The beauty of compressed concrete brick pavers in a landscape is multifaceted. Their intricate laying patterns and designs as well as the wide array of colors available now are hugely attractive and very permanent additions to a landscape. Over the past 20 years I have been amazed at the incredible variety in this specialized hardscaping area. Fact is, many cities are making actual streets out of those brick paving stones. Why? Because of their incredible hardness, among other reasons. However, they also have other positive qualities. Aside from their typical P.S.I. (Pounds Per Square Inch) rating of near 8,500 P.S.I. (cement sidewalks in most cities are typically 3-4,000 P.S.I/), interlocking pavers also are disposable individually. One breaks and one changes it. Just replace! Concrete patios and driveways break and suffer from the ravages of freezing and breaking. Pavers tend to be alot more forgiving. They prove flexible in these situations.
As mentioned, they also come in a wide assortment of colors. This cannot be overemphasized, to my mind. The ability to add and choose appropriate colors of hardscape elements in a landscape, and sizes as well, are an amazing advance in design and overall beauty.
From an installation perspective, they require the exact same prep as a street or sidewalk. For patios or more local usages in a yard, actually less preparation is necessary. However, they do share with any road built by man one very important need. Do it right! Some information about “compaction ratings” is necessary. I try to compact absolutely everything to at least 95%, myself. Better prep, for any surface, from pavers to cement, includes the right compaction underneath as well as the correct aggregate products. In essence, poor compaction means the entire walk might move and heave.