Question on the base for a patio install

[Gilla Gorilla]

I am putting together a bid for a walkway about 17 foot long and 6 feet deep at it deepest point. The ground has about a 4 inch drop over that 6 foot that it will come out from the mulch bed.

The question that I have is for a walkway do I need to go with a 4 inch base of stone dust and then the concrete sand on top or can I just use a concrete sand as the base, if so how thick since there will be no stone under the sand.

[D Felix]

Unless you are trying to protect tree roots, you probably need to install at least 4" of compacted gravel base, then the sand.

If you are trying to protect tree roots, then skim the sod, put down some geo-textile fabric, then 1-2" of sand. I can't gaurantee the pavers won't heave though....


Dan

[Gilla Gorilla]

Thanks Dan.

It is my neighbor so im trying not to hit it to him to badly, but of course still want to make some money.

Unfortunately he just wants the 12" X 12" red brick pavers from home depot to be used. I have the estamite put together for him at about $1700.00 which includes the curved outer part, but I just hate for him to pay that kind of money and have a crappy looking brick on the top. But hey its his money he's spending not mine, Im just getting his money. LOL

[Gilla Gorilla]

Hey Dan, when you say 4 inches of compacted gravel base is this the stuff that you are talking about that they call stone dust where I get it from? Or is the gravel a little bigger and not crushed?

Here is a pic of the stuff that I have been using, it compacts great when you wet it down some and use a plate compactor.

[D Felix]

Either one will work. I've seen Roger Cook on TOH use something similiar to your pic, only he calls it "pack". I think it has some Portland cement mixed in it....

Basically you just want a base that will flex a little. I think Keystone (slightly different application) says their wall blocks can be placed on inorganic soils if the wall is below a certain hieght.... Even if it was an inorganic soil, I'd still use some gravel....


Dan

[Gilla Gorilla]

Just out of curiousity what would you estamite this walkway for?
It is around 90 sq ft. and straight on the backside for 16 ft, curved on the front edge against the lawn. At the deepest point it will be about 6 ft. the pavers are $1.49 per sq ft. Stone dust is $15.00 per ton. Concrete sand is $20.00 per ton and of course the plastic edging. I have a sod cutter and Partner cut off saw already but those I build into the bid for rental of them from the company.

Thanks again for the advise and I just want to make sure that im in the ball park so to speak with this estimate.

[D Felix]

The last paver estimate I did, I came up with somewhere in the $13/square foot range. That was with Holland stone, and it is fairly cheap....

A job that small, I would think the $/sf would go up, you still have the cuts to make, and I'm not about to try to cut pavers with a circular saw.... Though if you're using 12x12's, it may not be as big of an issue.......... Plus something tells me you will be excavating by hand too....

I don't remember how big that patio was, but it was somewhere in the nieghborhood of 2300-2400 pavers, IIRC. That price included excavation (with skidsteer) and base prep, the outer edges of it were curved, so lots of cuts.

I'd think you'd do OK with $1700. Our stone and sand cost aren't quite as high here, plus I don't know what you normally charge for labor....

Hardscape jobs that small are kind of a *****, they can be more of a PITA than they are sometimes worth.

HTH.


Dan