Interlocking and exterior renovations

---

Interlocking is an amazing product.  You might be asking however, why interlocking and why not asphalt or concrete?  We believe that interlocking is an amazing product because it will last you for many years. 

WHAT ABOUT CONCRETE?

Concrete is also an amazing product, however concrete does shift and it will crack.  This is why when you look at sidewalks there is a cut or separation every four feet.  It is also the reason why when you look at a stunning pattern concrete driveway there is cuts running through the concrete.  The cuts are designed to allow the concrete to crack in the location of the cut.  BUT what happens when it cracks somewhere other than the stress relief points.  It needs to be repaired, and the only true way to repair concrete is to replace it.  Sure you are saying why can't I cut out the cracked concrete and replace it.  Of course you can, however it will be a different colour, it will look many years newer and younger then the original install.  The pattern concrete can be fixed too, however the colour can never truly be matched.  Since when the concrete is fresh and delivered at the first install, concrete colour can never be duplicated and is extremely hard to replicate, thus leaving you with a new replacement section that is a new colour.  Yes close to the same but not quite.

WHAT ABOUT ASPHALT?

Asphalt has the same issues as concrete with a few other major flaws.  Asphalt also cracks and moves like concrete.  BUT did you know that asphalt is never really 100% cured.  Which means on a hot summer day you can still move or change the concrete simply by turning your tire on the driveway.  Also there are many, and I won't say all but many companies that cheat you when they install asphalt.  They will tell you that you are getting 3" of asphalt, however ever notice when they install asphalt the sides always look so high.  That is one way they disguise the fact that they really didn't put 3" of new asphalt.  But most unaware consumers simply assume that they got what they paid for because the sides look like 3-4" thick.  It is all a deception.  Also if you drop oil or gas onto your asphalt it will permanently stain your driveway leaving you with no choice but to replace it.

FINALLY INTERLOCKING

Well you might be thinking all these things could happen to interlocking.  So the quick answer is yes.  Of course interlocking can shift, lift, crack and get stained.  We live in Canada and with the changing of the seasons we get the winter freeze and the spring thaw.  This causes everything to shift.  So what makes this a better product then?   WELL whenever you install interlocking the client should always keep some extra stones.  If and on a very small percentage, one stone cracks we can simply lift it and replace it.  However you see, because interlocking is designed with many bricks and it is not one complete unit like concrete or asphalt, those joints act as the breaking point or stress relief points where interlocking can move freely allowing no damage to occur to the stone itself.  So first problem solved there is no real cracking of interlocking, or it is very rare.  Next if concrete or asphalt shifts we need to replace the entire pad, HOWEVER with interlocking if and when it shifts we can lift the existing stones, level and relay again like new.  Using the same material we can save on the cost of having to buy the stones again.  I have seen driveways last up to 20 years before having to be levelled and relayed.  So once again we have a superior product that can be re-used and reinstalled making for a better product once again.  Finally if you think about the the asphalt and the different thickness you can have during the install, INTERLOCKING on the other hand can never be cheated.  If you purchase a 3" stone you will get the 3" stone and you will see it when it is delivered.  So there is no way of a contractor cheating you on the install by getting you a 2" because you would see it immediately and call them out on it.  Once again you are getting a superior product and you can see it before it is installed.

WEEDS IN THE JOINTS

Now I know we have all seen weeds in the joints of interlocking and start thinking about how bad this could be and look in the future, also how much maintenance this is going to be to maintain.  However times are changing and good contractors such as MTEC use POLYMERIC sand in between the joints.  We included this in our price, it is not an extra, we do not come to you after we installed and try to upsell you on polymeric sand.  WHAT IS POLYMERIC SAND?  Polymeric sand is sand that is modified with glues and cements that allow the joints to seal and harden like cement but look like jointing sand.  This sand once it gets hard will stop weeds from growing through.  

DOES IT NEED TO BE REPLACED?  No is the simple answer.  However in time you can have some movement as noted above or even normal ware and tear of the polymeric sand and you will need to top up the joints that need to be repaired.  This normal maintenance and it doesn't take much time.  Like everything else in your home if you maintain it regularly for this once a year or even every two to three years, if you keep it in control you will have a beautiful product for years to come.