Many owners ask this question. Concrete driveways last forever, but they’re not necessarily the most attractive option. Concrete sometimes stains and cracks, and homeowners find that placing brick pavers over existing concrete is the perfect option to enhance the look of their sidewalk, patio, or driveway. Before contacting a paver contractor for such a brick installation, there are a few things he should know.
The stability of any brick installation depends on several things. There are three forces at play, vertical, horizontal and rotational. All directions must be stable and secure for a brick installation to last. A reputable paver contractor will be aware of this and take it into account with any new installation project he undertakes.
The difficulty with placing a one inch brick paver over an existing concrete area is that the stability of the sub-floor cannot be guaranteed. A crack in the concrete, a slightly sloped area, and the fact that the concrete does not have the resiliency of the normal base used by a paver contractor is all a scenario for failure of the finished surface. It will only be a matter of time before the cobblestones break.
The proper way to install brick pavers is to remove the existing concrete before installing the new brick surface. You may think you’re finding a less expensive option when laying brick over concrete, but the results are likely to be more expensive. The expense of buying the brick pavers and installing the bricks will be completely lost when they start to crack and the driveway or sidewalk starts to disintegrate.
The result will then be the costly removal of the brick and the driveway. Although removing the concrete can be more expensive initially than putting the brick pavers on top, you will save money in the end if you do the job right the first time.
When you discuss this option with a paver contractor, a reputable contractor will advise you that placing one-inch brick pavers over an existing concrete surface is not recommended. The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (www.ICPI.org) recommends that concrete be removed and bedrock established prior to placing concrete pavers. You can find more information on their website.
There are less reputable brick paver contractors that will tell you otherwise. If they do, you may want to report them to the ICPI as they are misleading the public regarding the proper installation of brick pavers. Consumers often rely on professional contractors to make decisions regarding their home improvement projects, assuming they are experts. Not all are. To be warned is to be prepared when dealing with any construction contractor.
