This spring, especially with the long and cold winter hopefully soon behind us, many homeowners are beginning to plan what to do with their outdoor living space. Now is the best time to decide which products and designs will most suit their needs and to spend some time planning or staging their projects with their local experts.
If you're improving an existing or planning a new outdoor living space, concrete paving and wall products can meet the demands of your job, large or small. For patios, walkways, drives, and more, pavers will give your project either a classic, crisp look or the warmth and character of time-aged cobble.
Today, the use of interlocking pavers has demonstrated exponential growth because they are a superior surfacing system for our climate. They are very affordable and easy to maintain, demonstrating superior lifelong value to today’s homeowners looking to expand their outdoor living areas to spend more quality time enjoying both family and friends.
Low maintenance is a key benefit of implementing concrete paver systems into your outdoor designs, given many products, such as polymeric sand that is used to fill the gaps between pavers, help to eliminate weed growth or insect penetration for many seasons. Also, the use of edge restraints will help retain the shape of your paving surface for years to come because they are able to restrict lateral movement into adjoining areas such as grass or gardens.
Also, from a “Green” perspective, a growing trend in today’s residential and commercial landscaping environments is Permeable Paving Solutions comprised of a layer of pavers separated by joints that are filled with small stones and an “open-graded” base, such as crushed stone layers that do not contain small or fine particles. The void spaces between these layers of stone allow water to enter between the pavers, down among the crushed stone base, and infiltrate it back into the soil subgrade. The system provides 100% surface permeability, and the base filters storm water and reduces pollutants.
Tumbled products can provide endless design possibilities. Their naturally hewed appearance of being gently weathered is at home in a landscape that is natural and rustic to one that evokes feelings of classic old-world charm. Bold colour choices and varying sizes provide endless design possibilities.
The weathered stone look of a tumbled wall incorporating natural stone accents or coping provides a “vintage” appearance at home in many settings. It is slightly smaller than previous versions, making it easier to use and more affordable. It is the perfect complement to a tumbled paver and a unique solution for garden walls, pillars, seat walls, and garden edging.
The fact that pavers are strong and flexible, making them resistant to cracking, and are produced in so many popular profiles and colours helps many designers, contractors and homeowners alike to create beautiful landscape designs for patios, driveways or walkways. Many homeowners have extended their indoor living space to the outdoors by adding backyard kitchens, fireplaces and gathering areas to complement existing patios and pools. Your backyard oasis eliminates the two-hour drive to the cottage or the additional maintenance responsibilities that a recreational property may require. All the while adding value to your property with limited maintenance and complementing the architectural style of your home to enjoy every day!