The Romans crisscrossed the ancient world with pavers, which were literally the foundation of the “Roman Road” and a key part of their advanced civilisation and ability to travel and control their empire.
The first modern pavers used in gardens were literally bricks turned on their side.
Five types of pavers you can choose from today are:
- If the Roman’s were the great great grand parents of the paved road, then Clay is definitely the grand father of the modern paver. All around Melbourne you’ll still see tangible evidence of the popularity of the clay pavers – especially in the more traditional suburbs like Hawthorn, South Yarra and Richmond. Clay Pavers are still available, although really only popular in heritage or traditional design and are usually small format pavers up to about 200mm square.
- Masonry – masonry pavers are handmade in moulds using a mix of sand, oxides, cement and depending on the quality – other ingredients to protect the paver or make cleaning easier. Our very own product Melbourne Stone is a popular product with a variety of sizes, textures and colours named after some of Australia’s most iconic beaches.
- Bluestone – Bluestone is a natural product well known to Melburnians as a popular paving product in council areas and as an iconic building product as well. Modern Bluestone Pavers are also a popular – usually large format – paver.
- Limestone – Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed on the bottom of millions of year old oceans from the skeletons of coral and molluscs and is also a popular product for those wanting a lighter colour in their design.
- Porcelain – A more recent entrant to the outdoor space is a product you’ll be most familiar with from the smallest room in the house. Porcelain is fired a very high temperatures, making it incredibly dense and almost impervious to liquids or stains. It’s one of the few pavers you can lay without worrying about sealants. Because it is so dense, the paver can be made much thinner than other stones, making it lighter and easier to handle for installation too.
At Melbourne Brick we have more pavers than you can poke a brick at, and this has been a review of just five of the options you have available.
For more information and assistance from our friendly and expert staff, come and visit one of our three display superstores or visit melbournebrick.com.au for a little inspiration.