Anyone ever lay pavers down before?

[Chris Farley]

So I got a couple questions.

1. I think I dug too deep across the entire hole (probably close to a foot) is that ok, or does it absolutely have to be around 9 inches?

2. how in the fuck are you supposed to level the ground across the entire space? I get how to do it from the edges and corners but how do you do it from the middle?

TIA

 

[TJHall1]

Just add more sand, shits cheap. Then put wooden stakes in the corners and screw 2x4s onto them so they're level on top at the height you want your sand. Then you can use another 2x4 to run across them and level your sand.

Pretty sure this will prolly confuse the fuck out of you, I need to add pictures.

 

[Rebarcock.]

So I got a couple questions.

1. I think I dug too deep across the entire hole (probably close to a foot) is that ok, or does it absolutely have to be around 9 inches?

2. how in the fuck are you supposed to level the ground across the entire space? I get how to do it from the edges and corners but how do you do it from the middle?

TIA

I havent but fixing to.
Stake out and straight line it. Measure from there is hkw I intend to do it. My grass is growing well finally but im gonna cover all the back w another inch of topsoil and rake in more seed to cover low spots. After that pavers to shed and a patio w burnpit/hog cooker. You can get a laser level at northern tool for 50.00 or so. Goodnfor 1 or 2x use

 

[Taggart]

I only lay pipe. Hope this helps.

 

[s-ou-thern]

Just add more sand, shits cheap. Then put wooden stakes in the corners and screw 2x4s onto them so they're level on top at the height you want your sand. Then you can use another 2x4 to run across them and level your sand.

Pretty sure this will prolly confuse the fuck out of you, I need to add pictures.

What’s cheap? The sand or the shit?

 

[Astragalus]

Lay PVC pipe down parallel in the bed. Put sand in over pipe to appropriate depth. Run a board over the PVC rails and it will level sand. Then put down pavers and lock in with polymeric sand. A friend of mine who is a contractor told me how to do it.

 

[Astragalus]

I should add that its good to start with a gravel bed and tamp it down.

 

[Jtrain80]

Lay PVC pipe down parallel in the bed. Put sand in over pipe to appropriate depth. Run a board over the PVC rails and it will level sand. Then put down pavers and lock in with polymeric sand. A friend of mine who is a contractor told me how to do it.

Glad someone else gave the right answer before I could post.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Lay PVC pipe down parallel in the bed. Put sand in over pipe to appropriate depth. Run a board over the PVC rails and it will level sand. Then put down pavers and lock in with polymeric sand. A friend of mine who is a contractor told me how to do it.

This is your answer. Lay paver base first and tamp about every 2 inches to 6 in depth minimum. Lay 1 inch PVC across and screed sand to level. Use paver base, not sand to bring up your base. An inch of sand is all you need. Make sure you extend your bed 4 to 6 inches beyond the edge of your pavers. It won't sink. Also account for slope for runoff. I don't remember the ratio...maybe 1 in every 4 foot?

 

[Belezabro]

IFL

 

[Jayhacker]

My back hurts just reading this.

 

[RHT 3]

My back hurts just reading this.

I had about 3500 sq ft of pavers done years ago when married.

Watching the hispanic guys lay that shit out was mesmerizing. They don't mess around.

My back hurt just watching them lol.

 

[Chris Farley]

@Astragalus @Jtrain80 @Tell_Sackett and anyone else that can help me;

so my hole is not level. Is it ok to fill in the gaps with gravel and just ensure that the gravel is level or must I absolutely make sure the ground is level? Not sure if this question makes sense...

 

[shiv]

@Astragalus @Jtrain80 @Tell_Sackett and anyone else that can help me;

so my hole is not level. Is it ok to fill in the gaps with gravel and just ensure that the gravel is level or must I absolutely make sure the ground is level? Not sure if this question makes sense...

How fine is the gravel you have?

 

[Tell_Sackett]

@Astragalus @Jtrain80 @Tell_Sackett and anyone else that can help me;

so my hole is not level. Is it ok to fill in the gaps with gravel and just ensure that the gravel is level or must I absolutely make sure the ground is level? Not sure if this question makes sense...

Any ground you've disturbed, I'd fill with paver base and tamp every couple inches. It will hold up better than refilling the dirt and definitely don't fill any major gaps with sand.

 

[Chris Farley]

How fine is the gravel you have?

89/10

 

[Astragalus]

@Astragalus @Jtrain80 @Tell_Sackett and anyone else that can help me;

so my hole is not level. Is it ok to fill in the gaps with gravel and just ensure that the gravel is level or must I absolutely make sure the ground is level? Not sure if this question makes sense...

You‘d be fine to level your hole with gravel. Just make sure you tamp it down well to give you a solid base. Ultimately, you are going to level the whole thing with your layer of sand anyway. One thing to consider also is lining your hole with a frame or border to contain your sand and pavers. It will keep the outer pavers from migrating or settling over time.

 

[Chris Farley]

Thank ya brothas!

 

[Tell_Sackett]

You‘d be fine to level your hole with gravel. Just make sure you tamp it down well to give you a solid base. Ultimately, you are going to level the whole thing with your layer of sand anyway. One thing to consider also is lining your hole with a frame or border to contain your sand and pavers. It will keep the outer pavers from migrating or settling over time.

This is another good add ITT. They sell a rigid long-staked "L" shaped edging that you can cut to fit for this purpose.

 

[Jtrain80]

@Astragalus @Jtrain80 @Tell_Sackett and anyone else that can help me;

so my hole is not level. Is it ok to fill in the gaps with gravel and just ensure that the gravel is level or must I absolutely make sure the ground is level? Not sure if this question makes sense...

I agree w these other 2 guys.

Hope you are enjoying an adult beverage at this point.

 

[slackman]

If you are using fake brick pavers (interlocking style that are actually made of concrete), make sure to cast some sand across the top, use a corn broom to brush it around (that gets it between the pavers), then vibrate with a skid plate compactor. This locks the sand in between the pavers and helps to prevent uneven settlement conditions.

As far as the deep hole goes, if it is more than 4" deep, use 3" of a larger stone (#57 or so), then cap it off with a smaller stone (#789). This smaller stone will help seal off the top surface and prevent loss of the bedding sand into the holes in the stone layer.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

If you are using fake brick pavers (interlocking style that are actually made of concrete), make sure to cast some sand across the top, use a corn broom to brush it around (that gets it between the pavers), then vibrate with a skid plate compactor. This locks the sand in between the pavers and helps to prevent uneven settlement conditions.

As far as the deep hole goes, if it is more than 4" deep, use 3" of a larger stone (#57 or so), then cap it off with a smaller stone (#789). This smaller stone will help seal off the top surface and prevent loss of the bedding sand into the holes in the stone layer.

You can sweep polymeric sand between the pavers and wet it down. It is expensive, but you will not have weeds. $60 a bag, but 10 years on my last project and virtually zero weeding between pavers.

 

[Chris Farley]

You‘d be fine to level your hole with gravel. Just make sure you tamp it down well to give you a solid base. Ultimately, you are going to level the whole thing with your layer of sand anyway. One thing to consider also is lining your hole with a frame or border to contain your sand and pavers. It will keep the outer pavers from migrating or settling over time.

Are 2x10s acceptable or do I have to use the plastic edge retainer specifically for pavers?

(hope this will be ok to use)

 

[shiv]

Are 2x10s acceptable or do I have to use the plastic edge retainer specifically for pavers?

(hope this will be ok to use)

View attachment 21890View attachment 21891

Damn that’s like $500 of lumber you got out there

 

[Chris Farley]

Damn that’s like $500 of lumber you got out there

Lol, not quite that much. Paid about $100 for it I think. But do you think that will do instead of that plastic border that’s specifically for pavers?

 

[shiv]

Lol, not quite that much. Paid about $100 for it I think. But do you think that will do instead of that plastic border that’s specifically for pavers?

