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| Q: |
My stamped driveway is cracked and looks terrible. Will pavers shift and move? |
| A: |
Pavers should not move. The biggest difference between pavers and concrete or asphalt is in the preparation of the base. There is much more work under pavers than what you see on top.
Envisions installs pavers similarly to how they construct roads. Generally, we dig down to industry standard depths (varies with application) and compact the soil, add a geotek stabilization fabric (when needed), add road bed stone (called ABC or crush and run), compact it (4 inches for a sidewalk and at least 9 inches for a driveway), add granite screenings (“sand”), compact it, smooth it out and lay the paver product on top. Curves and edges are cut to make an attractive and tight fit. The edges are secured in place with concrete or a commercial edging product. We believe this base preparation is the secret to longevity of the product. Our driveways have a minimum of 12 inches of materials under the surface, a concrete driveway generally has 4-6 inches of concrete poured in forms dug into or placed on top of the ground.
Stamped concrete is a stamp put on top of the poured concrete, therefore it has a relatively thin base and more vulnerable to cracking.
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| Q: |
We have water standing on our driveway; what can we do? |
| A: |
It is all about base preparation. Envisions is meticulous about water run off and ground elevations. We constantly shoot and check ground elevations with a surveyor’s level throughout the project. Pavers are an impervious surface; they are concrete. If the pad is correctly installed water will run off the project. |
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| Q: |
Aren’t pavers prohibitively expensive? |
| A: |
Depending on the product, concrete pavers are on a par with stamped concrete in terms of price. With proper installation (see response to cracking), the life of the project is much longer. Pavers are less expensive than natural stone. Envisions does not mark up the cost of materials. |
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| Q: |
The last contractor’s I had, sat around all day waiting on a decision from their boss. Does Envisions have a decision maker on hand? |
| A: |
We are a very small company. Currently, we are the two partners (owners) and a laborer (college graduate). We will always have at least one of the partners on site. We make decisions instantly and if a project requires extra stone or materials, we decide on the spot to go get whatever it takes to finish the project correctly. This is our biggest advantage, we want the project done right and we never cut corners. The customer will always have a decision maker on site. |
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| Q: |
My neighbor is worried about the mess of construction. Will stuff be everywhere? |
| A: |
We are all homeowners and are sensitive to life in a neighborhood. Envisions policy is to always leave the site as clean as possible at the end of each day. It is still a construction site, but tools will be picked up, materials will be neatly stacked, dirt, gravel and mess will be swept up, and trash will be picked up. We clean the site daily. |
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| Q: |
What is the difference between "Clay Pavers & Concrete Pavers"? |
| A: |
Clay pavers are made with real clay that is mixed, extruded and baked in a kiln at very high temperatures and concrete pavers are made with a special blend of concrete and coloring that is compacted at very high pressures in a special machine. |
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| Q: |
Which type of paver is better? |
| A: |
There is very little difference between pavers in general. The important difference is the maker of the pavers. Paving materials can vary from one manufacturer to next. The qualities that make a paver perfect are its compressive strength, water absorption rate and abrasion index. |
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| Q: |
What happens if I have to do a repair job below the paving? Does it leave an unsightly patch mark? |
| A: |
No, that is one of the long term benefits to installing Flexible paving. Because all interlocking paving is flexible it can also resist cracking. This is especially beneficial in California which has very expansive soils. |
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| Q: |
Can you do any other types of specialty masonry? |
| A: |
Yes, our tradesmen are fully train masonry professionals. We specialize in matching almost any material and seamlessly installing it so that the repair is undetectable in most cases. |
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| Q: |
What does "Interlocking Paving" mean? |
| A: |
Interlocking paving is a misleading term. What actually constitutes interlocking is really a dynamic function containing three different components. They are "rotational interlock" (resistance to tipping) "horizontal interlock" (resistance to spreading) "vertical interlock (resistance to sinking)". So, that means for lasting quality you need good containment, good sub base and proper paver thickness. Thicker pavers for driveways thinner pavers for patios. |
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