Prostone Patios & Hardscaping is proud to be an exhibitor in this years Home Expressions Show, March 15-17 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. Come down and see us at booth #405 where you can ask us questions about your existing hardscape property features or new hardscape projects you’re thinking about.

We provide free estimates for our services and you will be able to fill out a short form in our booth to setup an estimate appointment.

We are also having a draw to give away a free Barkman Concrete Roman Stackstone fire pit, in an available color of your choice! Delivery and installation of the fire pit by Prostone Patios & Hardscaping will also be included, free of charge!

If you’re sick of the cold weather and want to start thinking about the warmer months ahead, there’s no better way than being at the Home Expressions show to get rid of the winter blues!

Show Times:
March 15 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
March 16 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
March 17 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

From my experience, one of the big reasons that people want to have large patios or other paved areas on their property is because of the notion that they’re “maintenance free”. While it’s true paving stone systems require very little maintenance, they are still about as “maintenance free” as any other feature you have at your home.

When I finish an installation, I will often give a few suggestions to my customer on how to keep their paved area looking it’s best, year after year. Here are those suggestions:

1. Sweep/blow off your paved area.
Sweeping or using a leaf blower on your patio, driveway, or sidewalk is something that is best done once or twice per season. Due to the joints between paving stones, there is always the possibility of dirt & spores blowing in and building up between them. Taking a medium-bristled broom, or if you want to save time, a leaf blower and clearing across the paved area will prevent dirt from settling in and any potential weeds that are trying to find a home. A properly paved area should have polymeric sand swept into the paver joints close to their surface to prevent weeds in the first place, but as a safe measure, a quick sweeping or leaf blow will help.

2. Water your paved area if it has been dry.
We have had summers in the past where very little precipitation has occurred, and the ground begins to contract due to the lack of moisture (last year, this was a big problem). You may see spaces around your house foundation or edges of your sidewalk open up when this happens. This drought can cause issues with your paved area where the expansion and contraction of the ground is occuring. Watering your paved area gets some moisture back into the ground, especially the lawn around it, and helps keep the groundshrinking to a minimum. As a good rule of thumb, if your watering your lawn because it’s too dry, water your paved area too.

3. Seal your paved area.
Sealants can be a real pain to apply, simply due to the perfect weather conditions required for them to adhere properly, and the potential to use too much, or not enough sealant. Having said that, when applied properly, they not only can improve the look of your paved area, but they can eliminate any cleaning maintenance to be done while the sealant lasts. There are varying life spans for sealants, but typically they do not need to be applied more than once every 2-3 years. Just make sure your paved area is properly cleaned before applying a sealant.

While paved areas are about as “maintenance free” as you can get, there are still some things that can be done to keep them looking beautiful.

A common decision homeowners need to make when choosing to have a new walkway, driveway, or patio installed, is whether use poured concrete or interlocking paving stones for their project. Outlined here are a few of the major advantages in using interlocking paving stones as opposed to poured concrete.

Flexibility with Design Changes – Once you begin the concrete pouring process, there’s no turning back, unless you are prepared for some major demolition and the extra expenses along with it. With Interlocking paving stones, it’s very simple to add or expand on an area, change a curve to a straight line, create a step up or down, add/remove different colored pavers, or just about any other alterations you might decide on as the work progresses. You can also make these alterations at anytime, whether it’s next week, next month, or next year. This gives you more say in your ultimate design at less expense, and guarantees you achieve the look you want when it’s finished.

Improved Property Drainage – Concrete pads are not permeable to water, meaning water that would normally filter through the area now has to move to another location, which can often be problematic. Because paving stone projects are segmented, water is able to run, drain and be absorbed evenly across their span, between each paver. This helps prevent water from pooling in grass areas, planting beds or other locations.

Immediate Usage – Poured concrete may take 3-5 days to cure and before this time traffic is not permittable. Pavers require no time to cure, meaning you get to use your patio, driveway, or walkway as soon as construction ends without worry.

Strength & Savings – Most paving stones are rated at 8000psi, which is almost 4x’s stronger than poured concrete, and allow for better weight distribution for the received traffic. A concrete driveway will inevitably crack due to ground shift and freeze/thaw cycles, creating a broken, unattractive appearance and a potential tripping hazard that will not go away without extensive repairs. Pavers will move with the shifting ground, either resettling back in their proper placement, or simply require more aggregate installed to return it to it’s original level. This is substantially cheaper than repairing broken pads of poured concrete, and provides better, longer lasting results. The ability for paving stones to quickly adapt to our extremes in climate make them the stand out choice for your project.

Aesthetic appeal – A well designed, properly installed paving stone driveway or patio can be a cosmetic treat from the surrounding homes that use the standard and often bland look of poured concrete pads. This increases property value, curb appeal and often gives a unique flare that can set you apart from the pack. Combining pavers of different colours can also do wonders to compliment the appearance of your house and its surrounding layout.