Contemporary Exterior
Differences in Installation:
Concrete slab is somewhat easy to install, but the material takes time to dry and cure. The installation process includes excavation, grading, preparation of the foundation, setting forms, and pouring the concrete. One of the major downsides to concrete is it can crack when the ground below flexes. It is also very important to get the grading just right with a concrete installation, as it can be a very costly error to fix once the concrete has been poured. Improper concrete grading can lead to low spots which will retain water, leaving discolorations and staining.
Paving stones require a lot more preparation which makes for a more labor intensive installation. The paver installation process includes: excavation, grading, sub-base compaction, geotextile fiber install, base preparation, base compaction, sand preparation, lay the pavers, cut the borders, prepare the bond beam, compact the stones, and finally seal the pavers upon completion. Since there is no curing time with paving stones, the paver installation is ready to use immediately upon completion. Also, if the grading happened to be slightly off or settling occurred later down the line, the pavers can easily be readjusted to correct the issue.