What is the difference between thick and thin pavers? Where should I use any of the products? Do thick pavers cost more than thin ones? Can I install thin pavers on top of my driveway? These are common questions we get from homeowners all the time.
Coarse pavers range from two and three-eighths of an inch to three and one-half inches thick. They are often used in new construction. When building a new home and choosing pavers for your landscaping, thick pavers will be used. If you are adding a new pool to your existing home and decide to install pavers as your deck surface, thick pavers will be used. If you want a new patio in your backyard, thick pavers will be used. If you want to redo your driveway with pavers, the existing concrete must be removed and thick pavers will then be installed over the base material.
Thin pavers were created to reshape existing pool decks, patios, sidewalks, and front driveways. They are perfect for any non-vehicular application that reshapes an existing concrete slab. By technical definition, thin pavers are not considered pavers. Instead, they are considered a mosaic. Its thickness in relation to its shape prevents it from being considered a cobblestone. Typically, thin pavers are three-quarters of an inch to one-and-a-quarter inches thick. Since they are about half the thickness of regular pavers, they should cost less, right?
Unfortunately, based on the material, thin pavers cost the same as thick pavers. The reason for this is that thick pavers are overwhelmingly in much higher demand than thin pavers. Therefore, it is a burden for the producer to produce their less frequently demanded thin counterparts. Paver manufacturers are in business to produce as many pavers as quickly and efficiently as possible. When they have to shut down the system to change molds and adjust machinery to accommodate the thin paver thickness, they lose a lot of valuable production time. It can take hours to change from one mold to another. Also, since thin pavers are not ordered as often, order quantities are often smaller and the manufacturer is forced to produce fewer pavers per mold and color. This inefficiency causes an increase in costs for producers and they pass them on to their customers. So even though thin pavers use fewer raw materials to produce, they take more time and time is money.
The good news is that if you are considering laying pavers in your home and want to reshape an existing concrete surface, the cost of your job will be less than if you want to build something new. This is where the cost benefit of choosing a thin paver over a thick paver comes into play. For more information on thick or thin pavers and how they can help beautify your home, contact Park Avenue Pavers today.
