Pavers Q & A, West Palm Beach, Florida, FL

1. How are paving stones made?

Briefly, paving stones are made by combining cement, stones, sand, color and minimal amount of water. These materials are combined by predetermined recipes in a steel mold of the shape desired. Under high vibration and hydraulic pressure the materials are compacted in the mold to create the paving stone you selected. The product is then set aside to air dry, subsequently packaged and shipped to the jobsite.

2. What about colors?

The paving stone color desired is achieved by conditioning various pigments in specific recipes. The color is included in the manufacturing process and your paving stone will have your selected color through the entire stone not just on top and not just a tinting of color in the base. You may also notice slight color variations within your project.
Color variations are most noticeable when a project utilizes one solid color throughout the project

3. What is a color blend?

A color blend is a combination of two (2) or more colors to achieve a random color effect. It is IMPORTANT to note that selecting a color blend is NOT like selecting ceramic tile. With ceramic tile you choose a pattern and a color and all tiles are identical. With paving stones, a color blend simply put, means the colors comprising the blend.
You will see paving stones that are completely solid in color, paving stones that have more of one color than the other and vice versa. To achieve an even blend throughout the installation, your installer will select various stones from a variety of bundles and lay them in a random manner to achieve a pleasant visual effect. (Imagine making a marble cake. You start with a completely yellow batter; slowly you add some chocolate and stir.
While adding the chocolate the appearance of the batter changes. If you would add a lot of chocolate and continue to stir you would have a completely chocolate batter. This applies in theory to paving stones and color blends. Your materials will range in color like the marble cake from solid yellow, to a lot of yellow and a little chocolate, to more chocolate and a little yellow, to completely chocolate.)

**It is important to understand that unless you are seeing a complete project, the sample patterns from which you are making your color selection, are hand selected solely to show the colors comprising the specific blend. Your materials may vary from samples you see. This is nothing to be concerned about. (see #4)

4. Are there minimum amounts of brick I have to order if I choose a color blend?

YES. Due to manufacturing and packaging process it is recommended that the following minimums be adhered to in order to obtain the complete color blend.

1" Pavers

Two color Blends – 1 full pallet (220-245 sq ft depending on shape)
Three Color Blends – 3 full pallets (660-735 sq ft depending on shape)

2 3/8" Pavers

Two Color Blends – 2 full pallets (quantity varies depending on shape)
hree color Blends – 3 full pallets (quantity varies depending on shape)

Although smaller quantities can be ordered, it is NOT advisable especially if your project combines both 1" and 2 3/8" pavers. You may notice a slight color variation between thick and thin bricks. This is partially due to the change in vibration while manufacturing the 2 varying sizes as well as the weather conditions during manufacturing. Also, if you do opt to order less than the recommended amounts, you may receive different ends of color run.

5. What if the difference between 1" pavers and 2 3/8" pavers?

Simply put 1" pavers or "Thin bricks" are used solely for pedestrian applications, the most common usage being resurfacing existing area (i.e., over existing Chattahoochee, existing concrete) Conversely, 2 3/8" pavers or "Thick Brick" are designed for almost any use from roadways to pool decks and walkways.
There are many instances where both size pavers are utilized.

6. Why do my 2 3/8" pavers have spacers and my 1" pavers do not?

You will notice when you receive your bricks that 2 3/8" bricks have bumps or spacers on the sides where the 1" pavers do not. Installation guidelines and specifications dictate that there must be a minimum of 1/8" gap between bricks when 2 3/8" bricks are used. The reason is very simple. To achieve a complete interlocking of the brick they are compacted on the sand below. Upon compacting the bricks, the sand forges upward from the bottom of the brick helping achieve a complete interlock. Additional jointing sand is swept into these joints to complete the interlocking process.
As these bricks are used for heavy traffic areas, it is imperative to ensure that the bricks are not installed too tightly together. This lack of appropriate spacing can cause chipping of the bricks. Conversely, 1" bricks do not incur in heavy traffic. And they are not required to be compacted as the 2 3/8" bricks must. As you will have some "washing out" of the sand between the joints initially, this will not cause a problem with the thicker brick.
However, the 1" paver must maintain a tight fit to prevent a lot of sand from washing out as this has the potential to cause instability of the bricks and possible chipping and cracking as well.

7. There are some chips and cracks in my bricks, what do I do?

Minor chips and cracks are part of the paving stones. Paving stones are not designed to be perfect. They are designed to be rustic in appearance. Fortunately, Florida offers the ability to create pastel colors so sometimes this rustic appearance can be modernized through color. Chips and cracks do not mean your paving stones are "bad". Due to the manufacturing process, a chip can be the result of a piece of rock breaking or the brick during packaging, shipping, installation or final compacting. Minor chips and cracks incidental to the usual and customary method of handling and installation are totally acceptable. Excessive chipping and cracking is generally attributed to inappropriate compacting and or preparation of the base. Please do not look at a paving stone installation one stone at the time. Paving stones are meant to be looked at as a group, since they are not designed to be perfect. Stand back, survey your paving stones bearing in mind the color is what passersby, neighbors friends and relatives will see, not individual bricks.

8. What about stains on my brick?

There are products design to remove many of the common stains found on driveways and pool decks. SNS Pavers can be contacted for assistance in stain removal and prevention. In many instances, dishwashing liquid and a scrub brush may be the answer for stains that haven't yet set. Do not use undiluted muriatic acid as it can damage the bricks.

9. What is the whitish looking substance on my bricks?

What you are seeing is called efflorescence. This is a whitish deposit caused by a combination of water and soluble salts in the air and ground. When the paving stones are manufactured and admixture is included to help reduce the occurrence of efflorescence. However, it is impossible to prevent. The high water table in Florida, combined with the sand materials used to manufacture and install your paving stones, added to the salts in the air makes prevention impossible. Eventually the efflorescence will go away by itself. Should you wish to hurry the natural process along, it can be removed through cleaning with a specially designed efflorescence remover. Efflorescence or its occurrence does not signify bad material.

10. What are some paver attributes?

Pavers have many different colors, therefore you can match your house and paver colors together.
Pavers do not tend to crack like concrete.
Sealed pavers have more color to them, and sometimes tend to look like they have been wet down.
When sealed, pavers will become more stain resistant.
Pavers just look better than gray concrete and many different styles of looks can be added to the design of project for a impressive outcome.
If problems do arise with a few pavers it is simple to replace them. Just pop them out and add new pavers in their place