Get matched with top paving pros in Hugo, CO

The most common alternatives to a gravel driveway are concrete, asphalt, brick, and permeable pavers. Concrete and asphalt are the two more affordable alternatives, while the intricate design options of brick and permeable pavers make installation significantly more expensive. Similar to gravel, concrete isn’t the best driveway material for cold weather, as frigid temperatures can cause it to crack. Alternatively, asphalt is sensitive to heat, and driveways can become soft in areas with high temperatures and sun exposure. While brick and permeable pavers give homeowners curb appeal, the latter offers the added functionality of preventing flooding and reducing runoff water.

To ensure you hire a reliable and experienced paving company, you should start by finding companies in your area that have at least five to ten years of experience working in your neighborhood. Next, rule out companies with poor reviews online or a series of complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. Since driveways affect your curb appeal, you should also ask each company for references and pictures of recent work to make sure the work the company does is professional and high quality. Finally, check that the company is licensed and insured.

The layer of polymeric sand under the pavers plus the polymeric sand that gets swept into the joints between your pavers holds them in place in a few ways. For one, the gritty texture of the sand helps lock the pavers together. Polymeric sand also contains bonding agents that get activated by water. Polymeric sand will take between 24 and 48 hours to fully cure, so do not walk on your paver walkway before this time.

Professional installers often include a deep layer of crushed gravel under permeable pavers to allow more runoff to soak through into the soil below. Many installations will include multiple layers of gravel, with coarser aggregate at the base and finer aggregate that sits on top of that bottom layer. Above the gravel, you’ll often find coarse sand that helps reduce paver shifting over time. Some permeable paver designs include a water collection system set into the gravel layer to route runoff to a safe area for disposal.