At Sposato Masonry we install concrete, stamped concrete, paver and gravel driveways. Stamped concrete and paver driveways are considered high-end products that last a lifetime when installed properly. These driveways over time require very little to no maintenance or repairs.

Paver driveways are typically installed similarly to concrete driveways. First the existing material has to be removed. The earth is then excavated to install 6’’ of a gravel bed. Before we install the gravel bed, the earth its self is checked for weak areas and reinforced as needed for proper weight barring. A processed gravel bed is then installed over to create a drainage sub base for the concrete or pavers. The sub base gravel is then flattened out and compacted until firm. If pavers are being installed, a 1” sand bed is placed for the pavers to sit on.

When pavers are being installed, they must be installed cut to size and locked in with plastic paver edgers staked into the ground. Sand or polymeric sand is then swept over the surface of the paver and compacted into the joints. At the same time, the paver is also being compacted into the sand bedding beneath, locking the paver into place. Polymeric sand comes in colors and hardens to keep weeds from growing within the paver joints.

If concrete is used, the concrete needs to be formed out and poured over the gravel bed at a thickness of 6” with 6×6 wire reinforcement or fibers. Control joints or expansion joints should be installed within the concrete. The problem with expansion joints is found in the separation of the concrete that is needed for expansion and contraction, which gives a more likely hood of un leveling in the future due to settling and frost heave creating a tripping hazard. Expansion joints can be eliminated and replaced by cutting in control joints if the proper admixtures are added to the concrete mix. After the concrete is poured flatten and floated, the concrete can be broom finished; which is the way that majority of concrete is finished. There are several other options of finishing concrete driveways. Some of them are stamped concrete, exposed aggregate, colored concrete and many other method of producing a decorative concrete finish.