Paver Driveways: The Wall & Company Differences

Why can paver driveway proposals vary so much in price when everything else appears to be the same?

⠀
Two contractors can propose the same size driveway, using the same or comparable pavers, yet the proposals can vary considerably.

So why can the proposals be so different?

With a paver driveway, one of the biggest differences is often underneath the pavers.

A driveway has to repeatedly support cars, SUVs and trucks through Spokane’s changing seasons. That makes excavation, base depth, compaction, structural reinforcement, drainage and edge restraint especially important.

Wall & Company builds paver driveways differently from patios and walkways because a driveway has a much harder job to do.
⠀

Wall & Company vs. Common Shortcuts

⠀

What You’ll Never See

⠀
When your driveway is finished, you’ll see the pavers, borders and finished surface.

You probably won’t see:

• The 12 inches of compacted gravel underneath
• The stabilization grid
• The individual compacted gravel lifts
• Most of the bedding layer
• The preparation beneath the perimeter
• Much of the work establishing the finished grades

Yet these hidden components are what support the vehicles driving across the surface.

The pavers may be what you see.

The foundation underneath is what makes the driveway work.
⠀

We Start with a 12″ Compacted Gravel Base

⠀
A paver driveway needs considerably more structural support than a patio or walkway.

Wall & Company installs a 12-inch compacted gravel base beneath our paver driveways.

That’s a substantial amount of material.

It also means excavating deeply enough to accommodate the base, removing and hauling away the excavated material, bringing additional aggregate to the property, placing it and properly compacting it.

Reducing the base depth can reduce nearly every one of those costs.

And once the pavers are installed, you won’t be able to see the difference.

For Wall & Company, the base isn’t where we want to save money. It’s the foundation of the driveway.
⠀

Twelve Inches of Gravel Isn’t Enough by Itself

⠀
Base depth is only part of the equation.

The gravel also needs to be properly compacted.

Wall & Company uses multi-lift compaction. Rather than installing the entire base at once and attempting to compact it from the top, gravel is placed in manageable layers.

Each layer is compacted before the next is installed.

That means more steps and more passes with the compaction equipment.

But there’s an important difference between having 12 inches of gravel beneath a driveway and having 12 inches of properly compacted gravel beneath a driveway.

Our goal is the latter.
⠀

Additional Base Stabilization

⠀
Wall & Company also incorporates a stabilization grid into the driveway base.

The grid works with the aggregate to provide additional structural support and stabilization beneath the pavers.

Once installed, it completely disappears.

You won’t see it when the driveway is completed. A neighbor looking at the finished project won’t know it’s there. And it may not be obvious when you’re comparing two proposals unless you specifically look for it.

But the purpose isn’t to make the driveway look better on installation day.

It’s there to help build a stronger foundation for repeated vehicle traffic.
⠀

The Bedding Layer Has a Specific Job

⠀
Once the structural base is complete, a properly prepared bedding layer creates the surface needed for consistent paver installation.

The bedding material shouldn’t be used to compensate for an inadequately prepared base.

Wall & Company builds the structural foundation first and then prepares the bedding layer for the pavers.

The result is a system in which each layer has a specific job.
⠀

The Pavers Need to Be Appropriate for a Driveway

⠀
Not every paver application has the same requirements.

A driveway experiences vehicle loads, turning forces and repeated traffic that a backyard patio doesn’t.

Wall & Company uses quality pavers appropriate for driveway applications and installs them as part of a complete driveway system.

Choosing a paver because it looks good is only part of the decision.

It also needs to be appropriate for what you’re asking it to do.
⠀

The Sand Between the Pavers Matters, Too

⠀
Wall & Company uses quality polymeric joint sand between the pavers.

When properly installed and activated, polymeric sand helps stabilize the joints while resisting washout and reducing opportunities for weeds to establish.

It may seem like a small detail compared with a 12-inch gravel base.

But quality construction is often the accumulation of many details that individually seem small.

We don’t believe it makes sense to build a substantial driveway foundation and then compromise the installation at the surface.
⠀

Edge Restraint Helps Keep the Driveway Together

⠀
The perimeter of a paver driveway needs to resist lateral movement.

Vehicles don’t simply place weight downward. Turning, braking and repeated traffic can also place forces across the surface.

Proper edge restraint helps keep perimeter pavers from gradually moving outward and allowing joints to spread.

Wall & Company treats the edge as part of the complete structural system rather than simply the place where the pavers stop.
⠀

Grade and Drainage Matter

⠀
A driveway is a large hard surface, which means it can collect and move a substantial amount of water.

That water needs somewhere appropriate to go.

Wall & Company establishes grades as part of excavation and base construction, taking into consideration the garage, home, surrounding landscape and other hardscape.

This is particularly important in Spokane, where rain, snowmelt and freeze-thaw cycles all affect outdoor surfaces.

Drainage isn’t something that should be figured out after the pavers are already going down.

It begins underneath them.
⠀

The Details You Do See Matter, Too

⠀
A substantial foundation doesn’t excuse mediocre finish work.

Wall & Company also pays attention to:

• Consistent paver patterns
• Accurate cuts
• Clean borders
• Consistent joints
• Smooth transitions
• Finished elevations
• Garage transitions
• Connections to sidewalks and walkways
• Integration with the surrounding landscape

A paver driveway is often one of the largest hardscape features on a property.

It should be structurally sound underneath and carefully finished on top.
⠀

Where the Wall & Company Difference Shows Up

⠀
Paver driveways are a perfect example of why two proposals can look similar on paper without representing the same installation.

Both may specify the same square footage.

Both may even specify the exact same paver.

But one driveway can contain substantially more excavation, aggregate, compaction and structural support underneath that paver.

A shallower base requires less excavation. Less excavation means less material to haul away. It requires less gravel to bring back. Fewer compaction steps require less equipment time. Eliminating the stabilization grid removes another material and installation step.

Each change can reduce the proposal price.

And after the driveway is completed, virtually all of those differences are invisible.

Wall & Company’s approach is straightforward: a 12-inch compacted gravel base, multi-lift compaction, additional base stabilization, quality materials and attention to the hidden details that support the finished driveway.

The objective isn’t to build the cheapest or the most expensive paver driveway. Our objective is to build a paver driveway that will stand the test of time.

At Wall & Company, we aim to build you a paver driveway that you can enjoy for years to come.