Paver driveways?

[JimVonBaden]

Anyone have some ides about a driveway paver design?

I am thinking a two-tone herringbone brick (concrete) paver design with a border, but am open to ideas.

Something like this:

Here is a drawing of the space, which is 28'X34' in the potential paved section. I have access to free crushed concrete to fill it in, but since there will be very little front yard, I want it to look very nice, like it is landscaped.

Currently it looks like this:

The driveway on the right goes to the garage in back, and will stay as is for now, but the asphault parking area in front needs to be redone. This is a drawing of the current plan.

I have a retaining wall in front of the house by the sidewalk now that will be knocked out and replaced with a new one that incorporates a set of pillars with metal insert fence.

Kind of like this, but with the posts integrated into the retaining wall:

I'll post drawings later.

So, anyone want to share theirs, or ones they like for inspiration?

By the way, the back patio will also be done at the same time. I welcome ideas for it too, no deck, just patios.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[NUTTSGT]

Sorry jim I have no advice but would be interested in learning more info on the subject.

 

[gonefirefighting]

I would recommend staying away from pavers, they are very high maintenance as compared to stamped concrete and very labor intensive especially on high traffic driveways.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I would recommend staying away from pavers, they are very high maintenance as compared to stamped concrete and very labor intensive especially on high traffic driveways.

Yeah, I know, but since I will be essentially eliminating the front yard, we want it to look really nice. Stamped concrete does look nice, and is durable, but has limitations in design.

As for high traffic, we wont be parking on it, just using it to pull up and then back into the driveway to the back of the house. Maybe 2-3 times a day.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[gonefirefighting]

if your sold on pavers I would suggest a very good contractor then. someone who really knows how to lay down a good base, waters, roll, and compacts everything and uses concrete to surround the patterns.

 

[JimVonBaden]

if your sold on pavers I would suggest a very good contractor then. someone who really knows how to lay down a good base, waters, roll, and compacts everything and uses concrete to surround the patterns.

Thanks, and I agree. My brother in law owns a construction company that does this for the fed in DC. I suspect he can handle it.

Jim

 

[Jimmy_B]

I did a sidewalk and patio last year. A ton of work, and more maintenance than concrete, but I do like the look. I'm planning on doing 40' of driveway someday too blended in to what I have already done.

Quite a few patterns and colors to choose from, just your personal preference I think. I like the running bond look with the same color pavers, just different pattern for edge.
I did this myself, so it's far from what a professional would do, but you get the idea.
And I'm now subscribed so I can see what you end up doing. Sounds pretty nice already.

 

[Stuart in MN]

If they're installed correctly, they shouldn't be any higher maintenance than any other material.

 

[djkeev]

I've done herringbone patterns.....a LOT of cuts! Plus almost all of those cuts are at a 45% angle. Time consuming to say the least!

Dave

 

[NotQuik]

That looks great Jimmy B

 

[TONE]

Cost wise yes, they will be more than concrete. However, the maintenance issue I'm not sold on.

I have a lot of pavers installed around a pool and it's been great. My folks have had a paver drive for many years and it still looks great.

A good paver driveway should last longer than concrete, and it looks better in my opinion.

Colors and patterns are endless.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Maybe you can have Jimmy B come over and give you a hand ?

 

[Krash Kadillak]

Have you thought about a circular driveway - off the asphalt?
Seems to me that would be a little classier than a parking pad.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Have you thought about a circular driveway - off the asphalt?
Seems to me that would be a little classier than a parking pad.

I did, but there is a telephone pole right in the way!

Jimmy, looks great! I like how you filled in the retaining wall gaps. Very classy!

Jim

 

[jhelrey]

Make sure you put down 12-16 inches of 3/4 with fines like stone. Packing every 1.5-2 inches and lightly misting it before packing. 1 inch of sand. Lay pavers!

 

[JimVonBaden]

Make sure you put down 12-16 inches of 3/4 with fines like stone. Packing every 1.5-2 inches and lightly misting it before packing. 1 inch of sand. Lay pavers!

