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Not Your Basic Square Paver

Today’s colors, shapes and styles

Pavers have been around for millenia. The Minoans, who flourished around 2700 to 1450 B.C., are said to have had cities that were connected with stone-paved roads, formed from blocks cut with bronze saws. A story at www.pbs.org states that Palaikastro, a Minoan town located on eastern Crete, had paved roads that “were laid out in a carefully executed grid pattern.”

The Arbel and Mega Arbel pavers from Belgard Hardscapes are “designed to mimic the look and patterns associated with fieldstone and flagstone.” Here, Arbel pavers are bordered by the company’s Urbana pavers. Photo courtesy of Belgard Hardscapes, an Oldcastle brand. VAST Composite Deck Pavers bring the look of pavers up onto decks. Photo courtesy of VAST Enterprises.

Pavers may not be used as much for roads as they once were, but they are widely used for patios, pathways, driveways and many other areas. And, now, there are so many options from the material used to create the pavers to the color, shape and finishes that landscape architects and contractors can let their imaginations loose.

Ken O’Neill, vice president of Belgard Hardscapes, an Oldcastle brand, says that the company’s Arbel and Mega Arbel pavers are “designed to mimic the look and patterns associated with fieldstone and flagstone.” He explains one big advantage of the product: “The thicknesses are consistent, thus the product will lay faster than natural stone and comes in colors that are not always found locally. Also, each shape works with the next, so [there is] no need to look through the pallet to find the stone that will work in the next area. They are the same shape that tessellates to create the random look. Also, each shape—12 for Arbel and six for Mega Arbel—has ‘false’ joints that break up the shape, and thus create more custom patterns.”

O’Neill says, “Arbel complements a smaller patio and walkway. Mega Arbel works well in a larger setting or residential driveway.”

Oldcastle’s Four Cobble Paver is similar in that it has the look of many stones, but layout is simplified because they are connected. O’Neill says, “These are four unique textured stones connected together combined into an 8-by-8-inch shape. There are numerous textures on a pallet layer to add to the randomness, and colors vary by region.”

Another option, Lafitt Slab, is designed to mimic dimensional natural stone. “The texture is slate-like in appearance, and the sizes are 8-by-15, 16-by-16 and 16-by-24 [inch]. All of these shapes are modular. The product is also a slab in that it is only 2 inches thick. Great for overlay on existing concrete patios or new construction. This would work well for patios and larger walks (landings),” O’Neill says.

Log on to www.belgarddesignpro.com, to find case studies, specifications, white papers on pavements, videos, construction details and patterns.

The new company on the block, VAST Enterprises uses a unique material to manufacture its pavers: recycled car tires and plastic containers. Company President Steve Smith says that the company’s pavers are “cradle-to-cradle green.” This also means that they contribute to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits.

Because of the material, VAST pavers can be cut with wood saws. Smith says, “Installers can cut them and then trim them again after a first cut to make them fit perfectly.” The company’s grid system, which is made with the same composite material as the pavers, “can be cut and shaped into different patterns in order to express any number of designs,” says Smith.

Pavers are currently available in a 3-by-6-inch size, but the company will soon have a new offering. Smith says, “We have developed a larger size, which will be available through our distributors in early 2010. Landscape architects and contractors will be able to create designs that incorporate two different sizes.”

Using a different color paver as a border can add drama to a simple design, as was done here with English Edge Rose and English Edge Ironspot pavers from Pine Hall Brick. Photo courtesy of Pine Hall Brick.

Smith also reported on a unique product option available from VAST. “Landscape architects and contractors asked if we could apply our composite material technology and adapt our landscape pavers to solve the maintenance and replacement problems of wood and composite decking. We developed a lower profile deck paver and modified our installation grid to integrate water drainage. VAST Composite Deck Pavers can be installed right over the top of old wood decks and transform them into paved patios.”

