Water and drainage considerations

One area that homeowners are aware of but often forget to tell the paving salesman about is the drainage problems that happen every time it rains. We had a situation that was evident and this time the client was not aware of the water problem. The ground felt very spongy when I walked on it and asked if they had recently done anything in the area which was to be paved. The owner of the house said that they put their sprinklers on 3 times a week but the ground was always quite spongy.

Drain in front of a garage.

 

On careful examination I saw that there was nowhere for the water to run off so it just saturated the ground. All the water ran to one corner and pooled there while slowly sinking into the ground and the ground was getting water logged. I told the owners of the house that the problem would multiply once the paving was laid as there would be no place for the rain water to drain and consequently it would simply pond and eventually begin to create a foul smell. Luckily the answer to this problem was simply to make a neat 10cm hole in the wall to allow the excess water to run out of this enclosed area.

Not every water problem has a simple answer but there is always a solution if looked at constructively. Sometimes a simple raised header course is all that is needed, other times it may be that a drain needs to be built and in most cases it simply needs the paving to be laid correctly to allow the rain water to run away from the house and walls.

Plastic cover on a underground gulley.

Don’t ignore your water problem, discuss it with your paving company and let them propose a solution. You don’t have to accept their proposal but it could have a solution to the damp starting on your house walls. Try resolve the problem before it happens.

Paving pictures

Paving comes in all shapes and colours and it is easy to get confused when selecting the right paving for your house.

Cederberg and burgundy clay paving for parking area

Call a paving company and get some advice regarding what paving would suite your house and get samples of the paving bricks before going ahead.

 

Lapa entertainment with flagstone paving

Corobrick Namaqua driveway.

Clay paving laid under the lapa

3 size flagstone pavers

Flagstones and clay combined

Colonial flagstone driveway paving

Corobrick Cederberg and Nutmeg combination around the swimming pool.

Broken brick cobble driveway

 

Fixing a bad paving situation

Fixing a bad paving situation. There are many home owners that don’t know that it is possible to repair a driveway or pool area by using the current old bricks. Normally the edge beam on existing paving is difficult to re-use but most of the rest of the bricks can be used again to assist in reducing the cost. The new bricks will age and get dirty in a relatively short time and blend in with the older bricks and hardly be noticeable.

We often save our clients R1000’s by re-using the existing bricks and bringing in plus minus 20% new bricks to make up for the bricks that are broken or can’t be used for one or another reason. We then scatter the old and new bricks in the paved area so that there are no obvious patches and the finished product is a bit mottled as opposed to patched.

We have found in a lot of cases that the company that did the original paving never did a strong edgebeam and that is why in most cases the paving collapses. This is one of the most critical areas of the paving but it can be hidden from unknowing clients. To conclude, if you don’t plan on selling your house in the near future and your current paving is functional,  then consider an uplift and relay and save a small fortune.

Edgebeam redone

The area will still need to be scarified, levelled and re-compacted as if you were doing a new paving installation, the only difference is that 80% of the paved area has been done in your old bricks. We recently did a repair to a house in Bryanston where we uplifted 350m2 of broken brick cobble and relaid the old paving bricks but mixed in 80m2 of new bricks. The final result is a functional and repaired driveway which saved the home owner R1000’s.

Broken brick cobble being repaired in Bryanston.

Paving for the WOW factor.

Paving with a WOW factor:-

There are many reasons to pave areas around your house but not too many people try get the WOW factor into their paving. I think most people just want the practical use out of their paving and a lot of home owners simply want to eliminate the need to cut the lawn. The one thing that most home owners forget is that paving plays a big part in the overall appearance and acceptance of the property.

The entertainment area is one area that is often carefully considered but often cost is a major factor so presentation is neglected. As a home owner you should look at each area and consider whether you would be interested in buying your own house based on the current paving. Once you look at your house this way you will then identify the areas that need attention with regards to paving. A good point to always remember is that grass and plants are always needed to enhance any paved area.

Create a style of your own

When potential buyers approach your house, the first thing they see is your driveway. Then, in most cases the front garden is next and often both the garden and driveway are visible to these potential buyers without them exiting their car. Does your existing paving invite or chase any potential buyer? Even if you are not considering selling at this moment in time, your paving could just give your house a valuation boost and a WOW factor to your investment.

Flagstones and clay combined

What good is it if your house has gold and diamond trimmings inside but your driveway discourages potential buyers from even coming inside to see your trimmings? Never underestimate the power of your paving and always get a professional paving company to give advice on your paving needs. A builder can give you the best house in the country but he will more often than not falter when it comes to paving selection and installation.

