Pavers

What's Curb Appeal?

It’s what real estate people refer to when describing the first impression when you pull up to the curb in front of your home.  If a house looks attractive and stands out from the rest of the homes on the street it has great “curb appeal”. 

In Las Vegas many of the homes look very much alike.  I tell people that I live in the light colored stucco house with the tile roof.  When I first moved here I kept pulling in the wrong driveway.  Now it’s easy to tell which house is mine. 

So, how can you get “curb appeal”?

Install a Paving Stone Driveway, Walkway and Entrance.

I call it a hardscape.  Like landscaping the front of your home, hardscaping improves the appearance of the concrete areas.  Getting rid of that ugly grey concrete makes a huge difference in the appearance of your home.

If you think about it, there’s not a more dramatic improvement you can make to the front of your house.  Sure, you can put in new plants and landscape rock or even install some synthetic turf.  You can dress up the front of the house with new windows or stone veneers, or even paint the exterior of your house like the crazy lady across the street form me did (BRIGHT BLUE!). 

But, other than my neighbors creative paint job, your house will probably still look a lot like the rest of the houses on your street.

A paving stone hardscape makes an immediate and spectacular difference.  You will be the envy of your neighbors.  You will have “curb appeal”!

Even though pavers are stronger than standard concrete, require less maintenance than stamped or colored concrete and look fabulous, the best part is that you can design a pavement that will compliment the architecture and color scheme of your home. 

I’m not talking about the basic “Home Depot looking” pavers you see in the garden department.  There is a vast array of sizes, shapes, textures and color blends to choose from so that your hardscape can be unique to your home.

You should consider using contrasting borders, 45° patterns, tumbled pavers, mixed color blends, circles or fan patterns.  Retaining wall blocks can be incorporated into your design to make planters, raised patios, terraces and pony walls.

Another option that should be considered is lighting;   you guessed it… I call it lightscaping.  There are lights shaped like pavers that can border a drive way or walkway and light up steps. Talk about curb appeal!

Even though pavers do not need to be sealed, sealing can really enhance the colors in the pavers. This can make your hardscape really stand out.  Just be careful, using the wrong sealer can be a disaster!

Now put your imagination to work.  What kind of pavers will look best?  Old world tumbled pavers that look like natural stone?  Contemporary “city stone” pavers?  Pavers that look like brick?  Add retaining walls, steps and lighting.  Now finish it off with a sealer and… Voila! The curb appeal your home deserves.  

In future posts I will discuss these options as well as topics on installation, design considerations, lighting, sealing and everything else you need to know to get the “curb appeal” your home deserves.

You can see a gallery of paving stone projects along with links to many manufacturers’ web sites at: www.installprolv.com

Stamped Concrete

Here is an article written by Raquel Alvares it lends some good insight about stamped concrete.

Stamped concrete is created from a slab of fresh concrete. Before the concrete fully dries it is colored and then textured patterns are impressed into the concrete. The homeowner chooses the pattern and colors of their preference. A project can be made to look like natural stones, tile, wood, cobble stones and more.

Stamped concrete is often preferred over pavers because it is much easier to maintain. Over time pavers tend to sink into the ground and it is very easy for weeds to grow in-between pavers. With stamped concrete this does not happen since it is a continuous slab of concrete. In addition, when your stamped concrete doesn't look so new anymore, you can simply have it resealed and you will instantly have a vibrant patio.

If you already have an existing patio and want the decorative look then stampable overlays are the way to go! Stampable overlays are used to resurface existing concrete. If you have a patio that is just plain boring a stampable overlay can bring new life to your backyard. The process is similar to installing stamped concrete. You choose the pattern and colors for your project. Your existing patio is covered with about 1/4 to 3/8 inch of the stampable overlay. When the job is complete you will have a beautiful stamped patio!

Stamped concrete is also a terrific way to add value to your home. By adding a patio to your backyard or having a concrete driveway, you add a higher level of elegance and desire to your home.

To view stamped concrete projects, please visit http://www.supremeconcreteandtile.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raquel_Alvares

FAQ's

Q:	What is the difference between "Clay Pavers & Concrete Pavers"?
A:	Clay pavers are made with real clay that is mixed, extruded and baked in a kiln at very high temperatures and concrete pavers are made with a special blend of concrete and coloring that is compacted at very high pressures in a special machine.
Q:	Which type of paver is better?
A:	There is very little difference between pavers in general. The important difference is the maker of the pavers. Paving materials can vary from one manufacturer to next. The qualities that make a paver perfect are its compressive strength, water absorption rate and abrasion index.
Q:	What happens if I have to do a repair job below the paving? Does it leave an unsightly patch mark?
A:	No, that is one of the long term benefits to installing Flexible paving. Because all interlocking paving is flexible it can also resist cracking. This is especially beneficial in California which has very expansive soils.
Q:	Can you do any other types of specialty masonry?
A:	Yes, our tradesmen are fully train masonry professionals. We specialize in matching almost any material and seamlessly installing it so that the repair is undetectable in most cases.
Q:	What does "Interlocking Paving" mean?
A:	Interlocking paving is a misleading term. What actually constitutes interlocking is really a dynamic function containing three different components. They are "rotational interlock" (resistance to tipping) "horizontal interlock" (resistance to spreading) "vertical interlock (resistance to sinking)". So, that means for lasting quality you need good containment, good sub base and proper paver thickness. Thicker pavers for driveways thinner pavers for patios.
Q:	After you're done Paving the work surfaces should I Seal It?
A:	Yes, it protects it from leaky cars that might leave oil stains and it stays cleaner for much longer if you seal it right away before it has a chance to get stained. Remember when it's sealed it only takes a hose to clean it off. We use breathable type sealers that protect against just about anything.
Q:	What can be done to restore ugly faded old concrete?
A:	In most situations faded concrete can be renewed by recoloring it using various Tints & Stains.

Welcome to the Paver Blog

Welcome to our new blog all about pavers. Check back often to learn all there is to know about concrete pavers!