When selecting a paving stone, it is important to consider the colour characteristics of each product, light stone tends to stay cooler in warmer months, but can be glary on bright days. Dark stone does not deflect light as effectively, but can become very hot under foot on summer days, and has more of a tendency to expand and contract when compared to lighter stone.

Installing stone pavers involves a great degree of care and preparation in order to achieve great results. Elements such as drainage, expansion and levelling must be thoroughly assessed and incorporated in every paving project. Poorly laid stone can puddle, causing unsightly algae or mould patches; and pavers laid using incorrect quantities of sand and cement can lift away from the concrete base on which they are laid. This can also occur with incorrectly mixed grout which can degrade over time.

We choose not to lay stone on sand or compressed road base in any circumstance. Instead, we only lay pavers on a reinforced concrete slab for the following reasons:

• Tree roots can move, crack and unsettle pavers laid on sand/road base
• Over time, moss and weeds can grow in between pavers laid on sand/road base, spoiling their appearance, requiring constant, (otherwise unnecessary) maintenance

As stone is a natural product, each batch varies in colour, so it is important to ensure stone from the same batch is used for each project.

According to the Australian standards and tolerances (AS3727), all concrete should have expansion joins at 6 metre squared intervals. This allows controlled cracking due to movement and expansion/contraction of concrete and pavers. These expansion joints are not aesthetically pleasing, but they are necessary to avoid random cracking along grout lines. Should expansion joints be excluded from your paving project, there is a risk of cracking, which will depend on a number of factors, including earth movement and paver colour.

All stone should be professionally sealed 2–3 weeks after installation, this will greatly reduce the difficulty in removing stains caused by red wine and coffee spills***************etc*************. This is especially important around salt water pools, as salt water can degrade stone over time.

Professional sealing involves pressure washing finished paving using specialised equipment designed to evenly remove cement and dirt residue left on pavers during the laying process. Once thoroughly cleaned, the stone is coated with 2 applications of transparent penetrating sealant, which lasts for up to 4 years, depending on weather conditions.

Caution is advised when using high pressure domestic pressure washers, as they can have a concentrated sand blasting effect, leaving channels within the stone, promoting mould and algae growth, especially in areas with minimal drainage. This is why we only use professional contractors to seal all of our finished projects.

When should I seal my deck? What should I use?
We recommend using decking oil on your decking and outdoor woodwork. Lacquer or varnishes wear unevenly over time, once this occurs the decking must be sanded back before re sealing, in order to achieve a good even finish.

What type of nails and fasteners should be used within my outdoor structure?
Galvanised or stainless steel nails must be used in all outdoor structures due to their weather resistant properties. Galvanised nails and hardware are processed through a series of coating treatments which once completed make them weather proof and thereby greatly reducing there susceptibility to rust. This process makes this hardware more expensive than non galvanised nails and hardware, but is crucial to the long life of the nails and of the structure to which they are fastened with.

Stainless steel fasteners and hardware:
Stainless steel is a low carbon steel that includes at lest 10% chromium metal by weight in its composition. The chromium oxide forms a film non-detectable to the naked eye on the surface of the steel, which is flexible and self-healing in the presence of oxygen gas. Stainless steel nails and hardware should be used in all corrosive environments such as coastal areas.

Is there a specific type of concrete which should be used in conjunction with my outdoor construction?
In order to prevent cracking and distortion, the correct concrete must be used  to support all structural members e.g stumps, brickwork footings and load bearing points. In most cases 20mpa+ concrete will suffice; rapid set concrete should be avoided in most instances as it does not carry a structural rating. Concrete pads used under stumps supporting floor loads only must be at least 150mm deep.

Is rough sawn timber adequate for use within my outdoor structure?
Rough sawn timber arrives on site wet or “green”, and can be problematic once it looses its moisture content. As it dries, it tends to twist and bend, which can cause decking boards to split and distort.

Which decking fasteners should be used on my timber decking?
Our preference is to use screws to fasten timber decking boards, as they provide a superior bond compared to that of decking nails. Decking boards fastened using pneumatic (air powered) nail guns tend to move, often the nail heads work their way above the decking boards, which can cause a tripping hazard.

What are the ventilation requirements within my decking structure?
All decking structures should have at least 150mm clearance between the underside of the bearer and the finished ground level. This ventilation allows air to move freely beneath the structure, which greatly reduces the chances of decking boards "cupping" or distorting.

WHAT TYPE OF TIMBER IS BEST SUITED FOR IN-GROUND CONTACT?
Treated pine is the most suitable timber on the market for in ground contact, but only when it carries a hazard rating of H4 or above. H3 treated pine is suitable for above ground works- i.e. Joists, bearers and decking boards.
Cypress pine which is commonly used as stumps, will rot if not coated with a bitumen or water repellent paint, and concrete stumps can suffer from rusty fastening pins as time passes.