Over 2,000 years ago the Romans set out to build a network of roads across their vast empire using a system of individual stones. Because of their incredibly well thought out design, many of those roads are still in good condition today! The Romans understood that the key to a durable pavement is a solid base underneath, good water drainage, and a proper edge restraint to keep everything locked together. Paving stones have distinct advantages over other pavements. Asphalt, which is quite common in our day and age, is a soft product. Though it is flexible, it soon develops cracks that need to be regularly sealed. Poured concrete on the other hand is much harder than asphalt, but completely inflexible, leading to cracks almost instantly. Poured concrete, if damaged will never look the same again unless the whole slab is replaced. Paving stones are between 2 to 3 times harder than poured concrete, yet have great flexibility since they are a network of individual stones. They give the ability to remove a section for an underground pipe repair, then simply reinstall the same stones. If an individual stone become damaged it can simply be replaced. Paving stone can be purchased in an incredible variety of colors, allowing your home to have its own unique color theme.