FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are pavers and are they right for my home?

Pavers are made of brick, clay or concrete blocks that create a smooth, hard, durable surface for outdoors. Pavers can be used to create beautiful patios, outdoor steps, pathways, driveways, retaining walls and much more. You can even choose different colors and textures to help match the pavers to your home.

How can I start designing my beautiful outdoor living environment?

Have an idea of the products you want to use. Get pictures & collect magazines clippings to help you envision what you want for your outdoor living space. Determine what you would like to use the space for; BBQS, family gatherings, entertaining friends or quiet nights around the fire.

How much maintenance do pavers need?

Regular maintenance keeps your outdoor paver area looking nice while preventing damage, like cracking of the sand and shifting of the individual pavers and edging. Proper design and installation along with sand replenishment, cleaning, sealing and weed control are the main components of a paver maintenance plan. This is not very time consuming but a couple hours a year of maintenance saves you the hard work of replacing and repair jobs down the road.

What are the advantages of Pavers vs Concrete?

The advantages of brick paving over concrete and asphalt go beyond colors, looks, and shapes. Brick pavers are produced on specially designed machinery which ensures an exact quality process that produces a higher strength and durability than concrete or asphalt. They have a minimum compression strength of 8000 psi and are the ideal product for freeze/thaw environments where extreme temperatures do not offer an ideal climate for concrete, in fact it causes concrete to crack along its surface and repair costs for concrete can add up. Stamped concrete simply means that the concrete is “stamped” into patterns similar to pavers, but all the risks associated with concrete still apply. The only benefit of concrete is that it’s an inexpensive option for surfacing. With proper installation, pavers provide a hard wearing and flexible surface that allow the joints between pavers on any walkway, driveway, or patio to move without cracking. For any repair needs, they can be easily removed where concrete is extremely difficult to uniformly repair. Pavers add to the beauty and elegance that are sure to enhance your curb appeal and increase your property value.

What do brick pavers cost?

It may surprise you how affordable an installation for your home or commercial project really is. Some of the factors which affect the final price of an installation are: Product type, color, style size of the project and complexity of the design. For a free estimate please go fill out our request estimate form.

What are the benefits from sealing your paver project?

It is by no means required that you seal your pavers, however we do recommend it. Think of sealing your pavers like protecting an investment. To ensure the maximum longevity of your project, we recommend cleaning and sealing your paver project every 2-3 years. Sealing your pavers will help prevent against fading and staining and help your pavers truly last a lifetime.

Is it easy to plow snow on driveway pavers?

Snow can be plowed, blown or shoveled just like asphalt or concrete pavements- quickly and easily. The beveled or chamfered edges along with the random patter of pavers prevent plows or shovels from catching on the edge-so they’re nice and smooth for easy snow clearing!

What is Polymeric Sand and why should I use it?

Polymeric sand is used to fill the joints between pavers, including concrete pavers, brick pavers, and stone pavers. This product is a fine sand combined with additives, usually silica, that, when mixed with water, form a binding agent. These binders lock the sand particles together, which helps lock all the pavers together. Plain old sand can be used to fill the joints between pavers also but polymeric sand offers many advantages such as: Improves durability: The binding agents in this product help lock the pavers together. This will give your installation more strength over the long haul. Polymeric sand also reduces the amount of water that will wash between the pavers and down into the base materials. This will help keep the foundation of your project sturdy as well. Prevents washouts: A heavy rain won’t wash all the sand out of the joints between pavers if you use polymeric sand. With plain paver sand, this is a common problem. Deters weeds: Weeds are amazingly resilient and can grow almost anywhere. Using this product won’t guarantee that weeds won’t grow in your new walkway or patio, but it will help considerably. Plain sand is a much more inviting home for weeds than polymeric sand. Resistance to ants: Ants will have a much more difficult time getting into and making homes in the spaces between your pavers if you use polymeric sand. Colors: Polymeric sand comes in a variety of colors, usually in different shades of gray and beige. Choose the color that goes best with your pavers.

Will brick pavers improve the value of my home?

Generally it is assumed that whatever you spend on this type of project, you will recoup two-fold. So if your brick paver driveway, patio or walkway costs $8,000 you will get $16,000 upon the sale of your home. Curb appeal is of utmost importance when trying to sell a property, the distinguished appearance of a BK Brick Specialists project will certainly grab a buyer's attention. The value of these improvements will be immeasurable.

How do I choose a contractor?

Make a list of qualified contractors to evaluate your project and submit estimates. Make sure they are brick paving professionals (hardscape), not landscape (softscape) or other professionals who say they also do brick paving at their convenience. Make sure you've seen some of their completed work by making the effort to go out and take a look at it firsthand. Determine how many years they have been in business under the same name. Make sure they are properly insured and bonded. Selecting the right one doesn't necessarily mean the cheapest price – do your homework up front you’ll be happy you did.