Joe1
Platinum Member
Great looking walkway. I bet the driveway is next.
Concrete Paver walkway - vibrate or hand tamp?
- Thread starter hazmat
- Start date
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EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I've done a few paver paitos and walkways.
A couple of things to consider. If you are doing allot of cutting, rent the big saw. The results are something you will live with for a long time. If it's a fairly simple layout, buy a good diamond blade ($40) for your circular saw and it will cut them real nice, just slowly.
Depending on how much base you put down really affects the need for a mechanical compactor. Remember you must compact every 4 inches in lifts if you are putting allot of fill material in. Such as limestone or three quarter/fine or whatever they call it in your neighborhood.
Sand is unique in that it will compact over 90 percent on its own. The compactor is really good at locking all the pavers together after they are laid. Just be sure to keep a layer of sand on top of the pavers when you operate it to protect them.
Put the edging in last so you have flex room when laying out the pavers. It slides in real easy.
I use a 3/4 inch schl 40 pvc pipe as runnners for your scree board. Two pipes side by side are exactly 1 inch thick and provide the perfect thickness for your sand base. I've heard some people skip the sand, but I believe they are just being cheap and cutting an important corner.
If you decide to put a sealer on the pavers, remember that it will wear off on high traffic areas and you will have to keep doing it the rest of your life. I never use a sealer.
The compactor is very heavy. Make sure you have a buddy or a FEL to pick it up and put it back in again.
I'd plan on having all my base rock down before getting the compactor and still keeping is all day. 75 sq ft isn't huge, but is will take some time, and you should be able to compact the base, lay your pavers and compact them in one day. If you have help and it isn't too hot out, it'll be a quick job.
Good luck
Eddie
A couple of things to consider. If you are doing allot of cutting, rent the big saw. The results are something you will live with for a long time. If it's a fairly simple layout, buy a good diamond blade ($40) for your circular saw and it will cut them real nice, just slowly.
Depending on how much base you put down really affects the need for a mechanical compactor. Remember you must compact every 4 inches in lifts if you are putting allot of fill material in. Such as limestone or three quarter/fine or whatever they call it in your neighborhood.
Sand is unique in that it will compact over 90 percent on its own. The compactor is really good at locking all the pavers together after they are laid. Just be sure to keep a layer of sand on top of the pavers when you operate it to protect them.
Put the edging in last so you have flex room when laying out the pavers. It slides in real easy.
I use a 3/4 inch schl 40 pvc pipe as runnners for your scree board. Two pipes side by side are exactly 1 inch thick and provide the perfect thickness for your sand base. I've heard some people skip the sand, but I believe they are just being cheap and cutting an important corner.
If you decide to put a sealer on the pavers, remember that it will wear off on high traffic areas and you will have to keep doing it the rest of your life. I never use a sealer.
The compactor is very heavy. Make sure you have a buddy or a FEL to pick it up and put it back in again.
I'd plan on having all my base rock down before getting the compactor and still keeping is all day. 75 sq ft isn't huge, but is will take some time, and you should be able to compact the base, lay your pavers and compact them in one day. If you have help and it isn't too hot out, it'll be a quick job.
Good luck
Eddie
mikim
Veteran Member
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif yep .... drive had to wait til the roof got done though .... budget issue ya know ...
OP
hazmat
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2002
- Messages
- 4,051
- Location
- West Newbury, MA & Harrison, ME
- Tractor
- Kubota L5460HSTC
Project is complete. Man did the Boss work me hard. 3 hours Monday night, 5 hours wednesday, 2 friday, 14 saturday (compacter due back at 8am sunday) and 2 hours on sunday.
Pics are in my gallery
Pics are in my gallery
tracdoc
Platinum Member
Hazmat,
Very nice job, indeed. The pavers look tight and secure with your soldier border, and all looks very level. You will enjoy the fruits of your efforts for a long time.
Congrats on your job well done.