Only 1"? Shouldn't it be more?

(Speaking from ignorance.)

Jim

 

[JC23]

The city where I live put pavers in downtown. But they eliminated any maint. or movement of them by laying them down on finished cobcrete. They got the look without the extra work later.

 

[nmtt92]

I just did a combination concrete and paver drive. There's a 15' apron with two tone grey pavers in a herringbone pattern. The entire driveway and 'motor court' area has paver borders and paver 'joints'. The walkway is done in a paver herringbone.

The driveway concrete was poured with a 3 1/2" drop for all the paver areas so the pavers were installed on top of concrete. The walkway was done with a crush-n-run base.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I just did a combination concrete and paver drive. There's a 15' apron with two tone grey pavers in a herringbone pattern. The entire driveway and 'motor court' area has paver borders and paver 'joints'. The walkway is done in a paver herringbone.

The driveway concrete was poured with a 3 1/2" drop for all the paver areas so the pavers were installed on top of concrete. The walkway was done with a crush-n-run base.

That looks very nice! I like the texture combinations.

Jim

 

[jhelrey]

Yes, 1 inch of sand is it. The sand is only there for when you plate compact the pavers, they level out to each other. Then you sweep in sand and plate compact again. Then again. Then sweep in sand and leave a super thin layer on top of the pavers. When it rains, the sand will fill the low areas

 

[JimVonBaden]

Yes, 1 inch of sand is it. The sand is only there for when you plate compact the pavers, they level out to each other. Then you sweep in sand and plate compact again. Then again. Then sweep in sand and leave a super thin layer on top of the pavers. When it rains, the sand will fill the low areas

Interesting. What happens if you put in like 2" of sand? Would that be bad?

Just trying to learn. I have done a few small patio projects, but nothing of this size.

Jim

 

[Stuart in MN]

If you put down 2" of sand, I don't think the surface will stay flat. As mentioned, it's mainly there to fill in the gaps between the pavers. The hot tip these days is to use polymeric sand for the final step of sweeping in sand from the top; once it's swept in and you do the final compacting, you wet it down with water and the polymeric additive hardens. It won't get rock hard like concrete but will be pretty stiff, and it helps the pavers stay in place better plus it inhibits weed growth in the cracks.

 

[JimVonBaden]

If you put down 2" of sand, I don't think the surface will stay flat. As mentioned, it's mainly there to fill in the gaps between the pavers. The hot tip these days is to use polymeric sand for the final step of sweeping in sand from the top; once it's swept in and you do the final compacting, you wet it down with water and the polymeric additive hardens. It won't get rock hard like concrete but will be pretty stiff, and it helps the pavers stay in place better plus it inhibits weed growth in the cracks.

Gotcha, makes sense. I'll have to make sure to use the polymeric too. We get lots of plant growth here.

Jim

 

[larry_g]

I'm just thinking out loud here. What happens on these pavers when you pull in to do your three point turn to back down the side drive? Imagine the force put on a paver when you stop, crank the wheels around to the other direction and then start backing up. Over time I would think where you do this wheel turning would have an affect on that small area.

Me having different needs went a combination of colored and stamped concrete and plain concrete. The path and retainingwall/seat are colored and stamped the rest is plain.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[ZRX61]

If they're installed correctly, they shouldn't be any higher maintenance than any other material.

Unless you have gophers...

 

[TONE]

Alot of streets back in the day where made from bricks and pavers.

 

[coal_man]

Very nice, Jimmy B.

coal_man

 

[kmacht]

The nice thing with pavers is that you can pull them up and fix them if needed. Asphalt is cheaper and easier to have done but once it starts to sink or crack your only choice is a big ugly patch or another paving job.

Keith

 

[Mmfh]

I just did a combination concrete and paver drive. There's a 15' apron with two tone grey pavers in a herringbone pattern. The entire driveway and 'motor court' area has paver borders and paver 'joints'. The walkway is done in a paver herringbone.

