Mortarless Natural Paving Stones

Mortarless pavers are the preferred natural paver for high-traffic areas, such as driveways. The main reason is flexibility. Unlike mortared pavers, which are set into hardened, inflexible mortar, mortarless pavers are applied onto and between a special mix of sand. This sand is both hard and flexible, allowing for some movement under the weight of cars, trucks or just feet, thus preventing much of the cracking that plagues mortared natural pavers.

Natural stone pavers are incredibly durable and will not fade. Combined with a mortarless application, the surface should last 25-30 years or longer. Should a paver ever crack or break, its removal is very easy compared to the arduous hammer-and-chisel work necessary to remove its mortared counterparts.

You may hear about interlocking paving stones during discussions about mortarless pavers. These indeed are strong and mortarless, but very unlikely to be made from natural stone without being very expensive. Interlocking pavers are modular, or man-made to fit together by design, and therefore are commonly made from a more moldable substance like concrete. Interlocking pavers will still use sand as a base.