 

Clay paving driveway

You would never allow your dentist to perform surgery on your children and you should also not allow your builder to install your paving. Paving is a science and a major investment and should be handled by paving specialists.

Paving guarantee

When you employ someone to install your paving, you are hoping that they know what they doing and that the paving will enhance the aesthetics of your home, plus it must increase the value of your home.

In a lot of cases, either the builder or the electrician, pool contractor or even the plumber will offer to install the paving and can even give addresses of where they previously installed paving to which home owners give the green light for them to go ahead and install the paving.

Unfortunately the home owner only finds out a year or two later that the paving was installed incorrectly but looked good at the time when it was first installed. This is when we as a paving company get called in to fix or repair the paving.

We recommend the following, ” Let each professional install or build what they have been trained to do and you will save money by holding each professional accountable for their own installation or construction.

Take a drive through an estate and casually look at the condition of the paving and you will be shocked at the amount of paving that is busy collapsing due to incorrect installation procedures. Most of these paving installations have been installed by non paving people, don’t make the same mistake, call in a paving company to install your paving.

You tube video on paving.

Video on youtube showing a sample of the paving that has been laid.

This is a short video to show some of the paving that has been laid. This video might prompt an idea or 2 for your paving project. Whether you want to pave your driveway, pool area or try your hand at a little landscaping then this video is for you.

the above video is just a small sample of the installations that we have done. The main idea here is to show you some of the paving bricks currently available and to allow you to get an idea of what might suite your house.

Please look through some of our articles for more advice and paving selections but feel free to phone for free advice concerning your paving investment. We offer free advice to anyone anywhere without any commitment.

Treat your paving installation as an investment and not as something that just has to be done, after all, it is the first thing a potential buyer or your family and friends see when arriving at your house. So don’t be in a hurry to install your paving, take a little time and investigate what would best suite your home.

 

Invest with proper paving

Paving to enhance your investment.

Planning your paving and grass areas around the house can be a bit complex and a little expensive if not done correctly. There is always good reasons to leave some grass areas for the children or for the animals to play on. Paving an entire back yard can end up looking very bland even if an expensive paving block is used.

Flagstones and clay combined

 

Home owners should always try to get an even balance in the paving and grass areas. They should not only see paving as a way around cutting the grass on a regular basis but they should also look at the overall look and feel of the possible new look if they are contemplating selling their house anywhere in the future.

Paving has been around for thousands of years but only recently is it being used in many different areas around the house. As mentioned earlier, you may find that you do not want the time consuming job of mowing the lawn but remember that a few grass areas are always welcome to the overall look and feel of a property. Paving is not always the ideal solution to all of your problems even though it can be quite affordable. Paving is often a subliminal item and is mostly noticed only if it is tardy and breaking down. A good looking driveway is often sublimely accepted and lures a potential buyer to come inside to look further.

Smartstone Cotswold

Selecting the right paving block or brick can be quite daunting as there is such a wide variety of types, shapes and colours to choose from. One thing that you have to consider is whether you will be driving on them or just walking on them. If you are going to pave the driveway or a place where cars are going to drive or park on, then you have to ensure that the bricks are designed to carry the weight. Your driveway paving needs to be tougher than any other paving around your property. You also need to decide whether you want uniformity with the brick selection or if you are going to use different bricks for different places around the property.

LaCotta 3 size cobble

Once you have selected the brick and the colours that is going to be used and exactly which areas are to be paved, it is time to either get ready to pave yourself or call in an expert to do the job for you.

 

A suggestion is that you use a dark brick on the driveway which will not need a lot of maintenance and then consider using a light colour on all your borders as it defines the paving areas. On the other areas you could use any colour even a light colour but then again, consider using a darker colour for the borders. Your budget will determine how much of the area you can afford to pave although you can pave different sections at different times.

Dark paving for a driveway

One thing that should be stressed here is the purchasing of good quality bricks. Poor quality bricks will look good soon after the job is completed but will more than likely break down, crack and even dissolve back to cement powder within a couple of years making it necessary to pave once again. . If you decide to lay the paving yourself you will have to be confident and have some guidelines regarding how to pave. If the paving is laid badly then it will look awful and this can make the whole area look bad. Having stressed the importance of a good quality brick, I now need to highlight a couple of important things that need to be done before laying a single brick. Scarify and clean the area which has to be paved, remove all grass and weeds, set your water run off levels, moisten the soil and then compact the ground with a plate compactor which can be hired at most hardware stores. Now that you have prepared the area correctly, you are now ready to lay those bricks. There are plenty tips and advice columns where you can get much needed advice before embarking on paving your property yourself, and I recommend that you get well acquainted with paving before spending and possibly wasting your money.

creative thinking to enhance aesthetics.

