When hiring a paving contractor, you may believe that the representative and construction team are talking a foreign language. Each industry uses its own terminology and paving is no different. In order to make it easier for you to understand what they are talking about, here are just some of the more common paving terms explained in plain English.
Backfill:
Material used to refill part of the excavated area that will not be paved. This is also used to level area and for drainage.
Base Layer:
Material compacted into excavation prior to laying bedding sand
Bedding Sand:
Washed river sand, spread to give a level surface to bed (lay) pavers.
Bevelled Edge:
The edges of the face of some pavers are sloped, providing a softer decorative effect.
Bullnose:
Rounded front edge of a paver, used for pool edges or stair treads.
Damp proof course:
An impermeable layer in a wall (usually a course below floor level) to stop rising damp.
Drainage material:
Gravel, placed behind a retaining wall to allow water to drain.
Edge restraints/beam:
In pavements, whatever is used to hold the perimeter pavers in place. This is usually a concrete kerb or concrete under the edge paver
Efflorescence:
White powdery substance that occurs naturally on cement based products.
Jointing Sand:
Fine sand, swept into joints between pavers to lock them into position.
Grouting:
A cement and sand mix that is swept and then washed into joints to permanently lock them into position.
Loading:
What load/weight (e.g. Car, House, Pool) the paving is designed to handle.
Nibs:
In pavers, a ridge to space pavers apart (for jointing sand). It can also be used as a locator in the assembly of some retaining wall units.
Screeding:
Spreading sand with a straight edge so that it is flat and level, prior to paving.
Sealer:
Protective coating/sealant for concrete pavers.
Wastage:
A small percentage added to order quantities of material to allow for breakages and mistakes.
Wetcast:
A concrete casting technique used to manufacture large format pavers with a fine surface texture detail.
Dry cast:
A paver manufactured in a machine, where the mixture is almost dry in texture and is compacted by machine in a steel mould.
The process when constructing your paving looks like this:
