17 July 2017
 Categories: , Blog

A new driveway doesn't have to be a merely practical installation on your land—with the use of pattern pavers, you can create distinctive and genuinely attractive driveways that will set your property apart. However, the multi-coloured pavers used to create pattern paved driveways are not all alike, and choosing the material your pavers are made from can dramatically affect how your new driveway performs.

The vast majority of pattern-paver driveways are made from either paving bricks or concrete paving slabs, and though these two materials may seem somewhat alike at first glance their characteristics are quite different. Choosing whether bricks or concrete are best suited to your pattern paving project depends on the properties you need from your driveway, so make sure to familiarise yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of both concrete and brick pattern paving before construction of your new driveway begins.

What are the pros and cons of choosing brick pavers for pattern-paved driveways?

Pattern paved driveways made from brick pavers are renowned for their attractiveness, and the distinctive melange of red, brown and yellow hues created by brick pattern pavers can add a genuinely attractive accent to any property. However, brick pavers aren't all style and no substance. When treated with reasonable care and attention, a brick paved driveway can last for many years in excellent condition. Brick pavers are particularly renowned for weathering well, and an aged brick-paved driveway can look just as attractive as it did when freshly laid.

However, choosing brick for your pattern paved driveway also has other advantages. Because brick has smaller pores than concrete, brick pavers are far less susceptible to staining caused by oil and gasoline spills and are easier to clean with pressure washers and cleaning solutions. They are also easier to lay than concrete pavers due to their smaller size and are easier to replace if individual pavers crumble or shatter.

There are, however, a few disadvantages to using brick pattern pavers, and their cost is generally the most striking; a brick-paved patterned driveway generally costs significantly more to install than one made of concrete pavers, even accounting for easier installation. They also have slightly less load-bearing strength than modern concrete mixes and may be shattered by the weight of very heavy vehicles.

What are the pros and cons of choosing concrete pavers for pattern-paved driveways?

Ordinary concrete may not be the most visually arresting material, but the wide variety of colours and shades provided by concrete pattern pavers can make for a truly attractive driveway. Unlike brick pavers, concrete pavers are not limited to simple shades of red and brown. Unique combinations and patterns can be created in your driveway with concrete pavers of wildly differing colours and hues.

You might think that this added versatility comes at a price, but concrete pavers are generally much less expensive than brick pavers. Most concrete pavers are larger than brick pavers, so a pattern-paved driveway made of concrete can be laid more quickly with less individual pavers required to complete your drive.

However, the main advantages of concrete pavers is their incredible durability. A pattern-paved concrete driveway can last for years or decades while shouldering heavy loads and overhead traffic, and worn concrete pavers tend to wear and crumble rather than shatter suddenly, keeping your driveway usable while you await repairs.

Unfortunately, concrete pavers are also significantly heavier than their brick equivalents and require a sturdier base to remain in place. These things generally mean a concrete pattern paved drive will require a supporting substrate or poured concrete foundations to be installed before the drive can be laid, increasing construction costs and the amount of time it takes to lay your drive.

For more information, contact a professional in your area like those found at M.P.S Paving Systems Australia.