New Paver Patio Installation

ddave23

Ok,
We started to build our patio. We have a 7" 18X18 square. We added 4" of base and compacted.
We then added sand and started laying the patio. But the sand has become uneven all over the patio.
So while laying the pavers, leving the patio has become tough and a nightmare..
My question is how can i level the existing sand bed with pavers already installed on a quarter of it?? The rest of the sand bed is not leveled, is there a eaiser way I can level the existing sand?? I have read about creating screeds, but I cannot seem to get the sand level and consistant with the rest of the sand bed?

thanks

ccarlisle

I assume you compacted manually...Get yourself a plate compactor from a rental place. You should have crushed stone then something finer on top of that, something you can compact with this machine. Sand is OK but it.ll need compacting for sure.

Build it up here and there for trueness but just keep going over it till it's even. Then lay the pavers. You can even run the machine over the pavers if you like...

concretemasonry

I assume you are laying real concrete pavers (lass than 10" maximum dimension) and not "stepping stones".

The proper way to build a paver surface (sidewalk, patio, driveway, street or airport taxiway) is to have the compacted road base follow the slope, grade or shape desired.

After that, a 1" layer of a sand setting bed (NEVER compacted !!!) is spread on top of the compacted base. You level the sand with screed guides that can be wood, pipe or your patio edge restraint. Cut a long, straight 2x4 to use as a screed and you can cut notches at each end, so the bottom of the screed is at the proper amount below the screed guides.

If the patio is too wide for the available screed, you can set a temporary screed guide in the center. Remove the temporary guide and fill with loose sand.

When laying pavers, you work on the pavers previously laid. Lay the pavers with tight joints and good pavers have spacers cast into the side of the pavers. You can awalys re-screed the loose sand setting bed if it gets disturbed.

After laying the pavers in the sand setting bed, you spread sand over the top and vibrate level so you have a smooth surface and sand vibrated up and down into the joints.

You can go to the Interlocking Comcrete Paver Institute (ICPI) site for good information - icpi.org is probably the address. - Any good paver supplier should have instructions available.

KUIPORNG

screening is very important for a good and easy job.... spend time to come up with a good screening system that works in your situation... like concretemasonry said... those wood thing works well for us, I used lumber from my destroyed deck though, which is 1"x6".... I cut notches at both end... I haver 3 different length woods for different situations.... the idea is you lay too horizontal wood support on both side with proper grading... then screen with the 1"x6" wood across, then you should have a perfect surface for laying pavers...

but the subbase have to be probably graded first for above sand screening....

when you lay individual pavers, put a small 6" level on top which will tells you roughly if the grade are going right in all directions... those small level which shows 3 different direction running... you can't go wrong...

if you don't want wave effect... make sure each stone are graded the same degree... by looking at the bubble on the level... they should be about the same spot....