Pavers in Andover, MN

Pavers in Andover tend to go into yards with space to work with and owners who are not going anywhere. Census figures put owner occupancy at 94.1%, average household size at 3.00 and the share of residents in the same house as a year earlier at 94.5%. Andover also kept some of its country character: in 2020, 22.9% of residents lived in areas the Census counts as rural. That mix leads to projects built for years of family use, often spread across a large lot.

The fire pit patio

On a lot this size, a place to sit around a fire is an easy fit. A good layout keeps the pit well away from the house, deck and trees, leaves room for chairs to push back, and connects to the house by a solid path instead of a trail worn across the lawn. Typical pieces:

• A round or square paver pad sized for the number of chairs you use
• A wall-block or stone fire ring with a steel insert
• A curved seating wall on one side to cut the wind and add seats
• Low lighting set into the walls or path

Recreational fire rules are set locally and cover distances from structures, fuel and wind. Check Andover's rules so the pit is placed where it can be used.

Long walks and paths

On a bigger lot, the patio is often far from the drive, the shed or the garden. Paver walkways tie it together. A walkway needs 4 to 6 inches of compacted base, per Unilock's guidelines, built wider than the path itself so the edges do not crumble. On long runs we vary the width, add landings at junctions, and make sure each section drains to the side instead of collecting water down the middle.

A local permeable example

The Minnesota DNR lists a public water access site in Andover among its examples of pervious pavement in the state. The same idea works at home: permeable pavers let rain pass through open joints into a stone reservoir where it soaks into the subsoil, and the DNR lists driveways, sidewalks and patios as suitable uses. Minnesota Local Road Research Board research found permeable pavements kept infiltrating through the winter, because air in the system insulates the base. The DNR's caution is maintenance: plan on vacuum-sweeping the joints and keeping garden soil from washing onto the surface.

Built for a long stay

When families keep a home for decades, the patio should outlast the kids' grill-and-swing-set years. We focus on what keeps a paver surface flat that long: a compacted base laid in 3- to 4-inch lifts, a 1 to 2 percent slope to shed water, and edge restraint that holds through every freeze and thaw. If something settles years from now, pavers can be lifted and reset rather than torn out.

Andover services

• Fire pit patios and seating walls
• Large paver patios and outdoor dining areas
• Long walkways to sheds, gardens and play areas
• Paver driveways and aprons
• Retaining walls and raised planting beds
• Releveling of older paver work

Let's walk the yard

Call (952) 800-9409 to schedule a free visit. We will measure the space, talk through where a fire pit makes sense and put a written quote in your hands.

Get a Free Estimate