There's something very special about creating an outdoor living area. It's a place where families like to celebrate. It's where friends gather and great memories are made.
When considering your hardscape there are two principle building applications. Wet-lay and Dry-lay. Both have unique properties and aesthetic values and choosing which application is right for your particular project is important.
Masonry "Wet Lay"
The term "wet laid" refers to how a material is applied to its substrate. A common term used in masonry and concrete building since the final surface product is adhered to a substrate using a wet or loose cementitious bonding agent such as mortar. Common building practice of a masonry wet laid patio or walk differs a great deal from a "dry laid" patio. Applications begin with a free draining crushed stone bed under a poured concrete foundation pad. The final flooring material is bonded to the concrete pad using mortar or a thin set and joints are pointed with mortar.
"Dry Lay"
The term "dry laid" simply refers to the method that a flooring material is applied to its substrate. As the word implies a material is set into postition using dry materials versus a cementitious material such as mortar. Most common dry laid applications use a sand or stone dust laying bed for the flooring material. What also differs in a dry laid application is its foundation. The foundation consists of a crushed aggregate stone base material which is installed in incremental "lifts" and properly compacted each lift. A sand or stone dust bedding material is "screeded" over the completed base in which the flooring material is to be applied. The benefit of this system can be that it is designed to expand and contract through freeze/thaw cycles without noticeable movement over time. Contrary to a floating concrete slab which reacts to expanding and contracting by cracking.
These two principle building applications apply to wall construction as well. They involve different construction methods, costs in materials and labor. When meeting with us we will discuss these applications and help you decide which approach is right for your particular projects.
