PAVING THE WAY Walks and walls

Man-made brick pavers have become the material of choice for area homeowners.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
They're as solid as a rock, only better.
When it comes to stone garden paths and retaining walls, man-made brick pavers have become top choice among homeowners.
"Stone garden paths are a popular request, but most people want paths that are made of pavers and not natural stone," said Lynn Hawley, of Hawley Landscaping in Vienna.
That's because man-made pavers fit tightly together, cost less and last longer than natural stone.
"Since pavers interlock, no mortar is needed to hold them together. Since mortar cracks and crumbles during the freeze and thaw process, this makes pavers a great choice for our climate," Hawley said.
Plus, pavers have improved since their early days on the market.
"The process of making pavers has improved during the last few years. Today's pavers are stronger and more durable," said Bill Bogan, of Bogan's Brickhouse and Retaining Walls in Cortland.
Pavers also come in a dizzying variety of colors, shapes and sizes, and some of them even look as natural as real stone.
"Some of the most popular choices in pavers right now are tumbled products," said Vince Kushner, of Kushner Garden and Patio in Poland. "The tumbling process gives the [paver] a rough, irregular, chipped appearance that makes it look like real stone. This is the look lots of people are asking for."
Natural products
Of course, some folks still prefer to walk on rocks made only in mother earth's forge.
For die-hard naturalists, Hawley recommends flagstone because of its flat shape and durability.
Limestone is another top choice for all-natural paths.
Just remember that natural stone is more porous and more susceptible to crumbling and cracking.
Also, since each piece of natural stone is unique, it won't lock neatly together and the wide cracks between the stones must be filled with sand, pea gravel or mulch.
These wide-open spaces can lead to weed problems or uninvited guests.
"Varmints such as chipmunks and moles can also become a problem. They like to make dens for themselves behind or underneath rocks," Hawley said.
Installation
Whether your garden path is made of real rock or man-made pavers, make doubly sure it's installed to stand up against our climate's harsh freeze and thaw cycle.
"It doesn't matter if you are using man-made pavers or natural stone, you must have proper base installation beneath your stone path. Otherwise, the freeze and thaw process will heave the stones out of the earth and you'll have a mess. I can't stress this enough for do-it-yourselfers," Bogan said.
Bogan said the foundation for stone paths should be at least 6 inches deep.
"Some people will tell you just to remove the topsoil and put down a layer of sand. This is incorrect. At least 6 inches of earth has to be removed," Bogan said.
After removing 6 inches of dirt, the ground must then be thoroughly tamped down and made level.
Limestone layers
Next, a base of limestone should be installed. This, too, must be tamped down.
"Number 57 limestone is a good choice. The stones are about the size of peanuts and are sharp and angular. You don't want rounded stones under your path because they will roll and shift and cause movement," Bogan explained.
On top of the limestone, install a thin layer of agricultural limestone or sand.
"Agricultural limestone is very fine. It looks almost like sand," Bogan explained.
After the base is in place, the path is ready for its pavers or stones.
Since there's no mortar to hold them in place, the stones or pavers must be secured by a perimeter of plastic or steel landscape edging.
As a final step, tiny cracks between stones or pavers must be brushed with sand and treated with a polymeric sealer.
"This will help seal cracks and keep weeds from taking root," Hawley said.
Contrary to popular belief, most weeds do not grow from beneath the stones or pavers but take root in the tiny cracks between them where the sand has been brushed in.
"Using a polymeric sand between the rocks will take care of weeds," Bogan said. "There's a new polymeric product on the market that's activated by water. When water hits it, the sand turns into a solid, sealing the rocks from weeds and protecting against washout due to heavy rain."
Retaining walls
Although lots of folks want stone walkways in their yards and gardens, just as many people want stone retaining walls.
Retaining walls can be more difficult to install than stone paths, but many of the same principles apply.
"For retaining walls, you must also make sure that the base is level and will stand up to the freeze and thaw cycle," Bogan said.
The same foundation materials and installation processes used with stone paths are also used in the base of a retaining wall, only this time the installation process happens vertically.
If a retaining wall is particularly large, it will also need adequate drainage.
"We sometimes install perforated drain pipe around the ground level of the retaining wall so the water will run behind the wall and out," Bogan said.
Most homeowners, however, don't want extremely large retaining walls.
"Very large retaining walls are most common in commercial work. Most homeowners want small walls no higher than about 4 feet to run alongside their driveways or flower beds," Bogan said.
But whether a wall is short or tall, man-made pavers win once again as the material of choice.
"Because pavers interlock and are not mortared together, they do allow for some give during the freeze and thaw process," Bogan said. "This makes them particularly desirable."
Cost
The cost of a stone path or retaining wall varies greatly from job to job.
Hawley said homeowners can expect to pay about $13 to $15 per square foot for a 300-square-foot walkway, and about $10 per square foot for a 1,200-square-foot walkway.
"The bigger the project, the cheaper the square footage," Hawley explained.
Since retaining walls are more difficult to install, they tend to cost more.
Homeowners might pay about $18 to $35 per square foot for a retaining wall. This price will vary depending on the height of the wall and the material used.
Kushner recommends having an idea of your dimensions before you start shopping around.
He also recommends bringing samples of your home's siding along with you so you can compare its color to samples of pavers or stone.