Considering Installing My Own Pavers...

[MikeFromVA]

We had an estimate for paver walks and patios done and the guy was going to charge $16K for 1000 SqFt of work. I'm not going to pay that so I'm checking in to DIY costs. The pavers will run about $1500 - $2000. Maybe another $1000 for gravel, sand and rentals. The big question comes with the excavating. You're supposed to excavate about 7" down then fill with 4" gravel and 1" sand. If I use my boxblade to get 7" down for 1000 sqFt of excavating am I being crazy? I'm hoping my math is off - 7" x 12" x 12" x 1000 = 1,008,000 cubic inches of dirt / 1296 cu in = 777 cubic yards of dirt. Isn't that a lot? Please tell me that my math is off /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Wesdor]

I think your math is a bit high. If you have 1,000 square feet and need to go down 7", then you are less than a foot - or .5833.
Thus 1,000 x .5833 = 583.33 cubic feet. There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard (583.33 / 27 =21.6 cubic yards.

I'm not a commercial excavator, but when we did our patio that is the way we calculated things and it worked for me.

 

[EddieWalker]

Anything is possible, but I'd say the box blade is the wrong tool for digging out a pad for building a deck. It's alright for smoothing things out, but thats about it.

You will need to dig out the dirt, then haul it off. The hauling is the real work. I think your math is off, but I don't know the amount either.

First I'd research the amount of rock you need for a base. Seven inches seems extreme for foot traffic. Since I don't live in an area that freezes, I have no knowledge of you conditions. But I'd still consider four inches as plenty. This could cut down your exavation by a huge amount.

One inch of sand is normal. You can use 3/4 inch PVC pipes for your scree rails. Their ouside diameter is exactly one inch.

Do you have a Front End Loader?

For what you were quoted, I'd get one.

You can dig out your pad. Haul off the dirt. Smooth the pad by back draging the bucket. Bring in the rock. Spead the rock. Smooth the rock, etc . . .

Paver patios are real simple to do, just very repetitive.

Be sure to rent a compactor to run over the rock when it's in place, then again after you've laid the bricks.

Be sure to rent a saw to cut the bricks. You can also buy a dry blade for $50 give or take and use you own saw. I have a Milwakee chop saw for cutting metal that I put a stone and brick cutting saw in when I need it. I even have a small 7 1/4 inch blade on my circular saw that will cut them in two passes. It's good for really quick, small jobs.

Eddie

 

[MikeFromVA]

Thank you - your math works much easier and sounds right - 777 cubic yards is a whole lot of dirt - how much does a dumptruck hold?.

Anyways, this seems like a project that I can do with my tractor, right? I'd be using my FEL to move the dirt to a field about 100 yards away.

 

[MikeFromVA]

Eddie - everything I've read says that I should use 4" of gravel and 1" of sand - then the pavers bring me to just above ground level. Apparently, having solid clay for soil (poor drainage) seems to be the main justification for the base (moreso than the colder temperature).

 

[MikeFromVA]

Figured out my math error. I used 1296 cu inches in a cu yard (36 x 36) - I should have used 46,656 cu in and a cu yd (36 x 36 x 36). /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[bdog]

A typical dumptruck holds 12 yards. The big 18 wheeler ones haul 20 yards. More than likely your bucket on your tractor is 1/2 yard or so. I to think your calculations are off but if correct that is an awful lot ot material.

There are 46,656 cubic inches in a cubic yard. 12x12x12=cu inches in a cubic foot x 27 the amount of cubic feet in a cubic yard. This makes your 1,008,000 cubic inches eqaul to 21.6 cubic yards - much more manageable.

 

[Highbeam]

I did a lot of the 8x16x2" pavers in an 8' long patio some 80 feet long alongside my house. I sloped the patio as I would slope a concrete slab and ran a drainage pipe with little basins along the low side. The pavers were cheap, about as much as bricks or 40 cents apiece. I graded the soil only enough to slope it towards the drainage system then filled to finish grade with sand which was at most a couple of inches. I watered the sand and then screeded it to grade and started setting pavers. Everything has been fine with very minimal settlement in the last 5 years.

Providing positive drainage in lieu of a bunch of gravel base worked great in my non-frost heave climate. As long as the base is firm and consistent, I would level with sand and go for it.

Perhaps your climate requires you to do all that base work.

 

[Varmintmist]

I have done a couple of these. I think DIY is the way to go.

The 4 in base is for drainage because most likely you are blessed with WVA red clay /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif of which no one has ever found a good use for. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif You can probably get away with less, 4 is not to much though.

Proper excavation first and then compaction is the key to make the job look good and go smoother. If you put in 1 A modified, crusher run I think it is called there, 4 in deep and are using a plate tamper (moterized, dont even think about a hand tamper) wack it at 2 inches and again at 4. Make sure you have good drainage grade before you start laying pavers and work your sand a foot or two in front of your pavers as you go. You can wack the pavers with the motorized tamper, I like to tamp them with a 4x4 5-6 foot long.

Your box blade and FEL will move that much dirt, it will just take a little time. If you DIY the whole project will take a lot of time. Dont worry about it, its worth it. My in laws still like the walks and patio I did for them and they still look good.

 

[Egon]

Use the bucket to remove the dirt. You may not have the reach to load a large dump truck and will have to figure out some other method to get rid of the dirt.

Remember the pavers need edging. They can be spit with a hammer and chizel. After placing the pavers place a little sand over them before running over with the plate vibrator. Fills up the joints and levels the pavers very nicely. The excess has to be swept off.

Think about the style of paver and patterns you wish. Some are more kindly to lay in patterns than others. Make sure the start is straight and square or " She who must be obeyed " will be unhappy.

Before starting make sure you have gloves and knee pads. Use the tractor loader for bringing the pavers from the pallet to the laying site.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif