Paving And Landscaping Adelaide Driveways, Paths, Under Verandas & Around Pools.

With over 35 years experience, the team of landscapers and paving contractors from Hand Made Gardens have built a solid reputation of excellence when it comes to laying pavers, whether as a stand alone service, or as part of a larger landscaping project encompassing many elements.
Leading the team of licensed professionals, Master Landscaper Martyn Hand is often called upon to consult and fix pavers that have not been laid correctly which as a result has caused subsequent damage to homes across Adelaide with ‘Edge Wetting’ or as it’s commonly called ‘Slab Edge Dampness’ creating mould and wet floor boards or carpets.

Paving and landscaping Adelaide gardens often goes ‘hand in hand’, with pavers the preferred choice under verandas, around pools and for driveways. At the same time, retaining walls, planted garden beds, irrigation and garden lighting are discussed as part of a complete front or backyard garden makeover.

It’s always important to start with a budget when looking at landscaping your garden. Although understandable most people aren’t aware of all the costs and prices, hence they request a quote, the price of pavers alone can vary significantly. If you know you’d like an area paved, knowing what money you can allocate to the project will help the paving contractors give you some options within your budget. Wet laid stone paving under verandas for example can be over four times more expensive than laying concrete pavers. Using clay brick pavers for paving a driveway can be much cheaper than using larger format natural stone pavers.

When paving and landscaping Adelaide gardens, there’s a number of steps, procedures and precautions the team from Hand Made Gardens take to make sure the result looks as good as it did when first laid, for many years to come and sadly is where ‘cutting corners’ to make a quote seem cheaper happens.
The following practices for laying pavers are done in accordance with Australian Standards or as directed by the Australian Building Code and wont be compromised on to save money as our reputation and integrity when dealing with customers is worth far more.

When paving Adelaide gardens, base preparation is the most important step. Before supplying a quote, understanding what consequences there will be with the change in landscape is also morally important.
Water runoff during heavy rain is a consideration that professional paving contractors from Hand Made Gardens will discuss with you. It may be imperative to lay stormwater pipes with grates to stop water flooding parts of the garden, or worse, your home.
Sometimes a change in design can alleviate or minimise flooding which, when dealing with professional landscapers may be a cheaper option.

Setting the levels to the finished height will let us know what excavation or fill will be required. There will always be one or the other. More often than not, removal of earth is required, to be replaced with a base of rubble and if there’s any organic material such as lawn, that will have to be killed off and/or dug up.
Sadly, this is the first area used by many ‘wheelbarrow and ute gardeners’ to cut costs either by not excavating enough or not using a 20mm coarse base rubble.

When paving paths around the garden to take foot traffic, the rubble base should be at least 75mm. If vehicles will be driving and turning on a paved area, the Quarry rubble base should be a minimum of 100mm, with 150mm used for heavier 4WD or trucks.
Note too the paving pattern, linear dimensions and thickness of the paver will also be considered depending on the type of traffic the pavers will be subjected to.

Before paving under verandas, to prevent edge wetting a waterproof membrane should be added and the finished pavers should not be above the house damp course. Again, a step not taken by many ‘want to be’ landscapers quoting across Adelaide.

If the area to be paved is going to be above highly reactive clay, ‘Geofabric’ will be laid down before the base rubble to prevent it from sinking into the ground. This step is one of the most neglected aspects, important in preventing pavers becoming uneven as the clay ‘heaves’ and ‘shrinks’ with the change in seasons and rainfall. Some suburbs well known for having highly reactive clay may require a cement treated rubble base.

After laying down the rubble, it’s screeded level and then compacted. Compaction to Australian Standards requires a vibrating compactor and soaking with water. 4 passes are generally required to get a rock hard compacted base. If fill is required, the rubble is compacted with each 100mm addition until the required height is obtained.

It’s important to point out not all rubbles are the same. Another cost cutting method adopted by some is to use a cheap rubble having high plasticity, containing clay. This, even after compaction can cause pavers to sink!

Once compacted, 25mm of concrete sand is spread out and compacted. The base is now ready to start laying pavers on.
String lines are set up and pavers are cut in situ to make sure they fit within defined edges. If pavers are laid next to soil, perhaps a garden bed or lawn, concrete is used to ‘haunch’ and edge for the pavers to rest against, avoiding lateral movement and yet another process avoided to save costs by amateur paving contractors looking to cash in on unsuspecting customers.

Grouting sand is then spread out over the area and gently vibrated to set the pavers into the base sand. A broom is used to sweep off any excess that hasn’t been forced into the joints.

It’s an additional cost to be sure, but a small price to pay and critical in making sure your paved area looks great for many years to come.

Sealing pavers once laid is strongly recommended to protect them from staining. Good paver maintenance is particularly important if you’re paving under verandas with outdoor entertaining or dining occurring. Fats from foods, oils, even red wine can leave hard to remove stains if the pavers aren’t sealed or the spill isn’t attended to quickly.
Leaves, bark even dirt can stain pavers, as can chlorine on paved areas around pools. Courtyard paving is often neglected for many years and can cause moss to grow between the joints.

Courtyard Pavers Not Sealed

Pool Pavers Not Sealed

Unlike natural stone pavers that are quite porous, kiln dried clay bricks don’t require sealing, so depending on what type of paver you choose, you may be advised to having them protected with a sealer.

Paving and landscaping Adelaide gardens is a sound way to increase your homes capital value, an investment that will also bring many years of enjoyment to you, your family and friends you entertain at home.
Saving a few dollars with those who use ‘cost cutting methods’, can lead to heartache and more expense when you have to pay to have the work repaired and completed properly, or when you try to sell your property.
It just makes sense to always use licensed paving contractors and landscapers who have been around for many years, like the landscaping team of professionals from Hand Made Gardens.

Landscaping And Paving Tip:

To create a more appealing vista, when looking at ideas for front or backyard garden makeovers, consider using different types and colour of pavers at each location, especially if they can be seen at the same time.
Timber decks Adelaide residents choose for one area looks great with pavers laid next to it, dividing up two different spaces.

Choosing different paving patterns, perhaps contrasting borders, or using different sized pavers can create a stunning scene that will also become a beloved garden feature and talking point. If your home is made with bricks, a complementary colour can be used to pave an area as seen with the clay brick paved driveway below.

Clay Brick Paved Driveway

Contrasting Pavers Used