When planning a new patio, driveway or walkway, one of the hardest decisions you will have to make is on the materials to use. There are two options. You can go with the old school materials or the new school materials. Old school materials are those that have been in use since time immemorial. They include concrete, natural stone and brick pavers. New school materials are new in the market. They are engineered to withstand modern-day elements. But which route should you take? If you don’t want to spend a fortune as you fix pavers, it is a great idea to go for new school paving materials. In this post, we will be looking at the two most popular new school paving materials.
Porcelain pavers
Porcelain pavers are gaining more popularity across the globe and for good reason. These newer materials are durable, non-porous, weather-resistant, eco-friendly, easy to clean and easy to install. The best thing is that they are beautiful. Being readily available further means you will not end up struggling to find matching blocks when you want to fix pavers. These pavers are available in a wide range of colors, sizes and can be combined to achieve a custom finish.
Porcelain is a natural material that is kiln fired so that it retains its natural qualities after being formed into a specific shape and size. These pavers have all the natural look of granite and slate without the unevenness, permeability, and difficulty of installation that comes with natural stone. The surface properties also mean you don’t have to seal your pavers or engage in special upkeep. They are furthermore scratch and skid resistant.
Going for porcelain pavers offers a great way to incorporate light colors without worrying about stains and damages. These pavers are also UV resistant which means they don’t fade over time as is the case with brick. Moss or mold will not grow on them either. These pavers are also lighter and thinner.
Concrete pavers
You are probably wondering why we are mentioning this as a new school paving material while we already said it is old school material. For the new school, these are specially treated concretes that come in a wide range of textures, colors and shapes. They are available in interlocking designs which makes installation bliss. New school concrete is also treated to hold up against the elements which means you don’t have to worry about cracking which is common in freezing environments.
When ordering pavers, it is always good to order them from a reputable manufacturer and distributor. The last thing you want is to get substandard pavers that end up getting damaged prematurely due to poor manufacturing practices. You should also leave the installation work to an expert.
