Hi everyone,
So what happens if it rains following the installation? Sand will wash out of the joints and spill onto the surface of the pavers. Ok, so what if a light rain occurs immediately following your polymeric sand installation?
I am new here but have been reading a bit and it seems like a great place to ask for advice. This past weekend I installed a paver path in my backyard connecting my deck to my driveway. My yard is flat. I used concrete pavers that look like stone. I dug down about 5 1/2 inches and put in 3 inches of paver base gravel. I then hand tamped it. After that I put on 1 inch of paver sand, layed the pavers, and placed edging around the whole path. I then filled in the sides with dirt and sod I had saved when digging the path. Afterwards I spread paver sand on top with a broom and made sure it when down in the grooves between the pavers. I then watered the pavers and let it dry. I put more paver sand on top of the pavers and ran a broom over it again. Everything looked good and you were able to walk on the path with no paver movement.
Then the rain came. It rained pretty hard today (3 days after I installed the path). I came home to take a look at it and a lot of the sand that was visible between the pavers had washed down further between them. I thought no big deal I can just spread some more on it once it dries. I then took a step on a few to see how it would hold up in the rain and that's when I sank in. The paver sand gushed up the sides and the paver sand an inch or so. This happened to a few of them. Obviously this is not good. How can I fix this? And also how can I prevent this from happening again? I would like for the pavers to be set and not shift or move at all when it rains. Any help would be very appreciated!
Thanks,
Jeff
Scope your slope. To avoid water pooling on your pavers, you want your pavers to be slightly above the surface of the surrounding ground at all points. Thus, when planning the slope, begin with what will be the highest point. Typically, this is the point at the bottom of the front door or otherwise closest to the house.- Drive a stake at the high point, and mark the correct height where the pavers will meet the door or structure. Tie a string around the stake at that height.
- Drive a stake (if there isn't already one) at the outer boundary of your project. This will be your lowest point. Attach a line level to your string and then tie the loose end of the string around the outer stake at the height at which the line level tells you the entire string is level. Now from that line move down the stake at least 1/8' per linear foot (e.g. if it is 8 feet from your front door to the outer edge of your patio, move down the stake 1'), and draw a new line. Move your string down to this line. String cross-lines down the length of the project to ensure you mark the correct depth across the entire project.
- If your project area has a variety of slopes, or if your design is irregular, you'll need to repeat this process in several points. It is absolutely critical that you get the slope right, so the more stakes, the better.
- You may want to consider hiring someone who know how to use a transit or laser level and measuring rod. They can achieve the same results in less time.
- Make sure to remove the string before you start digging, or you may end up tripping on it.