What you should do To Prepare to Pave Your Driveway
In this article, you will find a list of the things you should do when preparing to pave your driveway.
05/04/2020
A paved driveway looks great. It actually helps in creating the right impression to anyone that visits your home. Besides that, it helps in ensuring that you will still be able to reach the main road without having to deal with mud. And that’s not all. A paved driveway creates extra playing space for children, meaning your little ones can enjoy rolling on their scooters and skateboards. However, most homeowners believe that paving can only be done by professional road contractors. On the contrary, laying the driveway can be a simple project as long as you have access to essential tools and equipment such as a compactor, excavator and a shovel. Here is a list of the things you should do when preparing to pave your driveway.
1. Planning
This one goes without saying. You can’t wake up one day and start paving the driveway that leads to your home without first laying the plan. By planning, you will be able to decide the ideal route for the driveway. In fact, you should choose a route that has a slope as it helps in ensuring that ground water doesn’t form pools that will eventually flood your house. You should then mark the edges of the driveway using some sticks or white powder.
2. Measuring Dimensions
Most homeowners like to skip this step. As a matter of fact, measuring the dimensions of the driveway is very important. This is because it helps you in knowing the number of pavers that you should buy. Keep in mind that pavers are sold based on square foot. There is no point of spending your hard earned bucks on one too many pavers. However, you should exceed the number of blocks by at least 10 percent. This helps in ensuring that you have enough pavers for the project.
3. Excavation
Excavation is usually done to remove the debris and grass that’s on the surface of the driveway. Since this task is cumbersome, it’s recommended you get an excavator. But you don’t have to buy it specifically for the paving project. In fact, you can opt to rent it because you will spend less money. When breaking the ground, the hoe of the excavator should be made to go deep down for the sake of scooping out the soil. You should also ensure that the excavation leaves enough room space for the foundation layers.
4. Spreading and Compacting of Base Material
The trench that is left behind after breaking ground has to be filled with base material. The material is usually made from crushed stones. Since the stones are crushed at random, they tend to have sharp edges. After the base material has been spread on the trench of the driveway, you should sprinkle some water on them. This will make it easier for them to be compacted. Compacting actually helps in ensuring that the driveway doesn’t break away due to cracks. It’s also important you install metallic or plastic restraints on the edges of the driveway. These restraints help in protecting the driveway from the damages that result from high traffic and bad weather conditions.
5. Sand Bedding and Laying of Blocks
Since paving blocks can’t be installed directly on crushed stones, it’s recommended that you first spread a layer of fine sand. The sand is meant for creating a uniform and sturdy platform that the paving blocks can rest on. The sand should be leveled to prevent unwanted bumps from forming. Once you have finished sand bedding, you should then start arranging the paving blocks on the new surface. Since paving blocks come with various designs and patterns, you should arrange them according to the instructions of the manufacturer.
6. Sealing
Paving can never be complete without sealing the blocks. But before you seal the blocks, you should first spread a layer of fine sand on the surface. The fine sand is used for sealing the space between individual blocks to make them firm. But if you don’t cover the paving blocks with another layer, the sand will promote the growth of weeds on your driveway. It will also be difficult to clean oil spills. Besides that, you will eventually start to see tire marks. All these problems can be avoided by covering your driveway with the best paver sealer. Since the sealer is designed to be waterproof, you can be sure it will not encourage plants to grow on the driveway. It will also be easier to eliminate tough stains that are caused by engine oil spillages.