The company’s Web site http://vastpavers.com goes into more detail on LEED advantages and also provides training videos and installation guides for both products.

A leading provider of clay pavers, Pine Hall Brick, offers a variety of colors, sizes and finishes. Clay pavers are known for their durability, and their charm.

The pavers are offered in almost a dozen styles and various colors, including traditional red, pink, brown, burgundy and buff, depending on the style.

Square-edge pavers, over time, will have some breaking on the edges. Ted Corvey, paver business director at Pine Hall Brick, says that this “in part, gives brick its charm.”

However, the company offers several pavers with beveled edges: the English Edge, Georgian Edge Series and the Gardenwalk. Corvey says, “The beveled edge highlights the pattern,” and it takes out the chipping factor.

The Gardenwalk is unique in that it has square edges on one side and beveled edges on the other. Using a combination of the two edges allows further design options and can be used to delineate different areas using just one style of paver.

A new addition to the company’s lineup is the Rumbled paver. These are tumbled after firing for an Old World look.

Traditional Edge Thin pavers are 1 3/8-inch square-edge pavers that can be used over an existing concrete patio or sidewalk. This helps reduce labor costs, since the original patio does not need to be removed, and since there is no waste to be removed, costs are further reduced. Corvey did note that this raises the height of the finished surface, which must be taken into account in the planning stages.

For contractors who aren’t as experienced with laying pavers, several Pine Hall products have spacer nibs built in. Corvey says that one of the most common mistakes contractors make is laying pavers too tight, which means little to no sand can get in the joints, and movement when they’re tight can cause chipping.

Pine Hall Brick offers a site for contractors, www.claypaver.com, with product galleries, tech bullets, CAD and design tools, project photos and more.

Nitterhouse Masonry Products, LLC, produces a variety of pavers and paving stones, from smaller-size interlocking pavers in various colors and textures (smooth, matte, tumbled), to large-scale slate and architectural paving stones.

Frances Edgar is corporate marketing coordinator for Nitterhouse. He says, “Two of the most popular are Old World Village pavers with a rugged, rustic look and feel of cobblestone, and Tuscany Stone pavers with the texture and color of the aged pavers found in the narrow streets of quaint villages in Italy. Available in many different sizes, Tuscany Stone offers lots of design options for layout patterns. This classic-looking paver goes well with small patio projects or elegant, sophisticated designs for larger, more traditional homes.”

More color choices and two finishes (smooth and matte) are available in the 6-by-6-inch and 6-by-9-inch interlocking pavers.

Different size pavers from Nitterhouse Masonry Products were mixed together to create several patterns that help differentiate patio areas from walkways. Photo courtesy of Nitterhouse Masonry Products, LLC.

Larger-sized (12-by-12, 12-by-24 and up to 12-by-36-inch) Slate Paving Stones offer the look of natural slate without the cost. Edgar says, “Slate Paving Stones are an excellent choice for designing distinctive looking patios, pool decks, courtyards and walkways. Produced with square edges, a uniform 2-inch thickness and straight sides, slate paving stones can be installed much faster and easier than flagstone on a variety of substrates. The natural colors are perfectly blended throughout the batching process to create authentic-looking slate. Sealer can be applied following installation to enhance the colors and make them even more vibrant.” The company also provides an online slate paving stone layout utility to help designers and contractors figure custom slate paver layouts automatically by the total paver area required and in the colors desired.

Architectural Paving Stones also offer designers a larger-scale (12-by-12 up to 24-by-36-inch) unit for use on a variety of projects, and in a variety of colors achieved with natural stone and pigments. Edgar says, “Nitterhouse Masonry’s color palette is quite extensive, offering landscape designers and architects virtually unlimited color choices for layout patterns.”

Visit Nitterhouse Masonry Products online at www.nitterhouse.com to see the complete lineup.

This is just a small sampling of the many options out there. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out with pavers, utilize the resources mentioned here, research the products available in your area and build something beautiful.