When we moved into our new home one of the things that was not included with the builder was a driveway. In our neighborhood, most seemed to all be going with concrete for their driveway option. We really had our eyes on something that would stand out more and match the stone on our home. We put a lot of thought into our decision and even waited a little longer than we had planned before deciding to finally go the paver route versus poured concrete. This was Kevin’s first attempt at a project of this size, but he really wanted to take it on himself and felt confident he could do it. In the fall of 2019 he decided that he would spend many evenings outside laying pavers in the dark after work to get it all in before winter. He beat that goal by several months and actually had it all in right before Halloween.
To begin, he first had to remove all of the existing driveway material that came with the house and replace it with a solid gravel base. The driveway also needed some grading done to prep it for proper drainage. He got to put his excavation skills to work because the driveway had quite a slope. Precision was going to be important not only for drainage, but also for ensuring the pavers would line up perfectly. This is one of Kevin’s strengths. He has such an eye for detail and won’t move on to the next step until everything is perfectly leveled out.
After the driveway base was finished, it was ready to install the bedding sand and pavers. We loved the quality of EP Henry pavers and decided that the adirondak design best matched our home. Aside from the grading, the walkway also required some intricate cuts for the design look we wanted. We like the contrast Kevin created by lining the walkway with the darker gray stone. Once the pavers were installed he then went along the edges and installed the restraining tracks to ensure that the pavers stay put long term. These get hidden with landscaping once the project is finished, but are an extremely important step in the end.
Upon completion of the pavers and polymeric sand, he then installed the clear sealant to help protect the paver. The design ties our home together very nicely. We often get compliments on the choice we made to do pavers versus concrete from many of the neighbors.
