One of the most consistent homeowner complaints about a poured concrete patio or sidewalk is that they crack and break due to time and weathering. This can be dangerous to little feet and hands and it can also be a visual blight on a backyard (especially if a homeowner tries to fill the cracks with caulk or other materials). In order to repair the patio or walkway sufficiently, a person can pull up and re-pour an entire patio or they can simply choose to pave with another material. There are dozens of different paver options, and clay pavers are some of the best choices in terms of beauty, affordability, and durability.

Clay pavers are simply clay stones that can be placed closely next to each other in order to build patios and walkways. They come in many shapes-squares, rectangles, circles, and half-moons, just to name a few. When you place these clay pavers, you can mix and match shapes and colors as well in order to create mosaics or to accent parts of your design (such as making the bulk of a patio with one color and shape paver and then creating a border with another color and type). Check out all the varieties of store at your local masonry materials store to really have an idea of the design possibilities!

While there are many advantages in terms of color and design, the major advantage to a material like clay pavers is that they will not crack with the same devastating result as poured concrete patio. Certainly, these pavers will crack and break occasionally, but if that happens, you will only have to replace a few stones, not the whole patio or walkway. This can save you significant time, money, and stress.

Installing these pavers is a snap! Once you have removed the old poured concrete, it is fairly simple to put down clay pavers. You will have to first level and smooth the area for the pavers. Make sure that all the old concrete pieces are gone, so they do not get in the way of the pavers. It is also a good idea to dig down about a half an inch to an inch deep in the ground, so the pavers will be level with the ground. Once you have the area for the pavers ready, just place the stones in the design you want. And that’s all-no grout, fillers, or other messy materials needed! If you have placed the pavers close enough together, this should also help curb the growth of weeds in between the stones. If weeds do grow between the stones, you can spray weed repellent between the pavers with no damage to the pavers themselves.

So, if you are looking on your cracked patio or sidewalk with despair, don’t worry-help is on the way! Using clay pavers is the remedy to your walkway blues! Find the clay pavers that are right for you and create a new, less stressful patio or walkway in no time!

Mr. Masonry doesn\’t always shop online for his clay pavers, but when he does, he gets them at General Shale.

Mr. Masonry doesn\’t always shop online for his clay pavers, but when he does, he gets them at General Shale. http://www.generalshale.com/products/outdoorLiving/products.aspx/Clay20Pavers/

Author Bio: Mr. Masonry doesn\’t always shop online for his clay pavers, but when he does, he gets them at General Shale.

Category: Gardening
Keywords: clay pavers, masonry materials, walkway repair