The top 5 paver trends of 2021

Clean lines Pavers with straight lines can help reduce labor on cutting paver pieces. (Photo: Unilock)

With homeowners spending more time in their backyards comes more time — and money — spent sprucing up those spaces, according to Jeremy Eckhous, co-owner of Glow Path Pavers.

“People are wanting to spend time in their backyard with the pandemic; that’s where the action is,” Eckhous says. “So, people are doing a lot of investment and beautification in their homes.”

Eckhous and Beau Rosso, CLT, commercial design consultant for Unilock, share some of the top trends paving the way in the hardscape industry.

1. Large pavers

While pavers several years ago tended to be smaller in size, Rosso says larger pavers have become increasingly popular.

For example, many pavers are larger than the 4 by 8 inch size — Rosso notes that one of Unilock’s most popular products is a three-piece pattern coming in sizes of 7 by 14 inches, 14 by 14 inches, and 14 by 21 inches.

“A lot of recent hardscaping trends have revolved around using less labor, as that’s something that many contractors struggle with, especially over the past years with the pandemic,” he says. “With larger pavers, you’re not needing as much manpower to place each individual smaller paver, and the process goes much faster.”

Pavers in gray tones have become popular in recent years. (Photo: Unilock)

2. Linear designs

In line with the labor-saving mentality, Rosso says pavers that feature clean, straight lines have also gained an edge.

“These pavers mean the contractor doesn’t have to cut as many nonlinear pieces and spend time fitting them all together,” Rosso says.

3. Permeable pavers

Permeable pavers have come a long way in recent years, according to Eckhous.

“With rising sea levels and the need for greater control of groundwater runoff because of erosion effects and pollution potential, permeable pavers and surfaces are now being used widely in municipal and commercial applications,” Eckhous says.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, more people have invested money into their backyard patio spaces. (Photo: Unilock)

4. Prelit pavers

A feature of Glow Path Pavers, Eckhous says, is a photoluminescent aggregate incorporated directly into the paving stones. The naturally glowing material is placed directly into the paving stones during production. They’re made much like traditional pavers so that they will perform in any environment.

“Contractors and municipalities were looking to reduce their investment in lighting in a lot of ways,” Eckhous says. “They’re good for providing a low level of ambient light in areas where you may not want to have electricity. They’re also an energy-efficient design because they require no lighting or maintenance, so there’s no waste that could be an environmental threat.”

5. Realistic designs

Eckhous says he’s seen increased demand for pavers that feature realistic textures and grains.

“As new formulations and colors are created, there’s this demand to see realistic interpretations in hardscapes, like granite and bluestone,” Eckhous says.

Rosso notes that gray and black colors also have made a comeback.