Brick Pavers Vs Concrete
We find a lot of customers debate between stamped concrete or paving stone patios and driveways. Through DirtWright and our sister company, we can offer all options relating to these. Concrete and interlocking brick each have their own strengths and nuances for use. The key difference is that concrete is a stiff, hard surface, while interlocking brick installations provide a flexible hard surface.
No finish without a solid base
Irregardless of what other contractors say, both paver and concrete slabs will sag over time if the base is not built right. The key to a long lived project is the base. Proper aggregate size and depth for the load, reinforcing geogrid as necessary, and appropriate compaction will give your concrete or paving stones the best chance at a long life. For a concrete driveway, expect to see about 10-12″ thick of gravel base. For a residential paver or stone driveway, expect 18″-24″ base or more depending on the loading conditions. The best brick patio installation or concrete placement & finishing will not hide poor base preparation.
Manufactured vs Onsite
Given the best base for concrete and paving stones, pavers can outlast concrete. Quality paving stones are made under tight control and are therefore more consistently reliable. Cast in place concrete can be more variable. A lot of the final durability rests on correct placement practices and skill of the concrete finisher. Incorrect concrete placement can lead to problems with spalling, cracking, or premature erosion. However, neither system will last as long as it could without correct maintenance.
Concrete vs Pavers Maintenance & repair
Both concrete and brick pavers are easy to maintain. Concrete requires regular sealing and maintenance for optimal life. Occasional top-up of the joint sand is required to ensure long life of a brick installation, and salting should be avoided. Sealing can also be performed on concrete pavers. If a brick is damaged, it is simple to pull it out and put a new one in. If concrete cracks or otherwise degrades, it may need to be removed and reinstalled. If a paver patio sags noticeably, it is unfortunate, but still a simple repair to pull a few paving stones, re-level and compact the affected area, and re-install. If this happens to concrete, options are to either slabjack the base, or replace the slab. Neither of these options are cheap, so if concrete is chosen, choose to do it well.
Design Options
Concrete and paver or stone installations all offer different design options. Concrete can allow unique treatments such as exposed aggregate, seamless stamped concrete, or acid staining that are difficult to duplicate with pavers or flagstone. Stone patios can only be imitated by concrete texturing. There are options for inlay with both brick and stone that can be imitated with careful staining in concrete, but never duplicated. In our opinion, it is best to use each medium for what it is best at. If you want your driveway to look like a singular stone slab, choose a seamless stamp. If you want the look of a flagstone patio, don’t imitate it- choose real flagstone. Real, quality materials don’t go out of style.
Flexible Interlock vs Stiff concrete
There is also a fundamental difference between the two systems. Both are ceramic topped, and therefore very hard and durable, but can bear very little load in tension. Concrete deals with this by using tensile members such as rebar or metal screen to carry the tension load. However, if concrete is asked to span a further distance than it is designed for (such as is seen from pouring on poorly compacted fill), the stress quickly exceeds the strength, and it yields. Paving stones sidestep the issue by being small, and therefore cannot span enough distance to exceed their strength unless they are heavily overloaded. The interlocking mat of pavers can flex to account for movement.
Brick & Concrete Niches
These differences are advantages for each system. The stiffness of concrete can allow it to span a long distance, as long as the system is designed correctly. It can be suspended above ground because of this, or used to spread a surface load over a larger area. Its monolithic nature means it can double as a foundation and a floor for structures such as sunrooms, gazebos and pergolas, among others. The flexible nature of a paver or stone installation is a huge advantage when it comes to seamless repair, future modifications, or resilience to movement. The modularity of interlocking brick mean it can also be designed to be permeable, which decreases the load on civil infrastructure.
Concrete is comparatively inexpensive, and excellent for structural work or artistic projects that lend themselves to the medium. It provides design options like exposed aggregate and seamless stamping that are difficult with bricks. It is well suited to projects requiring both a foundation and a floor, such as exterior sunrooms and gazebos. Interlocking brick patios and other installations offer resilience to frost movement and a timeless, unique low maintenance aesthetic. Key to this is their modular design which allows easy repair. Interlocking bricks are well suited to projects requiring their unique design capability and durability. If installed correctly, they can outlast concrete.