Front Entrance Makeover

Details: Written by: Garry Reisky; Published: 29 March 2013; Created: 29 March 2013; Last Updated: 16 February 2023; Hits: 17016

On this particular walkway project it's like taking a snapshot in time. It's interesting looking back and seeing how much paving stones, hardscape products, have evolved and how much better the products we have now are, in my humble opinion. They are far superior in terms of selection, range of colours and overall product quality. But in 1989 this is all we had to work with. I recommended this combination many times. Salmon colour used as the main field, with a dark brown border. Dark brown and charcoal make great borders, this is something that will never go out of style. It's the solid salmon colour for the majority of this install that's not eternal.

Today's colours are more sophisticated, all solid salmon, all solid red have been slowly phased out. Unilock still makes holland stone in Rustic Red/Red Charcoal mix, but that is the only old style red. Colour mixes are the main stay these days. Most paving stones have 2 colours and there are many 3 colour mixes. I was listening to an interview with a contractor from California, he said there are manufacturer's doing 5 colour mixes, 5 colour! That's not to say there aren't solid colours in the Unilock catalogue. If we look at the Copthorne line, there are 3 solid colours, Burgundy Red, Burnt Clay, Old Oak. But the red is a very nice red, unlike most reds in concrete products, The red loses it's intensity when it mixes with the cement and aggregates. Copthorne uses white cement so any pigments and colours will remain vibrant. From wikipedia White Portland Cement. "Ordinary cement, when used with pigments, produces colors that may be attractive, but are somewhat dull. With white cement, bright reds, yellows and greens can be readily produced." I haven't seen green interlocking pavers but I have seen blue.

Like so many homes, projects installed in the late 1980's and early 1990's are starting to need some tlc. As homes are bought and sold, what one homeowner thought was a great look, the new owner isn't sharing that vision. That's exactly what this homeowner did and changes were made.

The tree in the front walkway's planter area was outgrowing that space, so it was removed. The deck, although not completely rotted, it just didn't fit in. The owner wanted a stone deck in approximately the same dimensions of the wood one. The stones were removed and sent off to the concrete recycle. New granular material was brought in. Retaining walls and steps were installed and new pavers installed. The result is a front walkway, entrance makeover.

Materials used on this project:

Pavers: Permacon, Amalfi, Norvick Grey

Walls: Unilock, Pisa II, Granite Blend

Edging: Snapedge

Pebbles. Black 'Skippers' Beaver Valley Stone