Modern residential designs

Grass or other groundcover is used as an integral part of this permeable paving system. By planting groundcover in the holes designed in these pavers, a green surface is created. Grass will not be damaged by cars driving or parking on these pavers.

Reality check

It is more expensive and requires more skill to install permeable paving.

Paving tip

The best paving will fail if it is installed incorrectly. Select your installer very carefully and remember that while it is more expensive to install paving properly and correctly, it will pay off in the long run. (Please see page 148.)

Paving tip

Large pavers are more difficult and more expensive to install. When using large pavers on driveways, special care should be taken during the earth preparation.

Reality check

Concrete paving’s colour will fade over time. Dust engrained into capillaries could also dull the paving. The colour of the paving will appear to be more vibrant after rainfall.

Bosun XXL Urban pavers can be used as stepping stones. Their 900mm width allows enough space to walk on comfortably.

Paving tip

Paving blocks are heavy, making them difficult to transport and handle. Always bear in mind the cost of delivery when purchasing paving.

Black Smooth Ethnic Pavers installed in a herringbone pattern. A herringbone provides superior interlock as it can withstand traffic in multiple directions

Urban Medium pavers in a natural looking Basalt finish. Refer to page 86 for more information.

Paving tip

Exercise caution when using cement grouting, as it could permanently stain your paving and might also crack or break up in the future. The best and proven fixed grouting material is polymer grouting such as Romex, which is available from Bosun.

Urban Large Pavers in Granite, installed in a herringbone laying pattern.

Urban Large Pavers in Granite, installed in a stretcher bond laying pattern.

Paving tip

Installation of paving will most probably cost more than what was originally anticipated. However, if paving is to last for a lifetime, it is wiser to spend more and avoid taking shortcuts.

Bosun’s Urban Medium Pavers in a Basalt finish used as cost-effective garden edging. Such applications are more aesthetically please than standard bricks and garden kerbs.

Venetian pavers in black colour used to edge a driveway paved with SmartStone cobble pavers.

Reality check

Paving blocks take some time to settle on a site before they look their best. Allow about six months for colours to settle.

Efflorescence is also most likely to appear within the first year of installation.

Paving tip

Bosun pavers can be sealed with a polyurethane or a water-based acrylic sealant. This will enhance the colour and protect the paved surface. Beware of sealing pavers prior to the appearance of efflorescence, as this will trap the efflorescence within them. Also ensure that the pavers are thoroughly cleaned so that you do not seal in the dirt. Pavers need to be 100% dry before sealing. Lastly, be cautious when sealing driveways, as warm tyre residue could bond with the sealant, causing unsightly marks.

Reality check

It requires more skill to install intricate designs. Always consider the thickness of pavers when using a variety of pavers in conjunction with each other. If one paver is thicker or thinner than the others, the procedure becomes complicated.

The Urban range of pavers is available in various sizes which could be used to install in combination with each other. (The pavers on this page were sealed with a water-based sealant.)

Reality check

Combination patterns are more difficult to install, requiring more skill and therefore customers can expect to pay more for this type of installation.

Combination of different Urban Pavers in a Marble colour

Paving tip

The use of a large plate compactor is recommended for the levelling of combination patterns. Small compactors will bed smaller pavers deeper than larger ones.

Traditionally, concrete paving bricks or “cement bricks” have satisfied the price-conscious segment of the market.

Many paving contractors would deliver a sales pitch such as: “Clay bricks will cost you x amount. If you’re looking for something a little classier, simulated stone or ‘SmartStone’ is an option, but it’s more expensive. However, the cheapest option we can offer you is cement bricks.”

This has changed in the past five years. Modern manufacturing equipment and increased technical proficiency have enabled concrete paving manufacturers to produce unique products and remarkable finishes at the upper end of the scale.

Paving tip

Never install plastic sheeting under paving, as it badly affects the base structure. Plastic sheeting DOES NOT prevent weeds from growing. Weeds grow when seeds are deposited from above into the joints between pavers.

Paving tip

Structural integrity of a paving installation comes from good compaction of layer works beneath the paving, not from the paving blocks themselves. When using base material found on site, it must be excavated and compacted in layers using a heavy roller.

XXL Pavers by Bosun

Bosun XXL pavers are 27 times larger than standard bevel pavers. This type of paving is new to South Africa and because of their size, they require special equipment and skills to install. Every paver’s size is 900mm x 600mm and the blocks weigh more than 90kg each.

Paving tip

Pavers are fragile and should be handled with care. They should never be thrown or tipped out of wheelbarrows.

Paving tip

What happens underneath your paving is more important than the visible paving. Consult our installation section at the back of this book for necessary questions to ask your installer. (See page 148.)

Paving tip

It is likely that your pavers will be affected by efflorescence in their lifetime. This is a temporary natural white film that appears on concrete, clay or natural stone, but eventually disappears on its own. (See page 146 for a comprehensive explanation of efflorescence.)

Reality check

Tyres leave marks on any type or colour of paving. Darker colours will disguise the marks more effectively, though they will still be visible.

Modern residential pathway created with Bosun XXL Paving Slabs in Marble colour. Smooth Ethnic pavers in Brown

Paving tip

When your paving is jointed with sand, top up your joints by sweeping dry plaster sand over the paving from time to time. Always sweep diagonally across the paving.