A Decision on the Surface Finish for the Outdoors

Driving around Orange County, you will mainly come across two or three options people have chosen to build their driveways. Its concrete, paving stones of the interlocking style and asphalt. Each of these has its benefits and drawbacks. You will have to take a call on what’s best for your driveway. While you may be tempted to use asphalt or concrete, you must know that pavers will provide you several advantages over the other two. 

The only thing that goes in favor of concrete is that it can last longer. You will have to spend more on it as well. Almost every other factor goes against the concrete surface. It is difficult to clean and maintain. If even a small portion gets damaged, you must repour concrete and it will completely spoil the appearance. So, you should try and avoid concrete for your driveway. 

There’s one more issue too. If you plan to have a pool or a party place in the rear of your house, you may want to choose a surface other than concrete there as it spoils the overall aesthetics.

Asphalt is an option but some of the negative points of the concrete driveway apply to the asphalt driveway too. If you spill oil or other muck on the driveway, it is difficult to clean it by yourself. The asphalt surface is prone to frequent damage as well and not so easy to repair. 

That brings you to the interlocking paver stones. A driveway with the pavers has a range of advantages and should be your first choice. So, let us examine the various benefits you can expect from choosing the pavers and discarding the other options. 

Build as You Please

Interlocking paving stones give you the widest choice of color, shape and design. If you went with concrete, you would get a dull gray surface. You can have it painted but that paint can wear off in no time as your cars’ tires roll on them. The choices are limited. With asphalt, its plain black, unless you like that color.

When you choose pavers, the Orange County preferred paver, Pacific Coast Pavers, can show you the catalog of designs for you to select from. The interlocking paver stones can be arranged in your driveway in different patterns. Some like it zig-zag, while others prefer an angular formation. Whatever design you like can be applied while laying the pavers. You can create a separate design in the center to enhance the appeal. 

You can extend the design right to the patio if you choose. As indicated earlier, if you have a poolside or a party place in the rear, take the same paver pattern to the rear side as well and present a uniform flooring all through the exterior of your house. There are instances of properties with pavers getting a higher valuation while selling. It becomes a win-win situation for you. 

Another unique factor that goes in favor of the pavers is that they can be used in driveways and patios of all types of homes, irrespective of the style of architecture. 



Easy to Repair

Interlocking paving stone surfaces can be finished to an excellent, smooth surface. There are possibilities like changing the pattern along the borders to lift the appearance of the driveway. 

Concrete surfaces have the propensity to get damaged fast. One underlying reason could be the change in weather conditions. Cracks can develop on the concrete surface if the ambient temperature goes below a certain threshold. Besides giving a bad appearance, you or your family members can trip over the cracks. 

There is another scientific reason that favors the pavers. On average, Interlocking paving stone are capable of withstanding a load of up to 8,000 pounds per square inch or PSI. A typical concrete surface, on the other hand, can hold just half of that figure, 4,000 PSI. The reason for the damage is not far to seek. The paver stones go much deeper from the top of the surface than the concrete does. There is an additional precaution taken by using a sand stabilizer. This ensures that the weight on the paver surface is evenly divided across the stones. 

The advantage you have with Interlocking paving stone is that even if a portion were to get damaged, you can replace as many stones as required, depending on the level of damage. That won’t change the appearance of the driveway. You must mark the exact product code when Pacific Coast Pavers supplies you the tiles or stones. A better idea would be to order a few tiles extra while getting the driveway paved. This way, you will never be made to search for the interlocking paving stones of the same color and style when needed.

Warranty

Your civil contractor who executes the concrete driveway would not offer any warranty for the concrete. Pacific Coast Pavers offers a 25-year workmanship warranty on the installation of pavers. That’s a huge benefit since we would undertake any repair or replacement of the pavers at our own expense. This warranty holds good if you find our workmanship below par. If the damage to the paver driveway is caused due to other reasons, the warranty will not hold and justifiably so. 

Interlocking paver stone finishes for exterior floors is a great option. You don’t build a house every day. It is once or twice in your life that you will be involved in making these decisions. You cannot be altering them frequently either. Once a driveway is laid, you would want it to last at least a few years without having to do anything about it. Pacific Coast Pavers the way to go.