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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.