Top Four Choices in Poolside Pavers

With the dry and scorching conditions of the Australian summer, installing a backyard pool is a wonderful way to provide a tranquil space for entertainment, play and relief from the relentless heat. It's also an area of home renovation that requires a lot of strategic decision making such as selecting the most practical and aesthetically pleasing shape of pool, color of tiles and safety fencing to water quality testing and cleaning facilities - but one of the first choices you will need to make concerns the type of pavers you use for your pool surrounds.

There are pavers made of many different materials that can used to construct an attractive and functional poolside area, each with different qualities according to the placement and location of the pool and the environmental demands of the area. Let's take a look at a brief overview of the materials most suitable for poolside locations:

Natural Stone: Natural stone pavers are available in many different colors and textures. From sandstone to granite, limestone, bluestone and slate, colours can range from dark red, to gold, dark green to grey and everything in between. Granite and slate are both attractive and durable for use beside salt water pools, while sandstone is available in an incredible range of hues and ages quickly to inspire a vintage feel. Stone pavers can be prepared with many different surfaces when they are combed, chiselled or hammered and finishing techniques can lend a unique look to your pool.

Terracotta: Terracotta pavers can be purchased and installed at a lower cost than natural stone and can be found in tones ranging from deep red to gold. Terracotta will lend a casual appeal to your pool and can be installed for aesthetic effect, for example in interlocking herringbone patterns. However, terracotta is more brittle than clay or natural stone and will weather more rapidly.

Clay: Clay pavers are composed from blocks of natural clay that are fired under high temperature to provide a durable product that features rich red and brown tones. Clay will work particularly well in poolside areas that adjoin lawns and garden features due to their natural, earthy appearance. Clay pavers only improve with age, giving character to the garden landscape.

Concrete: The variety of options available in concrete pavers is limitless. Concrete can be moulded, rendered, painted and assembled in any number of ways according to the requirements of your poolside environment. Concrete can be produced to mimic the appearance of natural stone, but boasts the advantage of not being as porous as its natural counterpart. Concrete pavers are also one of the most cost-effective poolside solutions.

While your decision of which pavers to use around your pool will be based on individual taste and the design of your garden, any variety of tile will offer the advantage of being very low maintenance once they have been laid properly. All that will be required of you will be the sweeping of leaves and occasional power-hosing to keep the area clean, meaning lots of time left over to be spent enjoying your pool.

5 Reasons Why Manufactured Stone Is Becoming So Popular   Installing Cultured Stones   

A Step By Step Look At Building Driveways and Walkways With Pavers

It's amazing how important a well maintained driveway or walkway can be to the overall appearance and value of your landscape. If the pavement is cracked and broken the property can look run down and unkempt. If the paths are just gravel or dirt your curb appeal may be greatly diminished. If you live in an area that is hit with snow and ice, your passageways become even more important.

If you've been thinking about improving your driveway and paths, it is probably time to call a stone mason and get the process rolling. It's important to find quality craftsmen, because if it is not properly constructed, it will quickly crack and deteriorate. After all, laying a walkway is more then scattering some pavers or pouring concrete. To do it right, expertise is required.

Measure and Layout the Driveway Pavers - Before anybody brings out the shovels, you'll need a tape measure and a paper and pencil. Go outside the check out the area. We often take things for granted and ignore elements which we might see every day. After walking the area, you might decide that the path should curve or the driveway should be a little longer. Once you've measured the area, draw it out on paper. The stone masons will also measure, but this allows you to see different options and help you better understand the process.

Excavate and prepare the area - The next step in the process is the excavation of the site. Think about future projects you might want to undertake. If you are planning on installing a pond, fountain, fire pit or outdoor kitchen, you might want to consider running an electrical line under a path before it's built so it doesn't need to be dug up later. You'll also want to call the utility companies before digging begins to find out the location of underground lines. Excavation includes digging out the area, laying wooden boards to form edges, installing a gravel aggregate which will follow the grade of the slope, and mechanically tampering it down. After the area is leveled, sand will be spread.

Cut and place paver stones - Driveway pavers add a sophisticated look that concrete can't compete with. There is a wide range of shapes, styles and colors so ask your stone mason for ideas that will work for your particular property. Consider coordinating your driveway pavestones with patio pavers to create a cohesive and complimentary look.

Paver stones will be measured and cut in advance. Then they will set into place and tapped down.

Install the edge - The final step of building a driveway, patio floor, or formal walkway is the installation of the edge. The wooden boards that marked off the edges will be replaced with edging stones. Sand will then be swept into the edges and cracks between the paver stones.

Your driveway is complete once you've walked or driven on it. Make sure to step back and take in the whole picture. It is truly amazing how a driveway or walkway can transform a landscape.

5 Reasons Why Manufactured Stone Is Becoming So Popular   Installing Cultured Stones