The driveway concrete was poured with a 3 1/2" drop for all the paver areas so the pavers were installed on top of concrete. The walkway was done with a crush-n-run base.

I must say you've got a nice place there! Gotta admire a guy with a garage that size.

I'm working on the idea of using those type of stones on a driveway with a slope to it, about 30 degree slope up toward the street. Curves and flattens out at the bottom where the garage is.

Have you seen anybody that has used those on a slope??
Thanks

 

[rsa]

How does this look?

Currently it looks like this:

 

[nmtt92]

I must say you've got a nice place there! Gotta admire a guy with a garage that size.

I'm working on the idea of using those type of stones on a driveway with a slope to it, about 30 degree slope up toward the street. Curves and flattens out at the bottom where the garage is.

Have you seen anybody that has used those on a slope??
Thanks

Thanks...here's my build thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138939&showall=1

Actually, there's a driveway going in right now a few doors down the street from me....huge slope to the driveway (from the street up to the house). It looks like they're doing the same thing as mine, except it looks like they didn't pour concrete for the apron and paver 'joints'.

I'll try to get some pictures of theirs and post it here soon.

 

[JMcFly]

How does this look?

I like that style.

 

[JimVonBaden]

How does this look?

Sweet. How do they keep the pavers from moving around? I like the grass in there.

Jim

 

[JimVonBaden]

Some ideas for the front retaining wall and fence combination:

I favor the straight lines because not only will it be easier, but the house has no curves at all. All angles.

Jim

 

[nmtt92]

Here's a picture of my neighbor's sloped driveway. You can see the area for a paver apron and the paver 'joints' going up the drive. At least I assume these are going to be pavers. I'll post pics as they finish it.

 

[Krash Kadillak]

Jim, you might want to get the advice of a landscape architect.

As to your fence / retaining wall - is that supposed to go on the side of your property, or along the sidewalk line? Your house is so pretty, I wouldn't want to put up a thick wall blocking the view of it.

Maybe a short knee wall to define the parking pad. You could also put in some built-in benches to sit on.

 

[jhelrey]

The pavers stay in place via snap edging. They sell really good edging and really ****** edging. Also, use barn nails, 10 inches long. Do NOT use the galvanized! It will not rust and will not hold the edging in place. Put them every 3rd hole.

I used to be a landscape foreman. I have done some really sweet jobs.

 

[jhelrey]

Here is a 9500 SQ FT driveway I put in with my Brother... The driveway was different and we ripped a bunch out because the neighbor wanted their own driveway. It is shared. There is 16 inches of base under most of it. We had fully loaded concrete trucks driving on it, etc. A rotating laser with reader is the only way to go.

Any landscaping you see, I did.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Jim, you might want to get the advice of a landscape architect.

As to your fence / retaining wall - is that supposed to go on the side of your property, or along the sidewalk line? Your house is so pretty, I wouldn't want to put up a thick wall blocking the view of it.

Maybe a short knee wall to define the parking pad. You could also put in some built-in benches to sit on.

Unfortunately the retaining wall is in front of the sidewalk facing the house. The street is very busy, so we need a 2' tall retaining wall (the old one is tilting badly) and would like a decorative fence above it. It isn't required, but the 3' tall fence will obscure very little, hopefully.

Thanks though, I do agree about the blocking too much.

Jim

 

[54FordPanel]

The pavers stay in place via snap edging. They sell really good edging and really ****** edging. Also, use barn nails, 10 inches long. Do NOT use the galvanized! It will not rust and will not hold the edging in place. Put them every 3rd hole.

I used to be a landscape foreman. I have done some really sweet jobs.

Jhelrey, maybe you can answer this question and help Jim too: How do estimate how much base (bulk sand) it will take to cover 215 sq ft 1" deep for pavers? I asked that question in another thread, and got no responses.
A yard? Less?