Mistakes Florida Residential Homeowners Make With Brick Pavers For Driveways Walkways Patio Design

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Too often, homeowners´ dreams of a beautiful makeover for their driveway, walkway or patio are smashed by unnecessary delays, hidden costs and a final product that doesn´t even come close to what they had envisioned. They may have spent as much as $20,000 on that new brick paver driveway, but they are left with shoddy installation of a poor quality product that may mold or even crumble in just a few years.

To ensure that this doesn´t happen to you, follow these 5 steps and you will be on your way to beautifying and increasing the value of your home with beautiful paver projects.

• Don´t leave it up to your contractor

We tend to hire experts because we trust that they will be educated and service-oriented enough to suggest the best products and get the best prices for our projects. But often, the best choice for you may not be the best choice for your contractor´s bottom line. That´s why it´s important to do your homework and take an active role in choosing the best product for you.

• Educate yourself

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is not being educated on pavers or the installation standards their project requires. For example, cheap pavers absorb more water and are weak, which means they may rehydrate and literally crumble right there in your driveway. They can also mold, creating an unsightly and dangerously slippery walkway. You can remove the risk in this endeavor by obtaining sample pavers and testing its quality at home. Click to find out how to test your pavers´ strength and absorption rate.

• Use the manufacturer as a resource

Once you are educated to choose the best paver for your project, call that manufacturer to get a list of contractors they recommend for your job. The manufacturer has a vested interest in ensuring that you love their product and that means they will only recommend installers who do the best work.

• Research your contractor

Whether the contractor was recommended by the manufacturer or your neighbor, it´s important to make sure they have the correct licenses, insurance and permits to do your job. If they don´t have the right insurance, you, as the homeowner, could be liable for accidents that occur on your property. It´s also too common to see a project stall because the contractor doesn´t have proper permits for the county. They may have already ripped out your driveway but, without the right permit, you could be literally stuck in the mud for weeks.

• Get detailed estimates

Since you´ve done your research to know which paver is best and what the standards are for this type of installation, you are well equipped to understand a detailed estimate. Be sure to ask for this so you can see exactly what you are getting for your investment. You´ll want to make sure you are signing off on the pavers you want as well as the proper installation steps they will take.

Follow these 5 steps to ensure that you make a smart investment for your home that will last for generations. For more information on how to create the paver driveway, walkway or patio of your dreams, visit our website www.flagstonepavers.com or call us at 352-799-7933.