Tan, White and Grey Paver Driveway in Ocala

Can any paver handle cars on an Ocala driveway?

2 3/8 inches, rated for vehicles. Anything thinner belongs on a patio.

Thin veneer pavers run about 1 1/4 inches. Manufacturers rate them for foot traffic, meaning lanais and patios. Some contractors lay them over an existing concrete driveway anyway because it is faster and cheaper. It looks fine for a while. Then the concrete underneath shifts, the veneer has nothing to flex with, and the pavers crack within a few years. There is no patching your way out of that.

When we build a driveway, the old slab comes out completely. Breaking out and hauling off a concrete driveway usually takes us about half a day, which surprises people who expect it to be a week of noise. From there the new driveway sits on a properly compacted base with vehicular rated pavers on top. Cars, delivery trucks, the occasional heavy trailer: that is what the thicker paver is for. More on the process is on our paver driveways page.

How deep is the base under a paver driveway in Ocala?

Usually 12 inches or more. Patios get less. Driveways carry weight, and Ocala sand does not help.

Sandy soil does not compact naturally the way clay does. Put a car on a thin base over Marion County sand and you get ruts where the tires sit. So we excavate deeper for driveways and build back up with several layers of aggregate, compacting each one. The limestone screenings bedding layer goes on top and gets compacted too. Then the pavers.

Every joint gets Gator Maxx G2 polymeric bonding sand. It locks the pavers together, gives weeds nothing to grow in, and holds up during the heavy rains we get every summer. After that we seal the surface. Plan to reseal every two to three years and the driveway keeps its color and its joints. Grading matters on a driveway too, since it is one of the biggest hard surfaces on the lot and all that runoff has to go somewhere away from the garage. Our pavers in Ocala page explains the local conditions in more detail.

Can a new driveway go in without losing the trees out front?

Often, yes. You design the edges around what is already there.

Look at the side photo. A magnolia and a row of clipped shrubs sit in beds right along the driveway. The new edge follows the curve of those beds, and the charcoal border runs down both sides to give that curve a crisp line. The palm, the lamp post and the landscaping all stayed where they were. Nobody wants to spend money on a new driveway and then spend more replacing the front yard.

Pavers make that easier than poured concrete would. They are individual pieces, so we can cut them to follow a bed line, and if something ever needs repair a damaged paver lifts out and a new one drops in. A crack in stamped concrete just stays a crack.

If you like the border but want a bolder field color, look at the navy blue and white paver driveway we built in The Villages. Then request a free estimate and we will walk your front yard with you.