5 Quick Facts About Commercial Pavers

From homeowners to paving contractors and project managers, a wide variety of people use pavers. You may already be familiar with interlocking pavers as used for residential purposes, as in the case of pool decking, or driveway paving, but you may not be familiar with the commercial applications of pavers. Below are 5 quick facts about commercial pavers.

1. Commercial jobs are larger in scale

Generally, commercial paving jobs are larger in scale when compared to residential projects, although this does not always have to be the case. Commercial clients include shopping malls, hotels, and public pools. These projects require a larger square footage of pavers as well as extra staff required to service it correctly.

2. Commercial pavers are uniform

Unlike natural stone shapes, which can come in various forms, concrete pavers are manufactured and pressed into exact forms. This uniformity makes for easier installation.

3. Commercial pavers are very dense

Concrete pavers are made to remove impurities and air pockets. Some manufacturers (like Artistic Paver MfgⓇ) produces pavers that are factory pressed at over 9,000 pounds per square inch. This makes for a material that is structurally dense and resistant to common pool difficulties.

4. High-density pavers means less maintenance over low-density pavers

Wetcast pavers are produced using a wet concrete mix poured into a mold.  Since this wet mix cannot be hydraulically pressed, wet cast material will need to set in the mold and will have a weaker psi, typically 6,500 psi or less.

Drycast pavers are made with a very dry mix of gravel, sand, cement and color.  This mixture is poured into paver molds then hydraulically pressed and vibrated in the mold. Concrete mix produced from a concrete truck will have a psi of 2000 lbs or more.  Pavers produced using these hydraulic presses can easily exceed 9,000 psi.  

The less porous a commercial paver is, the more likely it is to resist algae growth, weathering, and salt water damage. Porous materials are made like a sponge in that they allow moisture, organisms, and salt to enter into it. More dense materials have a higher resistance to these factors as the molecules in the material is bound tighter together.

5. Commercial pavers come in a variety of colors

Pavers are created using concrete, sand, and other additives. These additives are what give it its color. If glare is of concern, a darker paver is a good choice over lighter toned pavers as they absorb more light. However, if you want pavers that are cooler to the touch, go for lighter colored paver designs.

We hope these 5 quick facts about commercial pavers educated you on some of the unique qualities of this construction material. Whether they are used for residential or commercial purposes, pavers are an affordable and resistant solution for outdoor flooring.