From large homes with sweeping
landscapes to the courtyards of townhouses, most outdoor living
areas now feature a paved area.
Ease of maintenance, all weather
use, practicality and good looks have established the paved area
as an integral part of Australia’s landscaping design. As a
result, the humble paver of a few years ago has all but
disappeared under an avalanche of styles, sizes, textures and
colours.
When choosing pavers, the first
decision is whether to use masonry (concrete) or clay pavers.
Clay pavers are fired from a
natural product, clay, which is reflected in the colour range.
With a colour range mainly restricted to earthy colours, fired
clay pavers have the advantage of not fading. Clay pavers are
generally available in sizes of 230 x 115mm, 300 x 300mm and up to
400 x 4000mm. For areas where space is at a premium, the smaller
sized clay pavers (for example 230 x 115mm) are easier to laying
and maintain design as fewer pavers need to be cut and positioned.
The advantage of
masonry (or
concrete) pavers is a wider choice of colours and larger sizes (up
to 600 x 600mm). However, over time, masonry pavers are not as
colourfast as clay. The porosity of masonry pavers make them
susceptible to staining and it is advised that masonry pavers be
sealed. Sealing will help prevent fading, but not make masonry
pavers totally colourfast over years of sunlight and use.
