The Difference Between Concrete Pavers and Solid Concrete

The entrance to your home and the space around your garden can leave a lasting impression on your neighbors, guests, and all those who drive by your home. Concrete pavers and solid concrete can help enhance your outdoor space, especially if you’re looking to add or replace a patio, driveway, or walkway. You can customize them to the architectural design of your home to fit into its aesthetic perfectly. While both materials are used for exterior landscaping, they have significant differences you may want to know about before making a final decision. Here are the major differences.

Appearance

Pavers are typically more attractive and add more curb appeal to your home than concrete. You can manipulate them and create designs as they come in various styles and colors. When installed correctly, pavers provide a higher-end, more refined appearance than concrete.

Solid concrete is not as plentiful in terms of designs and colors as it only comes as stamped or decorative concrete. You can have color added to it, but the color often fades quickly and may need to be replaced every couple of years.

Installation

Solid concrete installation is the easiest and fastest compared to pavers. Professionals will line the area with planks to create a border and pour the layer of liquid concrete into the framed area. Once filled, they will smooth it down to level it and wait 48 hours to set and cure completely.

Concrete paver installation is more challenging as the pavers have to be arranged individually in an interlocking design that doesn’t require mortar. Once placed in the correct pattern and evenly spaced, your professional will begin applying a special type of sand on top of the patio to fill the spaces between the pavers. Finally, they will compact the area to create a seal.

Durability

Pavers don’t crack often, but they can loosen over time. They can withstand approximately four times the weight solid concrete can withstand. In the event of a crack, you can replace individual pavers. Depending on the material they are made from, pavers can last between 40 and 100 years.

Solid concrete is prone to damage in critical climatic conditions, especially when it has to carry too much weight or when the ground below it shifts or erodes. Minor cracks may mean extensive repair work or complete redoing in most cases. Concrete can last about 25 to 50 years.

Maintenance

Concrete is easy to clean and maintain, but it requires sealant application every year to prevent soaking up stains. You can wash solid concrete using a brush and soapy water. When cracked, weeds may begin growing inside the cracks.

Pavers are also easy to clean. Stains on pavers are less noticeable due to patterns and colors. Since they don’t come as a single slab, the best thing about them is that you can replace individual pavers to prevent weeds from growing.

We can help

If you’re looking for concrete paver installation services in Arizona, Sunstar Seal Coating, Inc can do the installation for you. Feel free to call our customer service representatives and book an appointment with us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Categorised in: Concrete

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