If you are in any doubt about laying the paving then it may be an idea to seek professional help. The professionals will be able to not only lay the paving but they will also be able to give sound advice on the best way to clean the paving once laid. If you clean your paving correctly, it will last for far longer and need less maintenance. If the outside of your property looks as good as the inside then you will be adding value to your home. If you are aiming to sell your house one day, then your paving becomes very important as first impressions really do count.

 

Flagstone paving and patios

Patio paving

With more brick manufacturing companies now producing their own range of flagstones, it has become very common for home owners to pave their patios with the various types and styles of flagstones which have become available. In the past 2 months we have had more than our normal amount of inquiries for patio paving quotations.

Pool paving with LaCotta 3 size cobble paving

65% of the time people prefer the 3 different size flagstones around the swimming pool or on the patio and entertainment area but there is a growing trend to go with the larger size flagstone as a stand-alone.
We just installed a 500 x 500 flagstone on a patio and around the swimming pool which when finished looked fantastic. The client has had the paving sealed professionally which has enhanced the paved area incredibly. Please give the paving on your patio more than just a casual thought as it is the place where you will be entertaining your guests.

Paving with Corobrick Nutmeg and Cederberg

On another note, Bosun bricks, a large paving brick manufacturer has also recently manufactured a 3 size paving brick which in my opinion is specifically designed for the driveway.

Ganite urban paver from Bosun

The Bosun urban paver when laid has a real granite and/or a marble finish that stands heads above most of its competitors. We have laid this paver in a couple of driveways recently with extremely positive reactions from not only the owners but also from their neighbours. This paving brick might not be ideal for a patio or around a swimming pool but it is a paver that will turn heads when laid on your driveway.

Plastic under the paving

Plastic under the paving

I was called by one of our building contractors to analyze why a client of his had a problem with their paving. The client is a major law firm in Johannesburg and their paving was only 5 years old but was shifting badly and opening gaps in the paving. Some of the gaps were as wide as 4cm. I personally could not believe that the paving was only 5 years old and even though it was cement bevel bond and not clay, there was just no way that the paving should have deteriorated to this extent.

re lifting the driveway to remove the plastic sheeting

We lifted a section of the paving to get an idea of how the paving was stabilised and found that the paving had been laid on a waterproof plastic sheeting. I knew just then that it could not have been a master builders paving company that laid the paving and actually told him. The client told me that it was the builder that built the building that also did the paving but wanted to know how I knew. The answer was simple, how is paving going to stabilise if laid on a sheet of plastic and where is the rain water going to drain to?

Water laying on the plastic sheet

Most builders do not know the science of paving but will undertake the job for the extra cash and most clients are just too lazy and too complacent to call in someone else to do the paving. The problem is that 3-5 years down the line the paving needs to be uplifted and re-laid which just adds to the expense of the paving.

Plastic sheeting under your paving offers no stability to your paving.

If you are about to do paving, ask the company that you are considering to use, to please lay a plastic sheeting under your paving, if they agree, fire them and get a paving company that not only refuses to lay plastic under the paving but also explains why it is wrong.

Paving is a science and it should not be treated lightly or it will cost you a lot of money in the long run. Contact Richard on 084 300 4220 for more advice or a free quote on your paving.

Creative paving for gardens

Creative Paving for gardens

I went to the hobby x show at the Dome last week and saw an idea for a garden or an area of the back which might be currently neglected. Often there are areas around the house that is just never used and is therefore neglected or forgotten and often gets over run with weeds.

Why not get charcoal and Grey flagstones and create a chess or checkers board? There was a company called Bigchess that had chess pieces 84cm high and only 2.4kg in weight. I picked up a couple of the pieces to ensure that even a child could move the chess pieces. These chess pieces are almost indestructible as they are made from a durable polyethylene plastic with a 4mm wall.

With a couple of park benches or garden furniture this once neglected area of the garden could become very popular. The chess board and pieces could also be a very good selling item and cover up what used to be a eye sore. The entire area could be landscaped and with a little imagination it could end up as the main featured area of the house.

This is just one example of how to tackle an area that is currently your problem area at your house. Consult a few friends or family and have a brainstorming session with them and you will be amazed at the ideas that come pouring out. Show them what your problem is, tell them about this article and that should get the ideas to flow until the point where you have not only solved a problem area but you also have created a unique reason for your house to be in demand the day it is put up for sale.