MikeTheBuilder

Hi:

I'm new to the site, but this looks like it can provide a great deal of help. Here is my question. I am building a new home for a Client in Florida and they are interested in having concrete pavers installed in their driveway. I have experience with pavers, but not installing them on a hill. Our area is pretty flat. So hills are usually hard to find. I am concerned, as the homes on either side of me are experiencing sand washing out from under their poured concrete driveways. We are planning to place a 3" base of fines under the pavers and a concrete boarder on each side of the drive to hold the pavers in place and prevent wash outs. The pavers are concrete interlocking type with sand between the joints. Can any of you share your experience with this type of situation? Should I discourage the Clients from installing pavers and place a concrete driveway with side turn downs? I woud like to install pavers for the Clients, but don't want it to come back and bite me in the future. Thanks for your help

CaliDesigns

You might consider putting borders at each end and some in the middle (depending on how long the drive is) to help tie everything together. Just a thought.

concretemasonry

Interlocking concrete pavers should be places on a 6" compacted base and a 1" concrete sand setting bed on top of the base. Spread fine (masons sand) on the top and then vibrate with a plate vibrator.

If you have errosion problems, you could use a deeper spiked edge restraint (steel or aluminum) than the cheap plastic stuff.

Look at the Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute (ICPI) site - icpi.org (I think) for lots of good information.

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Dick

Engineer, designer and consultant recently active internationally on construction and design in about 35 countries.

HemiMan2500HD

what about using a belgian block border and apron. That will seal everything in between where it is supposed to be

tgeb

Polymeric jointing sand very good at keeping everything in place.

It promotes water to run off, rather than into the setting bed, and it literally "glues" the pavers together.

I worked with some guys this spring and we had to take up an area that we had completed only a few days before with polymeric, and it was a major pain. That polymeric is some tough stuff.

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Tom

www.gebcon.com

MikeTheBuilder

Wow, thanks guys for all the great information! Installing a concrete border on the sides on the paver drive with additional ribbons of concrete every 10 feet or so will certainly stabilize the pavers on the hill. The information on the product installation design (Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute (ICPI) site - icpi.org) was really helpful too. The company provides specific drawing for this type of installation. A big help!

Installing a proper base will stabilize the installation and eliminate future settling.

The information regarding "Polymeric jointing sand " was totally enlightening. I never heard of that stuff! It look like you just install it like regular sand and then lightly wet it down. I was concerned about the joints washing out on the hill. Especially, since the drive will be carrying some of the site run off. Everything grows in Florida, even between paver joints and ants just love normal paving sand. This stuff will be a great help!

I can't tell you how much I have been thinking about this issue over the past few months. It's one of those things you run into as a Builder that makes the little hairs stand up on the back of your neck. You just know it's an issue that you better pay attention to. If you don't, it's going to bite you in about 6 months. I met with the paving company, landscaper, site engineer, Building inspector and concrete subcontractor on site. Even after all that, your ideas were the best! I'm really going to enjoy this web site. Thanks again guys for all you help.

Stevelsc8721

Out here where it is always cold, the right to 80 every day on Long Island NY I use dry pack. Concrete and sand 3-1 mixed then installed. Next day we install the pavers and butter the edges. Every job is different, but I have found dry pack the way to go. We are ICP certified.