Paving stones West Bloomfield Township MI - Brick Patio Canton MI, West Bloomfield Township MI
Any paver installation should be absolutely seamless to ensure that the finished project remains in good shape for many years to come in Oakland Township and West Bloomfield Township, MI. With the right materials and meticulous installation, it becomes a long-lasting, favored landscape project of the home. A brick patio, especially, stands to get many, many years of enjoyment. Here are some do’s and don’ts of brick patio installation to make sure the patio lives up to expectations:
Do Map Out the Patio
Landscape pros use design software to create a map of the area designated to the project and a scaled drawing of the finished paver patio. This assists them in calculating the number of brick pavers and other materials required, while making it easier to visualize how the completed patio will look in relation to any surrounding landscaping features and architecture.
Don’t Settle for Low-Quality Materials
An incredible patio design can be weakened by the use of subpar materials. Therefore, it is important to entrust the construction of your patio to a landscape contractor that values the use of high-quality materials. A Unilock Authorized Contractor like Decra-Scape, for example, not only has access to a highly reputable source of materials but also possesses extensive insight into the qualities of each and every Unilock product. This enables the contractor to select the best option for a particular patio design.
Do Compact Base Materials Patiently
The integrity of a paver base largely determines whether the brick pavers will settle or hold their own over time. Regardless of the time constraints on a project, base materials cannot be compacted all at once. Most plate compactors can only compact 3 to 4 inches of base material at a time. Therefore, the paver base must be poured and compacted repeatedly in layers.
Related: 4 Different Types of Paving Stones and Their Advantages
Don’t Compact Bedding Sand
Bedding sand should not be compacted once it has been poured on top of the compacted base materials. This sand needs to remain loose in order to create a smooth and even surface for the brick pavers and hold them in place. Once the pavers have been laid and are finally compacted, any loose bedding sand will be forced into the spaces between them. This helps to set and secure the brick pavers.
Do Be Precise When Laying and Spacing Bricks
Experienced, expert landscape contractors ensure that they lay each brick paver with absolute precision right from the start. It is testament to the fact that an initial mistake will snowball and become worse as more bricks are laid. String or landscaping paint and tape can be used to achieve perfectly straight edges, and measuring tape should be used at intervals of a few feet to verify that a perfectly straight edge is being maintained.
Related: Selecting Interlocking Pavers for Your Sterling Heights, MI, Patio
Do Use an Edge Restraint
The earth shifts and moves over time, and with it, the brick pavers will shift out of place. The best way to ensure that pavers stay in line is by using an edge restraint. Should the design prohibit a stone or concrete edging to line the perimeter of the patio, there are invisible edge restraints that can be inserted into the base material.
