136th Street North St. Pete Walkways | PaverForge

Walkways on 136th Street North are short, shaded, and often the only dry path from the driveway to a side gate. PaverForge builds them wide enough for a trash cart and a person with groceries, with a base that does not turn to soup when the afternoon storm sits on the oak canopy.

Width and edge

A 30-inch ribbon looks fine on a plan and fails the first time two people pass. We lay these walks at 36 to 48 inches, with a concrete edge or a well-set soldier course so the field cannot spread into the mulch. Steps, if the lot drops toward the sidewalk, get a landing at the gate so the latch side is flat.

• Keep the walk off the drip line where it can; where it cannot, use a sand-set field that can be reset.

• Cross irrigation laterals in sleeves, not under a single paver with no record.

• Light the path with flush fixtures only after the sleeve is in the base.

• Pitch the walk toward planting, not toward the house stucco.

From the curb to the gate

Northeast St. Pete lots on this street often have a public sidewalk, a planting strip, and then the private walk. We match the sidewalk joint so the private pavers do not sit proud of the city concrete. PaverForge, 727-490-9798, paverforge.com/services.

A walk that also serves as the pool-gate approach needs a non-slip surface and a landing outside the gate swing. We call that out before the pattern is chosen.