Driveway · Walkway

Driveways are the one application where thickness decides everything. A 1-1/4" paver is fine for people, carts and a mower; a car parked on it day after day will crack it unless it is fully bedded in mortar over a reinforced slab. That is why the 2" pieces in this collection are the ones we point contractors to for vehicle areas, and why walkways can use the thinner stone freely. Read the two sections below as separate specs.

Driveways: 2" stone, small formats, compacted base

For a driveway, pick from the 2" (5 cm) products in marble or limestone. Smaller formats spread wheel loads better and are less likely to crack: 6x12, 12x12 and 12x24 are the sensible choices, laid in a running bond or herringbone over 8 to 12 inches of compacted aggregate with a 1" sand bed and concrete or steel edge restraint. Leather-finish marble and tumbled limestone both handle tires without polishing up. Skip 24x48 and 36x36 slabs on a driveway; the span is too long for a flexible base.

Walkways: 1-1/4" or porcelain, larger formats welcome

A front walk or garden path carries foot traffic only, so 1-1/4" stone or 3/4" porcelain is plenty. Here the big formats earn their keep: 24x24 stepping slabs set in gravel, or a 16x24 running bond along the house. Tumbled travertine and limestone give the best wet footing; porcelain is the choice if the walk is under trees that drop tannin. In freeze-thaw climates, note that porcelain is frost-proof and dense marble does well, while tumbled stone with voids should be sealed; see which pavers survive winter.

Ordering

Driveways eat square footage quickly, so run the numbers with the square footage and overage guide and add 10 to 15 percent. Multiple pallets ship together by LTL freight, so confirm the truck can reach the site. The same products also appear in the patio collection if you are matching a driveway to a back yard.