Concrete pavers are perfect for dressing your outdoors to keep them beautiful and neat. Outdoor pavers come in interlocking concrete bricks that are used to make pavements for outdoor dressing.
They are strong, easy to maintain, and long-lasting. However, you must install them properly in order for them to withstand years of wear and tear. Also, it is important to call for a professional contractor so that you can avoid common installation mistakes.
The following are installation mistakes that you can avoid.
- Installing on wet soil
One of the most common mistakes is skipping a soil test. You should take into account the type of soil that you have. Clay soil shifts as time goes by, hence, it makes a bad foundation for concrete pavers. Wet or moist soil are not good paver foundations either.
The concrete blocks soak up the water and they become weak and brittle. When you install on wet soil, it eventually dries up and shifts out of place. Make sure that the ground underneath is strong enough to hold cars, furniture and people walking on it every day.
- Installing them loosely
If you make the mistake of not ensuring that the ground is compact, then the concrete pavers will fit in loosely. You should have a mechanical system for pressing sand.
In this case, hiring a compactor is recommended. A useful tip would be to pour water before the compacting process to make it easier and more effective.
Otherwise, the pavers will loosely fit and you will have a repair bill every now and then. Make sure that the pavers fit snugly with each other to create a smooth compact pavement.
- Having poor drainage
Poor drainage is a threat to any construction work that you may have. In states such as Texas, the land is fairly flat in most areas. When it rains, water forms pools and ruins your pavement if you have poor drainage systems.
Create runoff drainage systems to keep the pavement from waterclogging. If you do not have a sloping terrain, you can make your own by creating mild slopes as you install your pavers. This way, you easily direct water to the drainage system.
- Not having enough adhesive
As much as interlocking bricks have a simple installation method, it is important that they stick well together. Make sure that you have enough adhesive between the pavers to ensure a long lasting result. Also, be sure that you give the pavement some time to set so that the adhesive can work properly before allowing people to start using the pavement.
- Forgetting to protect the edges
Most people concentrate on the main outcome of the pavement and they forget to dress the edges. Pavement erosion starts with the edges and works itself towards the midsection. You should build a small perimeter edge all around your pavers to protect them from erosion.
Make sure that the edge is raised a little higher to keep erosion away. Use heavy-duty material to bind the edge and make it stronger. If bricks come off, replace them immediately before the damage spreads to the rest of the pavement.
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