Design:
There are unlimited design options! Pavers come in a variety of colors, sizes and finishes (smooth, textured and tumbled). Your Project Design Specialist can also help you to coordinate your driveway, walkway, or patio with other outdoor elements such as a barbeque, fire pit, or water feature.
Curb Appeal and Resale Value:
A new paver stone outdoor transformation is seen as an investment and can help increase your home’s overall property value. Pavers have a higher resale value because of their beauty and versatility. Concrete slabs are generally more common, but over time, concrete cracks, especially in California. Pavers will net you more value because concrete will need to be replaced multiple times, making it more expensive long term.
Pavers are Stronger:
Concrete is guaranteed to do one thing “Crack”. Concrete production standards require it to have a much lower ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) specification than pavers. Concrete is made to a compressive strength of 2,500–3,000 PSI while pavers are made to a minimum compressive strength of 8,000 PSI. The reason paver stones are less likely to crack is because of the aggregate mix and their method of interlock. The natural density of the paver, created by the high compressive strength, doesn’t allow water to enter the paver in the first place. This means that concrete is more likely to absorb water than displace it, which causes cracking when the air reaches freezing temperatures. Also, living in California there are are frequent earthquakes which will cause the concrete to crack every time.
Pavers are Easier to Repair:
Pavers are much easier to work with. If repairs to plumbing or utilities are required below the paved surface, all that needs to be done is to pull up the problem area, adjust the base, and re-lay the pavers. When concrete cracks, it is difficult to repair without it looking obvious and unattractive. In order to get a seamless new concrete driveway or walkway, you typically have to start over and pour a fresh concrete slab. Black Diamond offers a 27 year warranty on all paver installations and a lifetime warranty on the paver stones!
