Pavers are a versatile and cost-effective way to finish any outdoor space. They offer the look of stone or brick at a fraction of the price, and they’re easy to install with minimal disruption in your yard. Pavers come in many different shapes and sizes, ensuring you can find exactly what you need for your outdoor project. You can use pavers as a walkway, add them as accents around your home, or even use them to build an impressive patio with an arched entry. But before you break out those shovels and start moving dirt, you need to consider one key question: Can you put pavers over concrete? If you plan on keeping your current foundation instead of excavating new footing for your pavers, then the answer is no. You cannot install pavers directly over concrete because these two materials don’t mix well together.
Can You Put Pavers Over Concrete?
No, you cannot put pavers over concrete. Pavers are placed on top of a bed of gravel. Concrete can be removed and the bed of gravel can be covered with sand, level, and stable.
Why Can’t You Install Pavers Over Concrete?
The weight of pavers is too much for concrete
One of the main problems with installing pavers over concrete is that the weight of the pavers is too much for the concrete to support. It’s like trying to hold up a table with a piece of paper. The paper can’t hold the weight of a plate, bowl, and food. You need something much stronger like a piece of wood or a board. When you use concrete as your table surface you also need something underneath to support the weight of the pavers. If you use concrete as your table surface and try to put pavers on top of it, the weight of the pavers will crush the concrete and your table will break. You can use a stronger table surface, but it will be more expensive. Concrete isn’t a good idea in the first place because it’s too porous and isn’t strong enough.
Concrete and mortar are not porous
Concrete and mortar are not porous. This means they do not allow water to seep through them as they are supposed to. Instead concrete and mortar trap water. This can cause two problems. First, trapped water can get inside your concrete and make it weaker. Second, trapped water can lead to mold and mildew growth. It’s very common for concrete patios and walkways to have water trapped underneath them. If you have a concrete patio or walkway and you want to install pavers over it, you need to make sure the concrete and mortar are dry underneath. If you don’t take the time to dry out the concrete and mortar underneath, the trapped water can keep the concrete from being porous enough to accept the new material. In this case, the pavers won’t be held in place properly. If you don’t address this problem, the trapped water will lead to mold and mildew growth. This can be very dangerous because those spores can be spread by wind and insects.
You’ll need to install a support structure.
You may be able to install pavers over concrete if you put a support structure underneath to hold the weight of the new materials. This support structure can be made out of wood, steel, or pressure-treated wood. It must be properly installed so that it’s stable enough to hold the pavers in place. This can be a very expensive and complicated process and might not be worth the cost. You’ll need to hire a professional contractor to install the support structure. You’ll also need to make sure the contractor installs it properly and makes the necessary adjustments as the concrete underneath expands and contracts in the future.
Concrete can crack when dried out
Concrete is porous and allows water to pass through it, but when the water isn’t removed properly the concrete can crack. This happens most often when concrete isn’t allowed to dry out properly and the water can’t pass through the surface and out of the concrete. There are a few ways you can make sure the concrete dries out properly. First, you can make sure the concrete isn’t too thick. Second, you can make sure the concrete is installed properly so that it is level. Concrete that isn’t installed properly can dry out unevenly. This is more commonly found on driveways and walkways that are poured in place. If the concrete isn’t installed properly, the surface can dry unevenly and lead to cracking. If you have concrete under your existing patio or walkway, you’ll need to make sure it dries out properly. If you plan to install pavers over the concrete, you need to make sure the concrete dries out correctly before you put the new material in place.
There is currently no easy way to seal the surface
One of the biggest problems with concrete is that there is no easy way to seal the surface. This means that when the concrete is wet, it’s very porous and allows water to pass through it. This can cause all kinds of problems. When concrete is wet it can be slippery and dangerous. This can lead to falls and other injuries. It can also lead to mold and mildew growth. If you are planning on installing pavers over concrete, you may want to wait a few months after the concrete dries out. Once the concrete is dry, you can seal it and make the surface more water resistant. This can help prevent water from being trapped underneath the surface and causing problems. You’ll need to wait for the concrete to dry out before you seal the surface.
How To Put Pavers Over Concrete?
Create an Interesting Walkway
Walkways are typically associated with pathways and pathways with concrete. But if you’re looking for something a bit more interesting, you can use pavers to create a walkway that stands out from the crowd. Whether you want to create a simple path that leads from your patio to the street or a complex design to showcase your landscaping, you can use pavers to create an interesting walkway.
Create a Coating Surface for Other Material
You can use pavers to create a durable and smooth surface that’s ideal for mounting other materials, such as a mounted TV, an outdoor kitchen, or other fixtures. This can be especially useful if you have concrete in your backyard but would like to do something other than mounting directly to the concrete. You can use pavers in a number of different ways to create a smooth and durable mounting surface. One option is to use a concrete overlay. To do this, you first install a concrete patio or platform over the concrete. Once it’s dry, you can then apply a concrete overlay over the top. This will create a smooth surface that’s easy to mount items to.
Turn Concrete into a Patio or Platform
Concrete patios and platforms are sturdy and functional, but they’re not always the most attractive of surfaces. If you want to create a surface that offers plenty of functionality but has a more attractive aesthetic, you can use pavers to create a patio or platform over concrete. This is similar to creating a mounting surface for other materials, though you’ll need to put down a layer of smooth concrete to create a smooth surface. You can also put down a layer of wood or another material to create a more attractive surface. Once your concrete has dried, you can then lay your pavers over the top to create a patio or platform.
Add a Wall or Framework
If you want to create a barrier or add an interesting architectural element to your outdoor space, you can use pavers to create a wall or framework. You can build any kind of wall that you want with any kind of design—there are no rules when it comes to creativity. One thing to keep in mind is that walls are best placed where they’re not in the way. This means you may want to avoid building walls directly in the middle of areas where you regularly walk or want to put furniture. Walls are great for blocking noise, blocking eyes from neighboring yards, and providing privacy in general. There are also no rules when it comes to the size of your wall. You can make a wall as tall as you want and cover however much of your yard you’d like. In addition to providing an architectural element, a wall can also be functional. You can create a wall that houses your outdoor tools, or you can add a door to a small wall to provide a place to store patio furniture when the weather isn’t suitable for using it.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to expand your outdoor space or add some extra curb appeal, then pavers are a great option. However, before you break out your shovels, you need to consider one key question: can you put pavers over concrete? If you plan on keeping your current foundation, you cannot install pavers directly over concrete. Instead, you’ll need to dig up the existing concrete and pour a new concrete pad. This will ensure a long-lasting and attractive outdoor space for years to come.
