Paving Bricks Remain a Beautiful, Durable Choice

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• Trench

If installing pavers yourself is too ambitious for your do-it-yourself skills try a professional from casaGURU. All of them are licensed, insured and homeowner rated.

Paving bricks are my favourite outdoor traffic surface because they look good and last almost forever. But interlocking walkways and driveways still depend on proper pre-installation prep work, and this boils down to three things:

1. Solid, mechanically-compacted foundation.
2. Smooth, 1-inch deep layer of moist bedding sand right under the pavers.
3. Orderly brick installation with mechanical side support.

Whether you’re installing pavers yourself or hiring a pro to do it, you’ve got to know what goes into a good installation to ensure you get it.

Begin With a Trench

Start with a foundation base you can count on. Foot paths that won’t be driven on, for instance, age gracefully on top a 6-inch layer of fine, mechanically compacted aggregate in a trench that puts the top of the pavers about 1/4-inch above the surrounding soil. Driveways need at least a 12-inch deep compacted layer in the same sort of trench because of the extra weight of vehicles.

• The best machine to hire for trenching in residential situations is a micro-excavator.
• These small diggers look like their full-size cousins, yet are highly maneuverable in tight quarters.
• They also have rubber tracks that don’t mar lawns or driveways.
• Ask your operator if the excavator can be fitted with a toothless bucket, too. This is better than the standard toothed bucket for this job because it can scoop all dirt out cleanly.
• With your trench dug, don’t even think about installing pavers without a gas-powered compactor at your disposal. Settling will occur for sure if you don't use one.

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