Hello All,
I should fill out my profile, but for now I work as a handyman. I am finishing a paver sidewalk that a home owner started last year. Their work looks terrible, anything I do will be an improvement. It is a good learning project. I read some of the post about installing paves but still have one ore two question. There will be a 4 to 5 inch base of class 5 gravel c ompacted in two lifts. I would have gone 6″, but the fist lift is done and the max height is set. Next comes the fine sand (play sand in a bag, already purchased by H/O). After leveling the find sand, can I place the pavers or do I need to compact it one more time? Also the H/O has fabric between the fine sand and the gravel. What I learned here is that it should go between the dirt and the gravel. Or did I miss something? I am not going to dig up the first lift of gravel to put down the fabric. thank for you help.
Cody the Handyman.
Replies
Not much experience with pavers but the most recent FHB has an article on it.
Thanks, I will have to pick that up tomorrow when I git to town to rent the plate compactor.
There are many different ways to do it. The fabric will probably work out just as well where it is -- it's primarily to keep seeds from taking root, and it's 6 of one, half dozen of the other where you put it. Re compacting the sand, I'd be inclined to do it lightly with a hand tamper, then add more sand and screed one more time before laying the pavers.
The two main "tricks" of the job are getting a smooth sand layer, and getting the pavers nice and tight together. To get the smooth layer, the best approach for a straight walk where you have edging in already is to make a screed with ears that lap over the edging and hangs down below the ears exactly the depth of the pavers.
No matter what you do some weeds will grow through unless you set it in concrete so tell the HO to have a gallonb of vegitation killer handy before it get more than a cpl of inches.
BE well
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For a sidewalk (not a driveway) the 4 to 5 inches of compacted stone you have is as much as you need.
Fine sand can be used, but I think a coarser sand will lock together better. The best thing to use is stone dust, which is basically a real coarse sand, particle size about 1/8" or maybe less. It is also sharp and contains particles of different sizes. When compacted it locks together quite solidly, and it won't attract ants like sand will. About 1" is a good depth.
Beach sand is the worst to use because it consists of rounded grains that just roll around and never lock into a solid base.
Definitely do not compact the stone dust (or sand) before setting the pavers. Use guides (1/2" or 3/4" iron pipe is good, they are nearly an inch in diameter) along the path and screed along them with a board. Then carefully lift the guides out and fill the indentations with more stone dust and carefully match the level. Set the pavers on this smooth, uncompacted material. Then, use a vibratory plate compactor and compact the pavers into the stone dust. Add dry sand on top (the play sand could be used for this). Sweep it in and work it in with a broom and the compactor. You could apply the sand before the first compaction as it will provide some protection to the surface of the pavers from the compactor plate.
When compacting, start at the center and work outward.
If you are doing a pathway that rises and falls in elevation your screed guides could be short and just leapfrog them along. For a large flat area, such as a patio, long guides work better.
By the way, the base should be about 6" wider than the final paver area all around. And install edging before placing the stone dust, taking into account the dimensions of the pavers of course.
Oh, yea, and definitely wear gloves. The pavers will chew up your fingertips in no time.
Thanks for all the help, now I don't have to pick up FHB mag. but I will get it anyway as it allway has several good articals in it.
Another thing is don't slide the bricks into place. That can pull sand.Drop them straight down next the previous one.
http://www.pavingexpert.com/blocks.htm
good advice so far. One thing I would add is that depending on the type and size of the pavers you need to be careful when you go to set them with the plate compactor. When I did this many moons ago I ended up with several broken pavers from allowing the compactor to sit in one place too long. One tip I've seen to avoid this problem is to lay a sheet of ply down as a buffer between the pavers and the compactor.
(play sand in a bag, already purchased by H/O).
Wayne already touched on this, but you really need sharp (or "mason's") sand to get adn "lock." Play sand is rounded (to make it "softer"), it will hold shape wet, but not dry & compacted.
Landscape fabric and Roundup will keep the weeds at bay.