Patio Project - - Concrete Pavers

RCW · Apr 28, 2018

Tried the jig with circular saw.
Looks to be within 16th or less, but not quite square, but that’s me.

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CaveCreekRay · Apr 28, 2018

Isn't that what the sand and compactor are for? LOL....

I wouldn't sweat 1/16th. If you can repeatably keep that accuracy, your job will look awesome.

How do you lay pavers? Working on the pavers (on plywood) or on the sand side, constantly screeding? Never watched an install before.

RCW · Apr 29, 2018

CaveCreekRay said:
.

How do you lay pavers? Working on the pavers (on plywood) or on the sand side, constantly screeding? Never watched an install before.

I’m learning too.....
6” compacted base, not sure what I’m using yet. Then 1” bedding sand, then pavers.
Finish with the sand swept into gaps and tamp again.
18 year old son is done college for semester next Saturday, but ACL and meniscus knee surgery will follow shortly.
I have 7 feet of foundation wall work to do in the spot first. Contractor a couple weeks out.

Calling for snow today.....and 1-3” tonight...sigh.....

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RCW · Jul 20, 2018

Not really a fast-forward, but we are finally getting to putting the patio in.

The 7' of foundation wall replacement was done, and done well. My grass seeding in the lawn didn't come in worth shit. Used same seed, etc. I used last year.

Took a while to find material to bed the pavers. Have 6 or 8 gravel pits within 10 miles; my go-to place was acquired by a large company and no longer sell to individuals.

Finally sucked it up and bought material from a contractor friend. $50 worth of stuff cost $180.....

Graded the area with the BX and box blade. Worked great.

3-5" of rain predicted over next 6 days, so I'm thinking we won't be laying pavers right away.

groomerbuck · Jul 20, 2018

Have fun!! Im in the middle (well almost done)of a paver project myself. Lots of work for one guy from start to finish.

RCW · Aug 10, 2018

FINALLY getting to work on it. Mother Nature and my work schedule haven’t been cooperative.

Three people working on it....me, myself, and I..... [emoji12]

Tractor has been a godsend.
Just a start of the base to hold landscape fabric down.
Still prefer the box blade to grade/smooth stuff out. Got good with it doing driveway. Quarter inching control sucks, but just go slow ....

PS and Lesson for new guys:
Do you see the skid mark in the grass to the left of the tractor bucket?? That’s why you keep your tractor in 4WD on slopes using loader. If in 4WD, fronts will help you brake/slow via the HST.
Had plate tamper hanging from the bucket hooks and we got light in the rear end!! Had a short, quick ride! I was in 2WD....
I wasn’t at risk of hurting me or the equipment, but that could be very dangerous in other circumstances. Just wanted to pass that along, because it does come up here often.

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Yooper · Aug 11, 2018

Even for us old guys its a good reminder! Bit of pucker factor when that happens!

Looking pretty good, btw.

D2Cat · Aug 11, 2018

RCW, isn't that the area you just reworked last year? Looks good, and a lot of work.

I think I'd consider a french drain at the bottom of the grass on the far edge of your project. Just to give the water coming off that slope a place to go without coming any further towards the house. Wouldn't need to be deep, but it looks like you could get some volume off of that in a steady rain.

RCW · Aug 11, 2018

‘Cat - yeah that’s been torn up couple times recently. Did 30’ of foundation wall while back, decided to do another 7’ before putting patio in. Was pushing a little, and didn’t have a footer drain. Good news is now most of the backfill along House is clean crushed stone down to footers/footer drain.
Thanks for the drainage suggestion.
I may run my homemade subsoiler in that spot, and follow with a swale or similar.

Cutting pavers in half with my homemade jig working great! The fan running was key!! Someone on OTT suggested it.
Raining now, so a little inside work.

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Lil Foot · Aug 11, 2018

The fan running was key!! Someone on OTT suggested it.

RCW · Aug 11, 2018

Lil Foot said:
[emoji3][emoji57]

Thanks, sir!! [emoji106]
Worked great....it really was key.
Blew the dust right out of the garage. Didn’t even get my floor, hands or shoes dusty!!

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Lil Foot · Aug 11, 2018

Your're welcome sir, that trick has saved my lungs many times over the years!

RCW · Aug 11, 2018

Got half the stone dust down, after completing the base course.
Ran out of gas.... and I don’t mean diesel for the tractor......
Tomorrow’s another day!

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RCW · Aug 12, 2018

I lied. I did get a helper.
I think he’s a State employee though. Would probably lean on a shovel if he had thumbs!

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LwhiteAH64 · Aug 13, 2018

It is looking really good!!!!
Definitely a state employee!!!

D2Cat · Aug 14, 2018

I don't know, maybe an employee of the local power company. They've been known to take 3 trucks, 6 guys to dig one hole. When they come in at the end of they day they drive 45 MPH, leave the job with plenty of time, and if you're behind them...you stay there.

Oh, they finally got an edict from the upper management, they can't start their day out at the local donut shop because of too many complaints from citizens who couldn't get in the parking lot!

RCW · Aug 14, 2018

For anyone in the northeast, you can thank me for the weather.

Sorry about that. Had similar weather come in when I considered taking the snowblower off early couple years ago........damn, heard about that for a while!!

I swear the forecast changed drastically Friday afternoon after I loaded the plate tamper on the truck for a week rental.
We’re at a standstill now after dodging rain over the weekend.
I loaded the tamper back up tonight. Will take it back early (after a good washing), hoping they’ll let me take it for a day or 1/2 day to finish later with a discount.
Thankfully, rented from my local welding supply, so they know me.

Plus side is the rain hasn’t moved the stone dust base around much, and I can see a couple low/high spots. I do have part of a yard left to fill in, and still leave room for drainage.

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CaveCreekRay · Aug 15, 2018

RCW,

Thought of you today.

Wife and I drove by a local pottery shop and they were screeding dirt they had piled in the parking area yesterday. Where it was screeded, a guy was slamming down pavers, working from the paver side as fast as he could grab the things.

Three hours later, we drove by and almost half the parking lot was pavered. We had rain last night and that really helped compact the sand and where they were screeding new sand, it should help that compact well around the pavers when they tamp them down.

Amazing to watch a pro do something I have to really think about.

RCW · Aug 15, 2018

Ray - -

I could use that guy for an hour!!
He’d get more done than I could in.....ahh....hmmmm...several... yeah, several hours!! And probably do a better job!!

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CaveCreekRay · Aug 15, 2018

Practice makes perfect.

I spent seven months re-doing my stupid driveway monuments. When you are paying yourself, nobody says you have to be the fastest. I wasn't quite as fast as the pro I hired but, I could work the other six days he couldn't. My neighbors thought I was totally insane. But, when it was done, they were drop-jawed. So was I.

Git back to work.

Patio Project - - Concrete Pavers

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