain-resistant, or at least you can’t necessarily physically notice most stains, due to the natural patterns of a lot of different kinds of interlocking pavers.
They have some minor drainage built into them with the joint sand and the sand/road base.
The cost isn’t as high as mortared flagstone/bricks, decks, tile and many other hardscapes out there!
Overall, we love using interlocking pavers. Our favorite brand to use is Belgard, who offers a wide variety of styles and unique, clean colors. We are absolutely open to using all kinds of other hardscape materials if you love other styles, and pavers might not be the way to go in certain circumstances, but we’ll definitely recommend interlocking pavers in a wide variety of circumstances. Poured concrete pavers/slabs with some artificial turf or river rocks between for a contemporary or mid-century modern look is always great. Flagstone looks nice with Mediterranean and Spanish styles. Decks are always lovely, but can be quite costly. We recommend interlocking pavers for patios just as much as we recommend crushed granite/gravel for our xeriscape projects. We just love to stress interlocking pavers because of all the perks they provide. Even if you have some poor ideas about them already for some reason, try to keep at least a bit of an open mind to check some out newly, as the ones we show you might look different than what you’re thinking with. There have been extensive improvements and diversity added to the world of pavers in recent years, and there really is something for almost every single situation and style of home. Let’s make your property unique, beautiful and easy to maintain so you can really focus on the things you actually need to!
-Cody Simpson, Chief Landscape Consultant