Contemplating installing a Paver Driveway. A few questions....


  #1  
Old 04-28-07, 03:19 PM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 19
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Contemplating installing a Paver Driveway. A few questions....

First off....thanks for your time!

I have been considering a pave driveway. I currently have Asphalt, but the back 1/4 of it is broken up. Apparently a previous owner broke it up to change the culvert from metal to plastic. Now, the driveway is broken up, and the plastic tubing has come through the rock!

So, we need to do something. I was thinking a paver driveway would be prettier than your standard concrete or asphalt. And possibly a little cheaper.

We were thinking we could buy the mold and buy the heavier grade quikrete and do it ourselves! That way we could change the color as we want, and hopefully it would be cheaper than both concrete/asphalt or buying pavers already made.

The driveway is a 1 car width, and 2 car length. At the back of the driveway (where it is currently broken) it dips up to the street level. At the front of the driveway, it ends at the door to our office area of the house (a converted 12x20 garage or carport. it was done some years before we bought the house) and the door is currently about 3 inches higher than the driveway.

So, here is my questions.

Where do I start? I am assuming I should tear out the asphalt drive, esecially since adding pavers on top would make the driveway taller than the door, and possibly would cause problems with water getting into the house.

Does anyone know where we can get the molds real cheap? I found a seller on ebay that sells the molds for about $27 +$14 shipping for 6 interlocking paver molds, and 2 edges of the same. Here is his online store: http://shop.themoldstore.ihoststudio.com/default.aspx

What colors would look best for a driveway and walkway if the house is the classic red brick color? Clueless here

Is it a very hard project for my husband and myself to do? He used to work for a pool company, so he has messed with concrete and walkways before, but it was only a summer job, so not a lot.

How do I work the end of the driveway where it curves up to the street? Is there a way to make the dip less obvious without risking the stones breaking?

How do I edge the driveway so that it doesn't push apart when driven on? Do I use a block of some sort, or do I just dig into the ground where the driveway is, so that the pavers would end up being level with the ground when fully installed?

I soooo appreciate this board. I have learned a LOT from reading posts and replies. I appreciate even more anyone that is willing to answer my long list!!

Thanks in advance!
 
  #2  
Old 04-28-07, 03:31 PM
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 5,650
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Paver Driveway. A few questions....

If you think a paver driveway is cheaper than asphalt, forget about it!!

you cannot make paving stones to equal the quality of those that you buy.

It is a DIY project, but you have to do some research beyond a forum. To start out search for the installation instructions from quality pver suppliers (Oldcastle/Belgard and Pavestone are just two of many). This wil describe what is necessary to do a good job that will outlast either poured concrete or asphalt.

If pavers were cheaper than concrete and asphalt, everyone would have pavers. Pavers are increasing taking a bigger part of the driveway market, but are still not reaching the accepatance in other areas yet.

They are not cheap, but they are better. By doing it yourself you can easily increase the value of your property more than with any other surface.

Dick
 
  #3  
Old 05-05-07, 11:03 AM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 19
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
The concrete we plan to use is the 5000psi. And the pavers will be 2 3/4" thick.

I don't know if they will be as great as bought ones, but how much worse can they be?

My mother-in-law just had estimates for concrete andasphalt for about the same size driveway and it was way more than what we have figured for this paver project.

I would love some color suggestions!
 
  #4  
Old 05-05-07, 11:41 AM
P
Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 1,306
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Dick is right. Store-bought pavers will last, whereas homemade ones probably won't. The process of making them is completely different (wetcast is what you would do, vs. drycast which is what is manufactured). Even 5,000 psi concrete is no match for real pavers, which are probably at least double the strength if not more. Not to mention the incredible amount of tedious labor involved! For example, if you buy your molds you could make only a few bricks a day. I don't know how many bricks your e-bay molds will make at a time. It would take a LOOOOONG time to make enough for a driveway. The prepwork of the base is everything. Do your research online to see what is really involved in preparing the base for pavers. This will also answer your questions about the edges.
You could do it yourself, but at what cost? Asphalt will be cheapest, possibly concrete next, and then pavers most expensive unless you do it yourself, which might be a little cheaper.
 
  #5  
Old 05-05-07, 11:44 AM
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 5,650
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Contemplating installing a Paver Driveway. A few questions....

How much difference? - The minimum compressive strength of interlocking paving stones is 8000 psi.

If you are talking about pavers with a horizontal dimension over about 8" or 9", they are not pavers, but are only patio or "stepping" stones and not meant for driveways. If you use stepping stones, you are asking for trouble and a guaranteed failure.

Depending on how much work you can do yourself, you could bring the cost of a good paving stone driveway considerably if you use manufactured paving stones. Asphalt is not a DIY job and concrete could be very difficult unless you have a lot of friends with time and one peson with experience to be the boss.

Dick
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description: