Grass growing on your paving

How do I stop grass growing on my paving?

The thing to understand about grass or weeds that grow on any paving is that most times (almost always) it starts to grow on top of the paving and not from underneath. Where 2 bricks meet each other is where sediment collects, micro seeds fall into the sediment and lay waiting for any form of moisture to germinate. The moisture can be in any form including dew, frost, garden spray or rain.

Nothing can basically grow from under the paving as it is (or should be) pitch dark and plants need sunlight to grow. The only time plants grow from under the paving is normally from bad workmanship and bad installation. Using a company that belongs to the Master Builders Association (MBA) does not guarantee your paving to be flawless but it does guarantee you repairs if your paving needs any. Often the price difference between a MBA member and a non MBA member is so minimal that it is silly not to opt for the MBA installation.

Edgebeam redone

The cure to stop or rather prevent grass and weeds from getting a hold on your paving is to rinse your paving off with water from a hose pipe and swept at the same time to ensure that all sediment and seeds are not left on your paving. Aztec Paving suggests once a month for a paving clean and sweep. If any plant starts to grow between your clean and sweep periods you should pull it out before it gets a hold under your paving. The roots of any plant will find a weak spot to drop down and once it gets into the soil under the paving, it becomes difficult to remove, you will need weed killer to stop its growth.

Occasionally when you want to really spring clean your paving, a little detergent or dish washing liquid can be used in addition to the water and broom. Your investment will be kept nice and clean for that time when you decide to put your house on the market. Everything we buy today requires a little maintenance and that includes your paving. Driveway paving is normally the first item a potential buyer sees when they pull up outside your house, make sure it entices them to come in and not scare them away.

Driveways for sports cars.

Paving for a Posche

Most sports cars are very low and often the driveway needs to be leveled with filling and compaction to accommodate the sports car. We have just had this problem with a client in Rivonia where the underside of his Porsche and his wife’s BWM was catching the cement edging of the street and so consequently they had to leave their cars outside at night.

Drain grid in front of the garage

The existing driveway had an acute downward angle to the garages which had to be adjusted as well as the entrance from the street. Using 15m3 of filling and uplifting the entire driveway Aztec paving proceeded to recreate the entire driveway. To enhance the entrance we also built a retaining wall against the boundary wall to create a flower box all down the driveway.

Steep driveway done with clay paving.

Once the old paving was out, we at Aztec paving pulled fish lines at the angle that was best suited to accommodate the lowness of the 2 sports cars. Then on a gradual basis we started to add the filling and using a Bomag compactor we proceeded to rebuild the driveway slope towards the garages. The total area measured 165m2 which should indicate why we needed so much filling.

Driveway in clay paving

We then cleaned the old bricks, which were re-used. We only needed 400 new bricks to replace the edgebeam and replace the bricks that got broken during the uplifting. (Not bad considering that the driveway consists of more than 7000 bricks.) Once the slope and entrance were compacted with the correct angles we proceeded to repack the old bricks to maintain the previous look that the driveway had. The cost was in the region of only half what it would have cost using new bricks. The client did not bother calling for other quotes as he had previously seen the quality of the work we put out at Aztec paving, plus, he also knew that we do not over charge our clients and those are the main reasons for the referrals we get on a weekly basis.

Driveway paving in Cederberg

Often a driveway just needs a spring cleaning to shine once again and the re-use of old bricks can often not only be cheaper but also maintain the original appearance that was created when the house was built.

How to pave yourself.

People often think that paving is a simple task of just hardening the soil and laying the bricks on the prepared soil. I have listed the process of paving here so that anyone having paving done can follow the steps listed to ensure that the company/builder that you hired is doing the job properly.

Often home owners think that because their builder did a beautiful job building their house that he can also do paving, they find out 2-4 years later that the paving is no where near the quality of the house and often needs repairing or replacement.

Check list:-

A) Surface of the intended paving area is cleared of all grass, rocks etc. and the soil has to be loosened to a depth of approximately 200mm.

B) Fish lines (Fishing gut) are used to determine levels of the paving to ensure that the finished paving will direct rain and other water flows off the paving into the desired place/direction.

C) Once levels are correct the area is sprayed with water to moisten the soil and allow for maximum compaction. A plate compactor is normally used for compaction but I also recommend that a Bomag be considered when paving a larger area. Compaction is a critical area of paving and this is where most builders fall down.

D) Washed coarse river sand is laid over the area to cushion the paving bricks. I often suggest that a bag of dry cement per 50m2 is mixed in with the river sand to act as a weed killer, but it is not absolutely necessary as nothing can grow in total darkness under the paving.

E) The bricks can now be laid on the river sand in a pre selected design. You can google various paving designs with pictures but I recommend the herringbone design as it is one of the strongest designs. Stretcher bond is normally used on walkways or around swimming pools.

F) A 50mm trench is prepared around your paved area and is filled with a concrete/cement mixture. This is commonly called an edgebeam and bricks are packed into the wet concrete/cement and allowed to dry. This edgebeam is going to hold your paving together and needs a minimum of 48 hours to bond.

G) The paved area is now compacted once again to ensure that every brick is firm in its place.

This is a very basic example of how to pave a driveway, pathway or under a lapa etc. If you follow the above steps you should have a fairly good paved area but it is very seldom laid as good as a recognised paving company. It is always wise to consider if the savings you will make by doing the paving yourself is worth the time and effort, or if the extra money spent on a specialised paving company is not an investment for the long run.

Don’t snub cheap paving

One thing about some cheap paving is, it is stronger and longer lasting when compared to a lot of the more expensive alternatives. The cheap paving that I am referring to here is what is often called “Broken brick cobble.”

Broken brick cobble driveway

I often tell people that before they spend their hard earned money on paving they should do a little research. My favourite one is to tell my clients to take a drive around an older more established area and pay attention to the various types of paving that was laid.

Flagstones and clay combined

You will often find many houses with this type of paving and if you ask the owner of the house to tell the age of the paving you will often find out that it has been down for more than 20 – 25 years. Then you will find paving much younger (sometimes less than 5 years) that has been laid with a more expensive brick and is ready to be replaced.

Clay broken brick cobble

I am not saying that this is the only paving brick or style to consider, rather, I am saying that you should do a little homework and test your paving salesman to see if his interest is with you or if he is more concerned about getting your order and his commission. My first choice always is clay pavers as they last and last with very little wear being shown.

Paving under the Lapa

Entertain under a thatch Lapa

One of the biggest entertaining areas built in South Africa is the outside lapa or also known as the outside entertainment room with a thatch roof. This room is outside with wide apertures for entry from many directions and yet still allows a person to feel as though they are in a room with their buddies and friends.

Lapa entertainment with flagstone paving

The beauty of a lapa is also the ease in which a person can either move under the lapa for shade from the sun and rain, or move outside the lapa to bake and tan in the sun while still being in communication with those under or outside of the lapa.

3 size flagstone pavers

Paving under the lapa is a choice that should be considered carefully. A lot of people like to go with a natural rocky look and select paving which will give that look and often the salesman will simply take your order and install what you requested and everyone is happy. Then one day you have a braai under your lapa and as normal a piece of boerewors squirts out a stream of fat all over your paving.

ground prep for paving under the lapa

After your friends leave and you are cleaning up, you realize that there is no way of getting that mark out your paving. Cement/concrete paving is very unfriendly when it comes to oils and fats and seldom if ever allows you to clean a spill satisfactory. Clay paving on the other hand just requires a little detergent and a moist cloth to take all the oil/fat off the paving. This example above is proof that paving is not just paving and different types of paving qualify for different areas. Get some advice before simply going ahead with any paving investment.