[larrylwill]

I want to make a turnaround for my drive way. I would like to make it out of paver blocks. I was planning of making them myself out of concrete. I have a mixer. I was going to copy a paver block I saw at HD for size and shape and make a form to make several at a time.

I was wondering if anyone knows the proper mixture to make the blocks out of. I will use a sand base. Cement to sand to aggregate and the type of aggregate, or none?

 

[Termite]

This sounds ill-fated to me, but if you must...

You need a good amount of porosity in the pavers to keep them from falling apart when they freeze and the water that will inevitably be in them expands.

A very dry mix with lots of aggregate and little slurry would be a minimum.

Do an internet search for "pervious concrete" or "pervious concrete pavers".

Are you making them yourself to save money or for the challenge of doing it?

 

[larrylwill]

It doesn't freeze here.
To save money and get what I want.
Small paver blocks 4x6x1.5" is $0.6 per, and I don't think they are thick enough to drive on. I was thinking something like 6x6x4 Which I can not find around here and anything bigger than 6x6 cost $5-$8 per sq ft.
Do you know where I can get an alternative? There is only HD Kmart, Walmart and a couple of lumber stores around here.
Why do you think its a bad Idea? experience or speculation?
thanks

found:
Of the options, permeable pavers create the classiest look for residential driveways and patios. But they also cost the most -- perhaps $12 to $15 per square foot installed, vs. $4 to $8 for pervious concrete, $5 to $6.50 for plastic grid systems and $4.60 for porous asphalt. The pavers, concrete and asphalt can cost 10 to 20 percent more than standard paving, in part because of the site preparation and drainage layer installed underneath.

 

[Termite]

Freeze/thaw cycles were my main concern.

Pavestone and Stonecastle are the suppliers for the box stores' pavers. If you are in a major metro area there may be a plant near you. Here, the plants sell off-color runs and seconds for next to nothing, cash and carry.

 

[larrylwill]

I found there is a Pavestone plant in Atlanta about 3 hours away but could not find Stonecastle. I had used off color bricks for my last house but they were around $0.50 each. That was 17 years ago.

 

[stadry]

what makes 'em thick enough to drive on is base selection AND compaction,,, we're in atlanta north & it dreezes here altho not to any appreciable frost depth,,, haven't seen perv pavers yet but have install'd pervious conc driveways,,, if you like it for residential, more power to you,,, if can buy perv conc for that price, ck some previous jobs 10yrs old.

many times things look easy because the people doing the work know their stuff :yes:

 

[larrylwill]

I am across the river from Scottsboro Al. I bought a 60's house that Im remodeling/ So far I have gutted and rebuilt the kitchen, replaced all the windows in the house including an 18ft window wall which I removed, rebuilt and put in 3 windows where there were 5. Removed and added some walls, replaced the Front, Back, and Bedroom double doors. Im now building a new facade over the painted brick fireplace. Next will be the 32x20ft floor with Laminate. Then the Master bath, foyer, deck, porcch. Im not too worryed about the pavers. If it takes a year so what, if I doesnt work out I wont do it.

thanks

 

[Aggie67]

Here's a link right from this site.

http://www.diychatroom.com/content/...-pavers_9deabc42-8839-6a8f-8d74-658b9e02138a/

 

[Aggie67]

If you have that much time, it could be done I suppose, but it won't be as strong as a factory made paver.

80 lb sack of premix will yield .6 cubic feet. A 5x5x2.5 paver is .036 cubic feet. So a bag will yield about 16 pavers. So say you have molds for 48 pavers, and you wanted to do a 40 foot long driveway, 12 ft wide. It would take you about 60 days of casting to do that 40 foot driveway.

A factory made paver will probably be 2 to 4 times stronger than a home made paver.

 

[larrylwill]

If you have that much time, it could be done I suppose, but it won't be as strong as a factory made paver.

80 lb sack of premix will yield .6 cubic feet. A 5x5x2.5 paver is .036 cubic feet. So a bag will yield about 16 pavers. So say you have molds for 48 pavers, and you wanted to do a 40 foot long driveway, 12 ft wide. It would take you about 60 days of casting to do that 40 foot driveway.

A factory made paver will probably be 2 to 4 times stronger than a home made paver.

Thats 2880 pavers. If I do it I would make at least enough molds to do at least 10 bags per day. Right now its just an idea. If I can find a better way that's cost affordable I will change my mind.

I do have that much time, I work at home and only have about 4-6 months of work per year.
thanks

Aggie67: Thanks for the link.