Are you planning on leaving it up permanently, or just using it to frame?

 

[shiv]

Are 2x10s acceptable or do I have to use the plastic edge retainer specifically for pavers?

(hope this will be ok to use)

View attachment 21890View attachment 21891

Should be fine just to leave that up. Here’s an example:

 

[Chris Farley]

Are you planning on leaving it up permanently, or just using it to frame?

Well I was gonna leave it up permanently...should I not?

 

[shiv]

Well I was gonna leave it up permanently...should I not?

I think it should be fine. In that last pic I posted they had a lumber frame. You can stain it once you get everything in and I bet it will look good

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Well I was gonna leave it up permanently...should I not?

I'm no expert, but lumber will rot at some point. I'd use the plastic edging. It stakes in on top of your paver base. Extend your paver base out 4 to 6 inches past your planned area to minimize heave. That is the one mistake I made when I laid mine. I didn't lay base much past the edge and I got a little settling and heave in one corner.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Should be fine just to leave that up. Here’s an example:

View attachment 21893

These are 4x....it looks as if @Chris Farley is using 1x. Even treated, I think it will rot. Edit... I guess it's 2x. Still, I'm not sure.

 

[Chris Farley]

These are 4x....it looks as if @Chris Farley is using 1x. Even treated, I think it will rot. Edit... I guess it's 2x. Still, I'm not sure.

Yeah using treated 2x10s

 

[Astragalus]

The hole looks nice @ Chris Farley! I would agree with the other guys. If it’s treated lumber, it should last a good long while, but might rot over time. It looks like you’ve got red clay soil, which I can tell you from experience is hard as a rock. If the wood did rot over time, you’d probably be ok with the red clay as a back stop. If you don’t want to take the wood out, you could always line the wood with a plastic border and nail it into place over the wood for peace of mind. The patio I just paved was previously a gravel bed I put up within a treated lumber frame. It’s been up a few years now and no rot at all.

 

[Rebarcock.]

Lay PVC pipe down parallel in the bed. Put sand in over pipe to appropriate depth. Run a board over the PVC rails and it will level sand. Then put down pavers and lock in with polymeric sand. A friend of mine who is a contractor told me how to do it.

Thanks dude.

 

[Rebarcock.]

Thank ya brothas!

Galvanized 1/8×4 is easily bendable and will last longer than either of us

For the border

 

[Rebarcock.]

Galvanized 1/8×4 is easily bendable and will last longer than either of us

For the border

@Chris Farley. I hadnt read all the way down
For a couple hundred dollars or so you can get 11Ga 10inx10ft cut at a local steel shop. Prime w zinc rich primer then put an epoxy rolled coating (sherwinwilliams) itll last forever too. Im a steel guy and wood sucks ducks imnsho

 

[Chris Farley]

@Astragalus or anyone else, is there a specific type of sand I need to get for the base or can it just be all purpose sand? Not talking about the polymeric sand I need to sweep in on top of the pavers at the end, just the inch and a half after the gravel...TIA

Edit: disregard, figured out it’s masonry sand

 

[sanction]

Rent one of these. Put a sprinkler on the sand then pack it. Let dry then repeat
the next day.

 

[Jtrain80]

@Astragalus or anyone else, is there a specific type of sand I need to get for the base or can it just be all purpose sand? Not talking about the polymeric sand I need to sweep in on top of the pavers at the end, just the inch and a half after the gravel...TIA

Edit: disregard, figured out it’s masonry sand

You are going to have to post a pic at this point. We are all on pins and needles.....

 

[Chris Farley]

You are going to have to post a pic at this point. We are all on pins and needles.....

Lol, ok:


my initial markings


Digging the edges out with a shovel.


said fuck the digging by hand, rented an excavator.


doing more damage than good...


finally got 10” dug out, set the border wall with treated 2x10s


Got the ground floor mostly level and graded using a dingo


Tamped down


Added 6” of 89/10 gravel. Tampered down after every 2”

just picked up my next layer of base, will send pics when it’s down.