Very nice job, indeed. The pavers look tight and secure with your soldier border, and all looks very level. You will enjoy the fruits of your efforts for a long time.
Congrats on your job well done.
OhioGuy
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2003
- Messages
- 595
- Location
- Northeast Ohio
- Tractor
- Ford 1220, Case 245, Cub SZ60, Cub 2284
avorancher
Silver Member
Most definitely hand tamp. I have done nearly 2500 ft. (19 pallets) and am planning another 800 ft. The attached photo is the first of 3 completed patios. I tamped with a 10" tamper from Lowe's.
Sure, at first it was hard at first, but after a couple days it seemed easier. After a week or so, people at the local town started mistaking me for the governor of California. My wimpy body was transformed into that of the terminator... and all because of a little patio project!
Unfortunately, just a couple weeks after I finished the last patio, my body has returned to that of a sofa sloth and I have to use my tractor to haul heavy loads again.
I did rent a vibratory compactor to set the pavers into the sand and plan on renting it again for the 800 ft. project coming up. I really did use the hand tamper, but I don't think I'd do it again. That 10 lbs. quickly feels like 100. If you total up the gloves and linament costs, renting comes up about equal.
Sure, at first it was hard at first, but after a couple days it seemed easier. After a week or so, people at the local town started mistaking me for the governor of California. My wimpy body was transformed into that of the terminator... and all because of a little patio project!
Unfortunately, just a couple weeks after I finished the last patio, my body has returned to that of a sofa sloth and I have to use my tractor to haul heavy loads again.
I did rent a vibratory compactor to set the pavers into the sand and plan on renting it again for the 800 ft. project coming up. I really did use the hand tamper, but I don't think I'd do it again. That 10 lbs. quickly feels like 100. If you total up the gloves and linament costs, renting comes up about equal.
Attachments
OP
hazmat
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2002
- Messages
- 4,051
- Location
- West Newbury, MA & Harrison, ME
- Tractor
- Kubota L5460HSTC
Hey that pattern looks familiar /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. I rented the machine for the day, but I bet I used it for less than 1 hour total.
Mr_Matt
New member
How to Tamp??! I've just started a large patio project - portions of the patio will have sitting walls; - a long story about it's layout but.. with these walls I'm excavating deeper than the depth for the patio. Anyway, the trench is about 1.5 ft wide ( had to dig through solid rock in some areas) so I'm using a hand tamper, (10" square from Home depot)for these areas. This may sound silly, but how do I tamp?, small, rapid tampings without much force so as to vibrate-pack the stone - or heavier, more forceful tampings, I've been doing both, but like to know what is the best methodology to save my strength. At what point is the tamp good enough - and how do you know? No matter how much I tamp, I follow it up with a good water hosing and I still note the very fine peices/particles settling down, revealaing more of the larger stone sizes. Am I not tamping good enough? Hard to imagine!! Sheesh! - or am I being too picky
Thanks
Matt
Thanks
Matt
avorancher
Silver Member
I used the heavy forceful tamps. Gravels were pushed downwards, leaving me with a smooth dirt surface. I could walk on it without leaving footprints and further tamping didn't do much. I was working with mostly decomposed granite-type dirt. I dampened it, but never soaked it.
Whenever I laid down to catch my breath (gasp), my 110lb wife used the smaller vibratory movements, but I don't think that worked as well. I always went over them with my technique. I don't think one can create the 3,000 lbs. of force that the vibratory compactor machines do using either technique.
The important thing when being forceful is to drop it straight or you will definitely feel the sting in your hands as the energy comes back towards you instead of down.
Whenever I laid down to catch my breath (gasp), my 110lb wife used the smaller vibratory movements, but I don't think that worked as well. I always went over them with my technique. I don't think one can create the 3,000 lbs. of force that the vibratory compactor machines do using either technique.
The important thing when being forceful is to drop it straight or you will definitely feel the sting in your hands as the energy comes back towards you instead of down.
