1.Why does interlocking Shift or Sink and how to prevent it?​

During the freezing winter months, water thaws and freezes back and forth. As ice expands it shifts the interlock, and cracks concrete.
To prevent this you need to have the appropriate gravel base (Granular A and High Performance bedding) foundation and the right thickness of it for your project. If you have a  gravel base thickness of no less than 8" for patio and 16" for driveway then all the  all the shifting happens sub grade where you don't see it.
 

2.Why do weeds grow through the joints even with polymeric sand and how to prevent it ?​

The polymeric sand seal will prevent weeds as long as the seal is properly bonded and not broken. However, if there is a shallow gravel base then the weeds will grow right through the gravel and crack the polymer sand seal.
Also if there is a lack of base(or a shallow gravel base), then during the winter month the stones will shift back and forth and the polymeric sand seal will crack. Once the seal is cracked then the polymeric sand is deemed useless. To prevent this you need to have a quality gravel base so all the shifting will happen sub grade and your polymeric sand seal stays bonded and effective for many years. Also if gravel base is at least 6"thick then weeds can't grow through it(that's why we rarely use fabric because our base is so thick the fabric is useless however it is optional for you)
 

3.Why do Driveways or patios sink and how to prevent it?
The main reasons for a driveway sinking is the contractor didn't dig out enough dirt and didn't put in the appropriate gravel and/or the right thickness of it. We at mvr landscaping go above and beyond with the gravel base. Walkways and Patios we dig a minimum of 12"inches with 8" of gravel. We add 4"-6" more in new developments or recommend waiting till the following year for final install. For Commercial and Vehicular applications we dig a minimum of 18" with 14" of that being gravel.
This will ensure a long lasting foundation, prevent stone from shifting and ultimately prevent polymeric sand from cracking and allowing weeds.        Refer to Interlocking step by step

 

4.Why is it important to have a good base and sub base?​

There is nothing worse then getting a new patio or driveway and having it fall apart after a couple years or sooner. We at mvr landscaping ensure you have a base that's above and beyond manufacturer recommendation and will not sink. Refer to MVR LANDSCAPING STANDARD VS UNILOCK STANDARD. We also provide an extensive written warranty.  

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5.Why is there such a different price range between Estimates?​

All though the finish product may look the same at first, the importance lays in the base aggregate type, the thickness of the base (or around excavated) and the compaction process. Some companies will dig 2"-4"Inches which means less disposal needed, less labour, and less gravel so the quote would be much less than what it's supposed to be, however the job won't last as long, will sink, shift, weeds will grow through  and will be more expensive later on to redo properly. We provide an all in warranty of 5 YEARS for all jobs where we do the foundation.

 

6.Is it worth it to use repurposed aggregates?​

No, even though some companies use repurposed/recycled aggregate it is not beneficial and can cause harm to the hardscape project in the long term due to inconsistencies in the aggregate. It's important to know what gets installed in your project, with mvr landscaping you have the option to pay materials directly to the supplier/manufacturer so you know exactly what is being installed and how much of it. Repurposed gravel is significantly more cost effective (Approx $5 per cubic yard compared to $40 per yard for the granular a or high performance bedding) it's not worth the long term risk.