Pavers & Brick Walkways & Patios
Get Shortz Experience with Paver Installations
Shortz Landscape is proficient in hardscapes using concrete pavers, brick products, and natural stone such as bluestone. We are impressed with the capabilities of concrete pavers in the landscape, and pleased to have a proven product with a wide range of colors and shapes to meet the needs of each design. Pavers are superior to other surface types because the end result is made of individual stones which can move and be reset if an area needs to be repaired. Pavers interlock and thus require no mortar to stay in place. As an interlocked system of individual stones, pavers move with soil's swelling & contraction like no rigid stone system would. Paver stones are fabricated with a mixture of concrete and coloring agent under pressure in a mold. Production includes so many shape and color variations that rough grey concrete pavers are no longer the only choice.
To ensure our clients have finished projects of high quality and long lifetime, Shortz uses material from industry leaders like Unilock and our installers have been trained through the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI). The ICPI certification path has ensured we have the requisite knowledge, hands-on experience, and follow industry guidelines to complete projects using concrete pavers. Through our work on a number of paver installations, we have become familiar with available solutions and know of more color and pattern possibilities than you would find at a home & garden center for do-it-yourself projects. Shortz installers give the necessary attention to base preparation for a good footing, along with slope control for proper drainage, on each paver project.
Paver Walkways for Beautiful Paths
Design considerations for a paver walkway include path shape, stone selection and stone pattern. The path should help define and accentuate the buildings and planting beds nearby. Selection of the paver stone color (one or a mix) is made considering the exterior materials and colors of the building, in order to complement or be in contrast. Paver stone shape will be chosen to accomplish the desired pattern and walkway curves. A different paver shape or color may be involved along the walkway edge.
Photos of our past paver walkway projects are shown below; you can use the arrows to move through a few of the many variations possible.
Paver Patios Offer Attractive Designs
Paver use for patios takes advantage of the wide color and shape options of the stone to apply the best choice for the surrounding buildings and plantings. Related products can be used to include surrounding walls, pillars, support outdoor grills, fireplaces and firepits. Pavers can also be used for patios around pools, as the joints will drain water and light colored stone will be cool to walk on with a slip-resistant surface.
As with walkways, pavers can be arranged in a number of patterns to achieve appearance goals. Some of the designs to note are:
- Herringbone - a zigzag arrangement with a formal appearance
- Basket Weave - pavers laid in alternating horizontal and vertical pairs
- Running bond - paver alignment varies per row; can also create curved pattern
- Circle kit - a set of pavers forming a radiating circle
More than one design can be included in a patio, and the bordering pavers or soldier course can be a different paver or aligned to close the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Would there be difficulty clearing snow and ice from a paver path?
A properly installed paver surface has a uniform height allowing a shovel to glide over it. Most paver stones have bevelled edges to lessen sharp edges a plow may catch as it passes.
How can a paver path or patio be superior to a poured slab when they are both concrete?
Paver stones are formed from concrete and coloring under high pressure in a mold. This produces a more dense and solid manmade stone than poured concrete with its inherent variation in mixture, curing and pressure.
Will pavers discolor or suffer from fungus, mold or moss?
Due to their compressed concrete material, rather than clay-like brick, pavers do not absorb water as brick, thus resisting problems other surface types exhibit in shady or damp areas. Color is throughout the paver and is not a surface treatment or subject to wearing away.
Is a paver path prone to weeds growing from the spaces between the stones?
The joints are filled with a special sand that is activated after the pavers are laid, forming a more solid mass than soil or raw sand, yet flexible enough for normal paver movement. The material is more resistant to weed establishment than other fillers.