You need to go 6" min for drainage. you backfill with 4 inch of 3/4" crush or recycle gravel. Put 2 inch of limestone and lay the patio. dont forget to tamp the gravel.
You dont have to use sand. Dig down 6" as i said & make sure you have about a 1/4 of a bubble slop on a 4 foot level (I think it is a quarter inch per foot) for proper grading away from your house. Backfill with 3/4" gravel and keep the same slope. after that you put limestone screening on top - my buddy does it for a living and he said not to go more then 1 inch of limestone or it will shift after the winter.
I put 1/2" of limestone and tammped and then another 1/2" as a final grade. I did not use bedding sand and it is solid. You can use sand or not use it - its up to you. My buddy does it for a living and does huge estate homes and never uses sand. You dont use cement mix unless you are installing flagstone slabs - I am not familiar with that though so I cant comment.
@ctdst I went deep to make sure it have a good base (and it was my first time doing a patio). Check out backfill called "High Performance Bedding" (HPB). HPB is an angular, washed limestone material that is both free draining and deters soil migration. It self compacts and required no compacting. The patio is 3 years old this summer and no issues so far.
HEY THAT'S LOUD ANNOYING MUSIC, DIDN'T WATCH
89239dfkdk 1 year ago
Can you please explain the process you went through to build the steps. Thanks
canpens1 1 year ago
No instructions. Just noisy rock music blaring away. What's the point of that?
MrBellend1 1 year ago
dumb question im sure, but how do you retain the shape of the patio? is it just from backfilling the edges nice n tight?
westonlg24 1 year ago
@westonlg24
I used a plastic edge restraints with 12 inch stakes to secure it. Google "edge restraints" for more info.
compain 1 year ago
good job!!
tarvaca29 2 years ago
Hey, looks freakin good! Couldn't tell but why'd you go so deep and what'd you backfill it with?
ctdst 3 years ago
You need to go 6" min for drainage. you backfill with 4 inch of 3/4" crush or recycle gravel. Put 2 inch of limestone and lay the patio. dont forget to tamp the gravel.
have fun.
mcease 2 years ago
Do you still use sand cement mix before placing slabs?
ollieflp 2 years ago
You dont have to use sand. Dig down 6" as i said & make sure you have about a 1/4 of a bubble slop on a 4 foot level (I think it is a quarter inch per foot) for proper grading away from your house. Backfill with 3/4" gravel and keep the same slope. after that you put limestone screening on top - my buddy does it for a living and he said not to go more then 1 inch of limestone or it will shift after the winter.
mcease 2 years ago
@mcease even 1 inch is alot. better to have the less posible half a inch is perfect
CedrikTheManiac00 1 year ago
I put 1/2" of limestone and tammped and then another 1/2" as a final grade. I did not use bedding sand and it is solid. You can use sand or not use it - its up to you. My buddy does it for a living and does huge estate homes and never uses sand. You dont use cement mix unless you are installing flagstone slabs - I am not familiar with that though so I cant comment.
mcease 2 years ago
@ctdst I went deep to make sure it have a good base (and it was my first time doing a patio). Check out backfill called "High Performance Bedding" (HPB). HPB is an angular, washed limestone material that is both free draining and deters soil migration. It self compacts and required no compacting. The patio is 3 years old this summer and no issues so far.
compain 1 year ago