Heated Driveway News

Laying the paving – almost done!

This blog the sixth in a series of blogs designed for do-it-yourselfers. This series features step-by-step instructions for building your own heated driveway or patio using brick pavers. The process for building a non-heated driveway is the same (just omit install of heating cables).

Brick paving is laid as ‘flexible paving’ or ‘rigid paving’. The difference is very simple - flexible paving is laid on a bed of sand using sand joints; rigid paving is laid on a bed of mortar using mortar joints. Mortar bedding is used for more sophisticated designs, so for these DIY project, we’ll choose the flexible paving option.

To get started, the first blocks should be positioned from the edge or from outside the pavement area. Setting the first set of bricks is the most difficult part of the paving process and will set the stage for the placement of subsequent blocks. Depending on the pavement pattern you choose, this will be done in a number of different ways. Since we cannot possibly accommodate every kind of pattern and paver type here, let’s start as simply as possible: square pattern.

First things first, take care not to step on the compacted bedding layer by laying the first blocks parallel to the edge. An edge can be set using a taut string line along the perimeter of the paving area. Starting at the edge of the middle and working across, pay attention to the pattern to prevent drifting as you lay each block. Use a rubber mallet to tap blocks into line and keep joints tight.

Shapes of driveways/patios/pathways are not always square shaped with straight edges. Keep your pattern on course and omit blocks on the edges that will require cutting to accommodate varying shapes and curves of the course. Once all the blocks have been laid, the cuts for these blocks will be easily determined and measured. If you are offsetting the blocks, half blocks will need to be cut to fill the edges.

The paving now needs sand jointing, which is best applied by using a broom to brush the sand into the joints, sweep surplus sand off to the side. Compact the paving with the vibrating compactor. The compactor will help the sand settle into the joints, so you'll need to do a second pass of filling the joints with sand and compacting.

Now let’s heat things up!

This blog is the fifth of a series of blogs designed for do-it-yourselfers. This series features step-by-step instructions for building your own heated driveway or patio using brick pavers. The process for building a non-heated driveway is the same (just omit install of heating cables).

There are a lot of radiant products out there for building heated driveways, but not all products are created equal! Loose cable options (usually come on a spool) are about five cents per square foot less than a cable ‘mat’ which is the same product, but arrives pre-spaced and ready to roll out. I recommend using the Danfoss GX mats for a brick paver heated driveway because they roll out easily on top of the bedding layer of sand, and won’t require extra materials or steps to keep cables in place. A loose cable option is more appropriate for concrete driveways where remesh is used. The remesh provides a sturdy frame in which to attach and space rows of loose cable properly.

The amount of heating cable you’ll need for your project varies – spacing rows closer will increase wattage consumption and decrease the operating time to complete snow melting. If you are on a tight budget, spacing the rows farther apart will decrease the amount of product you’ll need to buy, but increase the operating time to complete snow melting.

Here are some basic guidelines that you can follow to determine proper installation:

1. Never space heat cable rows closer than 2 inches.
2. Never space heat cable rows farther apart than 5 inches.
3. Heat cable cannot be cut.
4. Heat cable cannot touch other cable.

If this is your first time installing a heated driveway, it is a good idea to consult the experts at Warmzone to help you determine voltage, quantity, and installation instructions specific to your project. Because of varying sizes of projects, locations, and power requirements, it is impossible to provide universal guidelines that will apply to all heated driveway projects. If you purchase the Danfoss GX system from Warmzone, they will provide you a professional layout specific to your project parameters, free of charge. They also have technical staff on hand to answer any questions or concerns you may face during the installation process.

In addition to the heating cable, a heated driveway system requires an automatic sensor unit and a control box. The placement of the sensor is key to a properly functioning heated driveway system. Because of the importance of proper installation and the dangers of working with high voltage electrical currents, I recommend hiring a professional radiant installer for this portion of your DIY project. An experienced installer should be able to complete the sensor and control box installation in about 5 hours.   

Halfway there! Final layer – bedding.

This blog the fourth of a series of blogs designed for do-it-yourselfers. This series features step-by-step instructions for building your own heated driveway or patio using brick pavers. The process for building a non-heated driveway is the same (just omit install of heating cables).

Bedding - Just when you thought you were done with layers, another one comes along! Now that you’ve cleared the area and dug down to the formation level, put down a geothermal sheet, and a sub-base layer; the next step is bedding. The bedding is the last layer before the addition of the heat cables and brick pavers and provides support for the paving units. A quick rundown: bedding comes in either bound or unbound types. Bound bedding is suited for a rigid base surface, while unbound is best suited for a flexible base surface. Sand is the most popular form of unbound bedding materials. The main requirement of unbound bedding is for the material to be fine enough to be leveled out without leaving voids, but not so fine it retains and soaks up water.

