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Pavers
Paving can greatly enhance any home. You can create beautiful paved entertaining areas for under your pergola, your barbecue area, or around your swimming pool, as well as functional areas for other purposes, such as driveways, around your clothes line, or a solid base for storing your bins.
Pavers are available in a variety of earthy colours, and shapes, as well as a choice of various materials. For driveways there are also extra thick pavers to withstand the heavy weight of a vehicle. In choosing the right pavers for your situation you will need to consider the shaping you wish to achieve. Some shapes are more suited to straight, square lines while others work well in creating curves and uneven shaping.
You also need to think about how the particluar paver will look in conjunction with whatever else is in the vicinity, such as your house, retaining walls, edgings, statues and garden features, other paving etc.
Some kinds of pavers are more durable than others- some more prone to cracking- some require more ongoing maintenance in the way of cleaning, sealing or weeding in between.
Cost difference may also be a significant consideration to keep in mind when deciding which pavers to purchase.
Below are the main types of pavers:
Clay Pavers
Clay pavers are low maintenance and can be reused as often as you like. Replacement is easy. Help control excess water runoff as they absorb water.
They can, however, crack or break away at the edges. The adjoining gaps can slso allow weeds and insects to come through, so weeding or apraying will be required every so often.
Concrete Pavers
Cut cement pavers are once again reusable and replaceable. They are able to be sealed or treated in the joins to lessen weeds and burrowing insects.
Cracks are a possibility. They are not as porous as the clay pavers, so don't absorb as much water, therefore there is more runoff.
Pattern Pave Stencilled Concrete
Stencilled concrete is a less expensive way of creating a paved look for an area, especially populare for driveways. Quite a variety of shapes and styles can be produced with this method. A spray on material is added over wet concrete, using a stencil. The possible colour range is extensive also, though if a touch up is later needed it can be difficult to colour match, especially if fading/colour change has occured. Cracking is also a common problem.
Rubber Paving Material
Rubber paving is a great choice for under children's play equipment such as swings as it makes for a soft landing. Also good for areas you want a non-slip surface. Rubber makes quite a durable paving material, though it may not be as visually appealing for entertainment area purposes.
Cobblestones
Cobblestones are an old time paving material, coming back into vogue for certain situations. Looks attractive, with a certain naturalness, and lasts for a very long time. Probably better for areas in which you wish to create an *feature effect* rather than somewhere which will get a lot of use, as it has an uneven surface. It also can allow weeds and insects easy access, as joins are much less precise than with shaped pavers.
Natural Slate, Sandstone and Other Stone Pavers
Stone pavers can give a natural, classy look to an area and is very long lasting. Stone is quarried in large sheets and is then cut to various shapes and sizes, making it very versatile. Stone paving is a more expensive option and there may be a wait for suitable stone, however it is well worth it if it fits your decor and you can afford the upfront expense.
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