Paver driveways

What changes versus a patio

• Base depth. Ten to twelve inches of compacted aggregate rather than the six to eight a patio needs. More where the soil is poor.
• Paver thickness. 80mm rated for vehicular traffic, never the 60mm used on patios.
• Pattern. Herringbone, laid at 45 or 90 degrees. It interlocks under load and resists the shearing force of a turning wheel in a way a running bond simply does not.
• Edge restraint. Heavy-duty, pinned properly. The edges of a driveway take the most punishment of anything in hardscape.

The advantage nobody mentions until year fifteen

A concrete driveway that cracks is permanently a cracked driveway. You can patch it, and it will look patched. Eventually you replace the whole thing.

A paver driveway is repairable in sections. Utility work, a settled area, a stained patch from an oil leak - lift the affected pavers, fix what is underneath, put them back. Done properly it is invisible. Over a thirty-year life that flexibility is worth a great deal, and it is why commercial properties and municipalities use them at entrances.

Plowing a paver driveway

Since we also plow, this comes up often: yes, they plow fine. A properly installed paver driveway is flat and consistent, so a blade rides across it cleanly. Shoes on the plow and a sensible operator matter more than the surface does - which is one advantage of the company that built your driveway also being the company clearing it.

Get your snow removal price in about a minute if you want to see what the winter side costs.