Paving the patio and driveway is one of the most basic jobs around the house and garden. Because if you want to drive your car onto your own site, you must create a driveway so that it can permanently withstand the high loads. Everything is possible, from two lanes of grass pavers to a fully paved driveway. When paving the driveway, keep in mind that rainwater must seep onto the property! Although clinkers, bricks and tiles are the most commonly used materials, wooden decking, metal and plastic can also be very decorative.
Which bricks and tiles are most suitable?
The developments can hardly be kept up to date. Every year new tiles or stones are brought onto the market. It is important that you make a well-considered choice. Select stones by:
- color;
- thickness;
- usages;
- and lifespan.
For example, it is better not to use 40×60 cm gravel tiles if you want to construct a round terrace. And a stone only 4 cm thick is not suitable for the heavy load of a driveway. Much is possible with a good base layer and good confinement. Get good advice during construction.
Which choice for patio, garden path and driveway?
Below is a list of the options for terrace, path and driveway. Of course you can also make a terrace of wooden decking, metal or plastic, but generally speaking the materials for paving and paving can be divided into:
- Brick: Clay baked in ovens up to 11000 C, such as earthenware. Baked stones are timeless. The longer the stones are, the more beautiful they often become.
- Concrete stone and concrete tiles: The fact that not all paving material is made from natural materials has of course to do with the cost price. By using a concrete base (a mixture of sand, gravel and cement) the most fantastic materials can be made at affordable prices.
- Natural stone: Pebbles, slabs and tiles extracted from quarries or quarries. A special effect can be obtained by using tuff blocks. Due to their moisture absorption, they will quickly grow moss, which gives a nostalgic effect.
- Semi-pavements: Fine natural stone materials extracted from quarries or quarries, often with a binder. Besides split, gravel and mine stone, for example, wood chips, tree bark and clean sand shells are also included in this group.
Preparation of the work
In order to be able to lay stones, you must first prepare a sand bed to be made:
- a good standard for paths and terraces is a sand bed with a thickness of at least 20 cm;
- and for driveways (heavier traffic) a sand bed of at least 40 cm thick.
Depending on the soil conditions (peat or clay), the sand bed must be adapted with extra surfacing layers or special ground covers. When in doubt, it is wise to consult a landscaper or road construction company.
Laying in patterns and connections
The words patterns and relationships are often used interchangeably. You put stones or tiles in a certain bandage relative to each other. This happens regularly in the same line. For example stretcher bond or twill bond. This concerns one type of stone or tile.
As soon as you start processing stones and tiles at the same time, but always in the same way, there is one pattern. Even if you place the stone or tile in one connection one time and a little further in another connection and you keep repeating this, we also speak of a pattern.
Incarceration
Once a path or terrace is ready, it is important that it stays in place. We recommend a decent one confinement to make. This can be done by:
- a stone on its side;
- a concrete strip;
- or a rolling layer of stones one after the other.