[parmindergill99]

Hello,


I want to build a 46x14 sq foot patio with curved corner edge by the basement door. I want it to be long lasting and low maintenance.



I want to avoid sunken pavers, weed, drainage problems?


1. Is compacted stone dust (21A) good to level the ground?
2. Level 1" of sand sub base
3. polymeric sand?
4. Eva by Techobloc or Bristol by EpHenry or something else?
I want pavers like attached pic.



Please let me know if I should use something else.

Thanks in advance

 

[Windows on Wash]

If you want it to be level and solid for ever, pour a slab and put your pavers over that.

 

[stadry]

disagree however you're there,,, these things are flexible &, as i recall, dc doesn't get much frost,,, any conc patio would have to be jointed to avoid random cracking,,, conc's not near as flexible as pavers

 

[jomama45]

If you want it to be level and solid for ever, pour a slab and put your pavers over that.

This is the only way I'll even consider installing pavers for a customer anymore. The only issue is that you have to put down a great slab that's going to hold together or the patio is going to fail just as the slab below fails.

 

[Windows on Wash]

disagree however you're there,,, these things are flexible &, as i recall, dc doesn't get much frost,,, any conc patio would have to be jointed to avoid random cracking,,, conc's not near as flexible as pavers

This is the only way I'll even consider installing pavers for a customer anymore. The only issue is that you have to put down a great slab that's going to hold together or the patio is going to fail just as the slab below fails.

You both have forgotten more about masonry and concrete than I will EVER know. Make no mistake.

I have just seen the patios done around here and while they probably didn't do them as well as you do yours @stadry they still seem to move.


The soil on my lot just seems to move. I cut the crash ever spring and have hit rocks that weren't there in the 10 years prior. Its weird.

 

[Connell Nichola]

Hello,


I want to build a 46x14 sq foot patio with curved corner edge by the basement door. I want it to be long lasting and low maintenance.



I want to avoid sunken pavers, weed, drainage problems?


1. Is compacted stone dust (21A) good to level the ground?
2. Level 1" of sand sub base
3. polymeric sand?
4. Eva by Techobloc or Bristol by EpHenry or something else?
I want pavers like attached pic.



Please let me know if I should use something else.

Thanks in advance

You may get help by any experienced construction builders if you afford it.

 

[tstex]

With respect to movement of anything and cracking slabs, I have learned that extremes of anything cause havoc [heat 108 degrees/droughts, then excessive rain, etc], and more so w clay soils higher to the surface. proper compaction is also critical and w the correct components, unless your
building on bedrock.

no matter what slab you pour, keeping moisture around it when it gets excessively dry is critical. when you have 30" of rain in a month, then 5-6 months later no rain for 4-6 weeks in the summer, you better be watering your slab perimeter.

In the Houston area, there's 2 types of slabs/house foundations: those that have cracked and those that are going to crack, unless the moisture content is regulated.

 

[stadry]

have heard of that issue - particularly w/post-tensioned slabs vs moisture content but not that simple,,, its shrinking/expanding soils that's the culprit,,, from what area colleagues tell me, it doesn't occur in properly jointed post tension'd conc,, if heat alone caused conc to crk, there wouldn't be a usable bridge or runway in town
crack'd conc more likely when original conc's stressed beyond its designed use - eg, heavier trucks

 

[tstex]

Stadry, you're exactly right on expanding & contracting souls are the culprit, and that's primarily clay soils. Contraction occurs when the moisture leaves; expansion when rains come back. By heat, I mean high temps of sun to dry out soils and thus causes contraction. Clay soils that have regulated drip irrigation systems maintain uniform water/moisture content, thus very minimal to no expansion contraction. HNY