concrete pavers for front walkway

5 years ago

looking to create a new front walkway with concrete pavers. looking for 2 feet x 4 feet x 1 1 /2 inch size . need about 10 of these . each paver separated by about 2 inches. any suggestions of where to buy these in the boston area. thank you

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PRO

Revolutionary Gardens

5 years ago

Standard paver thickness is 2-5/8" and you're in a crappy winter climate - what's driving the 1.5" thickness? That thin and that much surface area is all but begging for breakage. Your best bet would be a paver mfr like https://hartstonetile.com/ that does a wide range of custom pavers.

Personally if you want a paver look, I'd do a pour in place like GG suggested. If you want to get something more than the typical smooth concrete finish, a stamped concrete contractor can get a stamp that's just a big stone texture w/ no joints.

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Comments (8)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
Do a bit of Googling and check out local masonry suppliers....you seem to have a fair number in the area. From my own very local personal experience, a 2'x4' concrete slab paver is not a stock item - a 24" square is about the largest concrete slab paver one can find pre-made. Anything with larger dimensons is typically cast in place.
PRO
Dig Doug's Designs
5 years ago
not exactly what you want, but worth a look:

https://www.techo-bloc.com/product-categories/
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Beware the sloping walkway. The idea sounds nice, but this is the type of situation that needs completion of thought which is often overlooked. If the walkway rises to the stoop, the soil on either side must be added to in order to rise with it. That sounds simple enough. But that also means that the soil will be higher than the soil up against the main part of the house. This will trap water and will obviously slope back toward the house directing runoff toward it. The pictures that I posted above (red house) show exactly this situation as it is handicap access. As simple as it looks, this took careful planning and some major alterations to that porch design. All the framing of the porch is pressure treated wood. It is coated with a waterproof membrane and then has stone and mortar over it (on top of a poured concrete wall and blocking on a footing to support the masonry). More importantly, the porch juts out 10' from the main wall of the house. That along with the grainite curbing next to the walk, allowed the soil to slope down along the face of the porch, still have clearance between the house wood and the soils surface, to continue to slope across the face of the house, and finally continue across the side yard lawn at a 2% slope the whole way. Those conditions don't exist and can not be easily created at your front stoop. You could add bluestone on top of the stoop, but it will add a minimum of two inches in height. That will make your already high front step even higher, the threshold of the front door lower, and all the trim work on the porch to be redone (and possibly some flashing work as well). I don't think you'll get the return on your investment if you hire a good mason to do it. I think you will have nothing but problems if you have less than a skilled mason do it. Your landscaper should be able to level out a few pieces of bluestone and replace the dangerous ones, but it would not be a bad idea to get an estimate from a reputable mason who does this type of work all of the time.
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I have seen people use the brick you describe. As wit anything else the quality of the job will be dependant on the base beneath it. As far as the look a chevron loo is very nice with the small brick. The flat roof tile may work as well but you should lay a few out first to see how they will look and not have little toe trippers on the surface. The barrel type could be used up side down as drain tiles on the edges of flower beds. Of course you would want to cut them to only have 1 reverse barrel running down the gutter. With a little creativity you could use all 3. Brick with flat roof tile inlays and barrel tile gutter edging. ( cut the tile between the barrels and form an s shape,lying on it's side. The hump forms a curb and border for the brick, rolling into the gutter.) The biggest problem I foresee is getting the colors to work out if using all 3. Some contrast can work as well. Just use your imagination and do a little trial and error.
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In addition to every step, you must also account for the mild slope (to drain) that occurs over the full lenth of the run, Let's say the walk is 30' length. (I'm pulling this number out of the air for example purposes.) For every foot it should be sloped 1/8" or thereabouts, 30'x 1/8" = 3.75". The walk would need to drop that much over its run in order to drain. Let's round it off to 4", as that could easily be accommodated in the construction. That leaves us with 30" elevation difference that must be accomplished with steps. That could easily be 5 6"-steps .... or 6 5" steps ... take your choice. (Given that the steps are stretched out, I could accept 5" steps. If they were closer together, I would want 6" steps.) If you had a simple line level (which is a little bubble that attaches to any stretched string -- a $2 item) you would be able to assess the elevation difference yourself and not need to rely on hearsay.) Multiply the actual run times 1/8" (to establish the drop needed to drain). Measure the elevation difference (from the level string attached to the top landing) to the city walk. Deduct the drop needed to drain and what is left over is the elevation difference that must be taken up by steps.
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Thanks, DDD, for the picture! Actually my curved front flower bed begins at planter's half way mark and curves around holly tree at right front corner. I like the English garden look, but waiting to spiff it up after all the paver work. I think I would prefer curve to front walk (vs. hard right angles) and definitely plan to paver little grass square on right side. When we moved in, there was an overgrown shrub in that spot which we removed. Looking at your picture, IF PALMS COULD BE REMOVED FROM PLANTERS W/O DAMAGING CONCRETE, would it make sense to fill planters & use as pedestals for seasonal flower pots? Again, I"M NOT VISUAL ...
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NHBabs z4b-5a NH
5 years ago
“Each pavers separated by about two inches”

This is not a great idea for a main walk. Snow removal becomes difficult due to the irregular surface. It is more difficult to walk an uneven surface, especially for anyone with mobility issues, ranging from tolders or anyone with issues with balance or lifting their feet to anyone using a walker or cane. And depending on what you use to fill the gaps such as gravel or plants, there may be other issues. This type of walk can look nice, but is better placed in a less-used situation as opposed to the main approach to the house.
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PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
5 years ago
There are two additional problems with any paver set in sand or dirt--insects and weeds. Both annoying and unattractive. I've done them before and never would again. From now on all stone will be set with mortar joints.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
This is a very common entry paving application in my area for more contemporary landscapes. I have used it myself in a few designs. It poses no more diffilculy to walk on than does a solid concrete sidewalk....a 2" gap between slabs is easily avoided by even quite elderly or infirm visitors unless they are just shuffling along and not really walking. There is NO 'uneveness' to speak of or not enough to make walking a hazard. Snow removal could conceivably pose some difficulties but I have not seen it to be much of an issue.

Very few paving joints are ever mortared here. Typically only those that use tightly fitted natural stone flags. And mortared joints are not any more durable long term than using something like fine gravel of a polymer sand. They crack and shatter with moisture and freeze-thaw cycles and weeds can pop up just as easily. I'm not sure I understand the comment about insects....most insects have no interest in pavng material at all :-)

Everything requires some degree of maintenance, even concrete paving. If this is an aesthetic the OP is after, I see no viable reason to discourage them from it.
Oliviag
5 years ago
Have you considered using 2 20" x 20" pavers side by side? lowes has them, and reasonable. Even that size is heavy, for diy.
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PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
gardengal48, my comment on insects relates to ants and ant hills. They burrow up through the ground and come up in the sand between the pavers. I had a brick patio and a paver patio set in sand and it happened all the time. It's not fun sitting by the pool, or eating on the patio with ants crawling all over the place. Likewise with weeds. No matter what the underlayment was, eventually the weeds took hold and you either have to spray them with weed killer or pull them out by hand. Polymeric sand works for a short time, but eventually degrades. I would never do that again.

My bluestone patio, installed in 2011 with mortar joints has no cracks, and neither ants nor weeds are evident between the stones. I live in the Middle Atlantic, and we have hot summers and cold snowy winters, and I have no cracks or damage. Just my experience.

concrete pavers for front walkway

Revolutionary Gardens

Comments (8)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

Dig Doug's Designs

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