dodge man
Super Star Member
I've never seen concrete dust used around here, might be a regional thing. The only thing it would do is maybe act like a stabilizer, kind of like the way lime is used on highway subgrade construction.
Grading Grading with a BX
- Thread starter shrekbelly
- Start date
LBrown59
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2004
- Messages
- 16,851
- Tractor
- 2003 Kubota BX1500/2004 Kubota Bx23/2005 Kubota BX1500
Here is what I use.http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/1378422-post10.html
FullBucket
Silver Member
Shekbelly,
You really don't need to buy any other implements, although a toothbar could help with the digging. The most important thing is preparing the base properly. If your patio is covering a freshly backfilled area, waiting a year is a good idea. If you are under pressure from the wife
to proceed right away there are a couple of tactics to minimize settling. Excavate to undisturbed soil away from foundation and use a jumping jack to compact soil in backfilled areas. The risk you are taking is that it may settle unevenly and you get to pick up your pavers, level the gravel again and lay them down a second time. A thick base, properly prepared and compacted, minimizes the chance of this.
Make sure to excavate an extra 16" or so wider than your pavers. It will help support the edges. Around here we use 5/8" or 3/4" GA (gravel aggregate) for base. Make sure you use enough. I recommend twelve inches; more is OK. It helps avoid settling. Also try to excavate to as flat a surface as you can.
Fill excavated area in layers (4" for a 250lb packer). Rake level. Home depot rents small plate compactors. Go over surface several times in different directions. You will sense when its packed.
"Levelling" the last layer is the critical part. You will need a transit or a rotating laser level, some screed bars (1" galvanized pipe or black pipe works well, but I've used steel fence posts too) and straight 2"x4" of various lengths. Lay the screed bars parallel, about 8" closer together than the 2x4 is long. Drag 2x4 on bars to "level" gravel between the bars. The transit is used to set the height of each end of the bars. I have used the word level in quotes because you really want to have the patio slope away from the house for drainage. A slope of 1/8" per foot should do it. Repeat in sections filling in screed bar trenches as you go, then pack. Screed a final 1/4 or 1/2" layer of loose stone dust or sand and you are ready to start laying pavers.
Lay a straight board along the edge you start on. It will keep pavers square. Once you get away from edge pavers will guide you. Use a bricklay pattern that avoids aligning joints between bricks. Rent a wet saw to cut partial bricks. Lay all the full pavers first to minimize rental time.
Install edging. Brush sand between joints at 45 degree angle to joints with floor broom. You can buy polymerized sand to minimize wash outs. It is also colour coated to match bricks if you want. Good old sand works too. Then run a packer over the pavers to set them in and touch up sand.
Last and most important step. Open lawnchair and a couple of cold beers Hope this post helps. The best advice I was given was to take my time. All the packing and levelling is a PITA but it pays off. Good luck.
You really don't need to buy any other implements, although a toothbar could help with the digging. The most important thing is preparing the base properly. If your patio is covering a freshly backfilled area, waiting a year is a good idea. If you are under pressure from the wife
to proceed right away there are a couple of tactics to minimize settling. Excavate to undisturbed soil away from foundation and use a jumping jack to compact soil in backfilled areas. The risk you are taking is that it may settle unevenly and you get to pick up your pavers, level the gravel again and lay them down a second time. A thick base, properly prepared and compacted, minimizes the chance of this. Make sure to excavate an extra 16" or so wider than your pavers. It will help support the edges. Around here we use 5/8" or 3/4" GA (gravel aggregate) for base. Make sure you use enough. I recommend twelve inches; more is OK. It helps avoid settling. Also try to excavate to as flat a surface as you can.
Fill excavated area in layers (4" for a 250lb packer). Rake level. Home depot rents small plate compactors. Go over surface several times in different directions. You will sense when its packed.
"Levelling" the last layer is the critical part. You will need a transit or a rotating laser level, some screed bars (1" galvanized pipe or black pipe works well, but I've used steel fence posts too) and straight 2"x4" of various lengths. Lay the screed bars parallel, about 8" closer together than the 2x4 is long. Drag 2x4 on bars to "level" gravel between the bars. The transit is used to set the height of each end of the bars. I have used the word level in quotes because you really want to have the patio slope away from the house for drainage. A slope of 1/8" per foot should do it. Repeat in sections filling in screed bar trenches as you go, then pack. Screed a final 1/4 or 1/2" layer of loose stone dust or sand and you are ready to start laying pavers.
Lay a straight board along the edge you start on. It will keep pavers square. Once you get away from edge pavers will guide you. Use a bricklay pattern that avoids aligning joints between bricks. Rent a wet saw to cut partial bricks. Lay all the full pavers first to minimize rental time.
Install edging. Brush sand between joints at 45 degree angle to joints with floor broom. You can buy polymerized sand to minimize wash outs. It is also colour coated to match bricks if you want. Good old sand works too. Then run a packer over the pavers to set them in and touch up sand.
Last and most important step. Open lawnchair and a couple of cold beers
Hope this post helps. The best advice I was given was to take my time. All the packing and levelling is a PITA but it pays off. Good luck.