How do I set pavers...
Concrete pavers for patios, sidewalks, and driveways are very popular.
Follow these directions to get a solid paver project.
Choose a Design
Pavers come in many shapes and colors.
This gives you many different options for your design.
Excavating
Stake out the area for your project. You can do this with sticks and strings.
Remove the grass . You can do this pretty easily with a sod cutter. Then you need to dig down to a point where you want your base to start.
We suggest you dig down seven inches. That is to allow for a four inch base, a layer of sand, and the pavers.
The process is called skimming. You try not to disturb the dirt at the bottom just skim the top. If you loosen the bottom dirt, it'll settle and you could end up with a dip in the patio.
Remember to slope the base away from the house one inch for every four feet. This will help drainage.
You can do this work by hand, but if you have a large area you might want to consider having a subcontractor do the work with a Bobcat as above.
Base Material
The base material we often used is a crushed concrete. This will help build a stabilized bed.
You can get a compactor at a rental store and put down half the material then compact it followed by the other half and a final compacting.
Some applications will now require a bed of sand to be graded into place. Sometimes the fine recycled crushed concrete is sufficient to lay the pavers in. Whatever base material and bedding material you use, be sure your application is solid and level.
Setting the Pavers
Snap your center perpendicular line before starting the pavers..
Set a row of pavers in what's called a "soldier course" along the outside edge of the patio.
Start the first two on either side of the line and work out from there.
Set the pavers gently into the sand. Don't twist them or push them down.
Set the pavers in sort of a pyramid, centered on your reference chalkline.
Adjust the pavers every few to keep them straight.
After the pavers are set, put the edging on the sides. This may consist of a concrete slide base or a solid material form like wood or PVC.
Now compact the pavers. This is the process of locking everything into place. The compactor is pressing the pavers down, evening out the tops of the pavers, and forcing some of the sand up into joints from underneath.
Next fill the joints with sand from above.
This makes a patio incredibly strong.
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How do I lay sod...
- Remove the old lawn and/or weeds. Do this is by digging them out with a flat-bladed shovel (make sure you get the roots).
- Break up the compacted soil with a tiller. Tillers (also called rototillers) can be rented from your local rental center.
- Now rake the soil to begin to level it out, removing any rocks and debris that you find. To avoid problems with excess water-runoff, make sure that any site grading you do allows water to flow away from your house.This step requires a roller. Rollers, like tillers, can be rented from your local rental center. Fill the roller's drum with water, then use the roller to finish leveling the soil.
- Start laying your sod. Begin on the outer edges. Make sure you stagger the ends of sod, so that the seams don't line up. Think of it as a "brickwork" pattern.
- For a couple of weeks after laying sod, remember to water faithfully every day. If you know your schedule won't permit this, now's the time to look into automatic irrigation systems, before starting a new lawn.
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How do I grade my yard...
- I would give this a second thought. At least get the rough grade done by someone who uses the equipment every day and understands what the soil compaction is likely to be etc.
- The biggest cause of water problems in your yard is improper grade.
- Finish grading can be done with hand tools if you have a lot of time and energy, but I would recommend letting the pros do this part as well. Stick to the stuff you don't need large equipment for; even if you rent it, you don't have the hours using the equipment that the guys in the business have, and mistakes are a major problem to fix after your grass and flowers and bushes are in.
Swale water away from a structure
If the soil and or sod in your yard is slopping towards your house, the trick is to grade the water runoff away by creating a swale.
This swale, or ditch, helps in two ways. It draws the water away from the house and acts as a channel for proper directional rainwater runoff. You dig in this swale around a corner of the house and continue until the natural slope of the ground is falling away from your structure.
Most of us who live in Florida live on flat ground that has been oversodded and now the rain water runoff is flowing toward the house… Sometimes the ground is so flat that there is no easy way to create a swale or sloping condition.
These circumstances require a professional with the heavy equipment to do the job right.
• The existing sod and dirt should be grubbed (removed) and the grade corrected
• Gavel and / or drainage pipes can be installed underground to handle heavy water flow areas
• Gutters with downspouts that direct the water flow to underground piping and in this case, you need to pipe the roof water as far away as possible. *** Downspouts that dump water onto the ground near the house can cause serious problems.
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