If you get confused about how much sand to apply to the bedding layer, a general rule of thumb is applying a depth that is equal or slightly less to the depth of the brick pavers you have selected for the project.  For example: a paver with a depth of 40mm will need a bedding layer of approximately 35mm. The process for laying the bedding layer is similar to spreading the sub-base layer. Spread. Rake. Compact. Compacting can be done twice over for the DIY-er that likes to be extra careful. Use a float level to check your work before proceeding to the next step.

NOTE: A brick paver driveway can benefit greatly by creating a cement or block edge before the bedding layer is laid. This will give the paving area a more finished look to the final result. Edging is generally constructed of thicker blocks of greater depth, but you’ll want to take care to ensure the pavers and the edging are laid to have equal height. The bedding layer will give you the extra height needed for a smooth even surface. 

Now that you are finished designing and gathering tools, the next step is LAYERS.

This blog the third of a series of blogs designed for do-it-yourselfers. This series features step-by-step instructions for building your own heated driveway or patio using brick pavers. The process for building a non-heated driveway is the same (just omit install of heating cables).

Layers. All paving is made up of multiple layers that improve the structural quality of the paving.

Sub-grade is the first layer – the bare raw earth. You will need to reduce the sub-grade to formation level, in other words dig down. As you reduce the layer, keep in mind that you are creating a space deep enough to accommodate not only the brick pavers, but the sub-base as well. Make sure the formation level is as even as possible, removing all high spots and low spots until it mimics the profile of the proposed driveway/patio/pathway. Check for any soft spots that need to be excavated and filled with the harder clay based soil of the formation level.

At this point in the process, many people choose to put down a geotextile separation membrane. This layer has many different names but the goal of the layer is the same: to keep the sub-grade and sub-base layers from mixing and creating settlement. However, a geotextile layer is not needed for every job. If you live in an area with a sub-grade that is dry and firm, you can omit the geotextile layer with a minimal risk of mixing between layers. For sub-grades that are anything less than dry and firm, a geotextile layer can dramatically improve the performance of the completed project. So what is a geotextile layer? Surprisingly, it’s a simple sheet of non-woven fabric.

After the sub-grade layer comes the sub-base.  The sub-base provides flexibility between the sub-grade layer and the base. Although you may not always need a sub-base layer for all patio projects, it is an essential layer in the creation of driveway paving. The biggest cause of settlement and shifting of the base layer is a non-existent or unsatisfactory sub-base layer. Most residential building projects require an unbound sub-base layer such as crushed rock or recycled crushed cement (versus cement-bound and bitumen-bound sub-bases).  The goal is a mixture of larger particles and fine particles (sand) that creates a firm void-free layer.

After spreading the sub-base layer, level it out using spades and finish off with a rake. Next use the vibrating plate compactor to compact the layer and eliminate as many voids as possible.  The sub-grade layer should be between 100-200mm in depth (after the compacting process). To achieve a depth of 150mm, a safe rule of thumb is spreading 200mm depth of non-compacted sub-grade. After the compacting process, the depth will be reduced to 150mm. 

After designing and planning is finished, the next step is gathering proper tools.

This blog the second of a series of blogs designed for do-it-yourselfers. This series features step-by-step instructions for building your own heated driveway or patio using brick pavers. The process for building a non-heated driveway is the same (just omit install of heating cables).

The first steps for building a brick paver driveway or pathway is design and planning.

This blog will be the first of a series of blogs designed for do-it-yourselfers. This series will feature step-by-step instructions for building your own heated driveway or patio using brick pavers. The process for building a non-heated driveway is the same (just omit install of heating cables).

DESIGN
The first step for building your driveway is choosing the type of paving that suits your taste. When choosing the pavers, there should be one main form for consistency. When choosing what paver you want to use, make sure to keep your budget in mind. Mixing and matching different colors of stones will make the detail of your design more aesthetically pleasing.

When choosing the stone, it is important to keep the function in mind. Will the area be used by children? Will small wheels cross the stone? Answering these kinds of question is important because many stones are uneven, and this will affect your ability to easily slide a patio chair, or for a child to bounce a ball. Choosing a stone using only aesthetics may leave you with regrets later on.

PLANNING
Planning is a necessary step before you run out and start purchasing any materials. Part of planning is surveying the site which involves measuring and plotting, noting important details, and sketching the details in a drawing. If you are building a driveway, drainage is an important detail to keep in mind. Often times this means something as simple as a stone gully for water to run to gutters and city collection systems. Improper drainage will affect the life of the driveway, if pavers are submerged or permanently wet.