Heated Driveway News

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. 

Heated Driveways are more Affordable than Ever

Driveway heating systems have always been thought of as something that only the rich can afford. Many homeowners have seen a heated driveway, but have never considered the possibility of owning one for themselves. New technologies have emerged that have lowered costs, raised efficiency, and simplified installation, making it possible for any handy "do-it-yourselfer" to install the system. Now every homeowner can enjoy the benefits of owning a heated driveway!

Older driveway heating systems take 30 percent longer to heat than current systems, which means they cost more to operate and must remain on longer to effectively remove snow. Today’s heated driveways only activate when the automatic sensor detects precipitation, and automatically shuts off when snow removal is completed. The sophistication of the new systems eliminate wasteful energy consumption. Many home owners report only a slight increase in their power bills, which is little when compared to the benefits of automated snow removal.

Some unfounded claims have been made against the use of heated driveway systems, including the argument that they contribute to global warming by heating the outside air. The new radiant systems only run long enough to complete the snow removal process and do not produce enough heat to warm the air. Driveway heating systems are actually beneficial for the environment, eliminating the need for salt and snowmelt chemicals that harm nearby vegetation, pollute streams and water tables. Radiant heated driveways also can protect and increase the lifespan of your driveway.