When it comes time to build a retaining wall, or lay out a beautiful brick deck for an outdoor living space, there are a few choices, plain concrete, bricks and pavers. Concrete is rather ugly and is an outdated patio building method. The other choices are traditional paving stones, and Unilock paving stones.
All paving stones are manufactured by mixing concrete and color pigments, but not all paving stones are created equally. Unilock Paving stones are manufactured with colorfast pigments, which means a lifetime of beauty. They are resistant to salt erosion, are slip resistant, and are tolerant of gas and oil spills, making them perfect for use on driveways and parking areas. Unilock paving stones are the only paver with a Transferable Lifetime Guarantee. This means that for the life of the slabs, stones and retaining walls, if properly installed and maintained, when proven defective will be replaced at no cost. Understandably, color matching is not guaranteed and labor to replace the defective bricks is not covered, either. Unilock pavers and retaining wall blocks are unique because they interlock at the base while still allowing proper drainage. The blocks have locking notches and grooves, similar to the tongue and groove joints in carpentry. The locking also prevents the blocks from separating over time as the base layers settle.
Proper installation is the key to a lifetime of beautiful stonework. The selected area needs to be excavated, plus extra to equal the combined depth of the foundation for the pavers to be laid correctly. Walkways average a depth of 4 to 6 inches and driveways average 8 to 12 inches of foundation. Crush rock is laid and leveled several inches at a time and compacted, then several inches of special jointing sand is applied and leveled. The area is marked for accuracy and the pavers are set down in the pattern selected, then compacted three times to assure proper settling. Finally, jointing sand is spread over the whole project, this locks the pavers into place. A sealant can be painted onto the pavers, heightening the color and sealing the jointing sand into the gaps between the pavers.
Dunning Sand & Gravel offer unilock pavers in Hartford, CT. The professional, outgoing, and knowledgeable staff can help you select and design the outdoor living space that you have always dreamed of, but never thought could be completed. Unilock’s beauty will shine for years to come. Click here for more details.