Quality Control
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Some of EP Henry's most popular pavers are "profiled" pavers. The top surface of a profiled paver is not flat like a standard paver but rather has "bumps" on its giving the surface a texture similar to natural stone. These high spots are created by specially profiled shoes on the head of the mold that form and compact the [aver during production. Old Town Cobble and Coventry I, III and IV are all profiled pavers. While these surface profiles provide aestheric appeal they also can be "scuffed" during compaction damaging the finished look of the paver. The scuffing is caused by the plate compactor riding on the high points of the pavers and never really coming in contact with the flat surface. The heavier the plate compactor (measured in pounds force or kilonewtons of centrifugal force) or the more passes made with the plate, the more potential there is to damage the profiles. Pavers installed over screenings instead of concrete sand also have a higher susceptibility to scuffing. The screenings during initial installation and compaction of the pavers become very hard and do not offer any dampening of the plate compactor's force as with concrete sand. Contractors sometimes try and make up for irregularities in the base by trying to "hammer" the pavers flat by keeping the compactor in one spot for an extended period of time. This practice can significantly mar the paver surface. To eliminate the potential scuffing issues with profiled pavers, EP Henry recommends always using a membrane between the pavers and the plate compactor. After extensive internal testing it was determined that Mirafi 500X geo textile fabric offered the best protection. The fabric, which is used as the separation fabric during installation, can be cut to the desired size and moved easily and moved easily around the paver surface to afford protection during compaction. The same piece of fabric can be used as many as 3 - 4 times before it is worn through making it extremely cost efficient. Remember that scuffing the pavers during installation is the contractor's liability. Membranes provide an excellent means of quality control at an affordable price. The feedback from contractors and consumers has been for pavers that have a different surface texture or a "new-old" look. Protection of the paver surface of the future will become even more important. EP Henry's new Via Roma paver has a slightly rough, textured surface giving the paver the look of old, weathered stone. Our Historic Brickstone series pavers offer the exact same look as natural brick (non-chamfered with a "wire-cut" texture). With both of these new lines protection of the paver surface is extremely important to insure quality control during installation. It is highly recommended that a rubber mat be used during compaction. Rubber mats afford maximum protection for all types and styles of pavers during compaction. With the continued popularity of profiled pavers and the new surfaces of the future, the contractor should be making the smart choice about quality control for paver installation. Make use of the membranes as needed, but make sure you use rubber mats for all your tampers.
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