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- Dig any necessary trenches to divert surface water away from the house and / or installation. Often, a simple trench filled with 2B gravel will suffice. But if necessary, we use only solid pipe (holes down) and cover it with 2B gravel. We will put down filter fabric between the gravel and dirt so that the soil cannot silt and clog the drain pipe.
- Grade at least 8” deep, gain a perfectly flat (sometimes sloped) base. This is paramount, because if there are any dips or imperfections in this step, they will only be magnified as the installation builds up. We run the vibratory plate compactor over the soil; this is called “proofing the subsoil”. We dig out any soft spots and fill them with gravel. The base area will be slightly larger than the finished patio so that there is sufficient compacted gravel to hold the paver restraint spikes in securely.
- Place filter fabric (not black plastic!) on the bare soil so that the dirt will not contaminate the gravel base and so the gravel will not sink into the soil. This is exactly the same process used for highway installation. In fact, my equipment operators, Vince and Ed Bearer, have installed many roads in the Ligonier area using this same process.
- Add 2 – 3” of clear, sharp, and angular gravel base, typically 2A. As we wet and compact it, the sharp angles lock together and form a very solid, yet porous base for the patio. The amount of compaction is essential. Most contractors do not use a sufficient machine to achieve this- we do.
- Add an additional rise (or two) of base material, compacting for every 2 – 3” of gravel. By the time our base is complete, you could bounce golf ball off of its surface, yet it drains water instantly.
- Next, we install filter fabric (not weed block) over the entire gravel base. This will allow water to drain quickly, but prevent the sand from washing down into and choking the drainage base.
- Then, we install edging restraint to hold the pavers / flagstone in place using an ample quantity of 10” steel spikes. The edging and spikes will also hold the filter fabric in place as we walk on it.
- Using only wheelbarrows (not a skid steer), we will place concrete sand in piles and screed it to 1.25” of depth evenly across the surface.
- Finally, we are ready to add the pavers or flagstone. Now, things start to take shape. If the job is flagstone, we’re essentially done at this point, unless we’re grouting or filling the joints.
- After all whole pavers are in place, we begin the tedious job of measuring, marking, labeling, and then cutting each piece to fit into any gaps.
- Next, we run the compactor, idling at a slow speed, across the paver surface. This is done in a variety of directions to rattle (seat) the pavers down into the bed of sand. They’ll actually seat
about a half an inch into the sand.
- Next, we throw dry polymeric sand, which contains particles of plastic, across the surface of the pavers. We sweep, then vibrate, this down into the paver joints in several applications until the gaps will accept no more sand.
- Lastly, we lightly mist the surface a number of times. This activates the polymer so that once it has set up, your pavers are truly locked in place. Also, no weed seeds can land on the sand and take root, nor will the sand blow out in heavy winds.
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