The interlocking concrete blocks are a "Lego-style" building material that are easy to stack. Hi Devin. Go to a place that sells gravel, sand and mulch and talk to them. We have to install the permeable pavers because it was required by the city. Felicity, I am not sure what ochre stone is but I went to a "stone retailer" and explained the problem. As such, when maintenance issues do arise, you probably want to call a pro and have them deal with it. The other thing to watch for, as far as separation between your mortar joint and the edge of your flagstoneis getting everything clean. Fill the joints with stone dust/aka screenings, decomposed granite, ectthe same stuff you should use to level the stones out with. Thank you for your expert advice make perfect sense! I understand that stabilized granite actually predates polymeric sand and that there is such thing as stabilized decomposed granite made with *psyllium husks, but that the term stabilized decomposed granite can refer to DG stabilized with various binders. Specifically, decomposed granite aka decomposed granite screenings is crushed stone, made from granite. Would prefer to be able to pressure wash is once in a while, so does stone dust make it impossible to pressure wash them? Will take longer to install, but can be made to look real nice. You are so kind to answer so quickly and for the method link. If things settle down I sure will try something fun! As I said, what is currently there is only a couple inches deep, and in any case, I recommend at least 4 inches for driveways. Thank you for the prompt response. The local product I found looks identical to yours. Devin, Thanks for the article. That depends on the supplier. The stones tend to get lodged on your shoes and are dragged into the house. Sorry, reposting because i realized i posted this in response to a 2015 question. YES, its supposed to be fun and tiringyoure doing it right! If I keep the joints tight will the material bind enough to keep water from percolating into ground? Florida is one of the most unique states in the country because of the weather, sights, and bodies of water. -Many other ground covers to choose from. Anyway, I like to set flagstone on a foundation of road base, also-known-as 2A/modified gravel. Stapables.com has plenty of options, along with info to help you decide which to go with. I prefer smaller joints. I just used stone dust (screenings) as a leveler and in between stones. As long as were less than 1.5 inches or so, than its really not a problem. Stone would have to be of appropriate thickness, outdoor adhesives/exterior thinset used for the ornaments. IDK what the limestone flour only material is you speak of, but you should be able to find proper screenings/grit/decomposed granite/8th inch minus/crusher run/etc in your area, under one name or another. They all set back nicely without any wobble (even after walking on them). I had planned to use decomposed granite for bedding and also in the joints. What did I do wrong? Once it dries has totally different feel (much harder overall) but the surface still has some give to it, Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Outdoor Lighting & Audio/Visual Specialists. Hi We are going to try and repair some ancient stone walls on our Marthas Vineyard property. Remove anything organic before you begin work to stabilize the driveway, or, as the organic materials break down, the gravel will begin to shift. The reason for a well compacted foundation of road base or something similar is thisroad base can be compacted and yet remains well draining. Seriously, that will not go over well at all. Thanks for telling me the plastic approach is lame. These stones on the pool edge got mortared in joints, dyed dark gray to match the stone dust/DG that was used for the rest of the flagstone. I am building and outdoor shower and plan to use natural local stone, which can be fairly thick and irregular on the opposite side of a nice flat sided stone, perfect for a shower floor. Id use the saw, rather than a drill, because with the saw you can make it continuous, getting the whole thing to drain and would probably be fast to dobut I suppose you could drill one hole every 10 or something like that. Now about weedswhat can I say? Permeable pavers also provide stability while maintaining permeability. Other solutions, please? Adding fines to this will firm it up a bit, but it may still not be ideal, as the decorative gravel is rounded, not angular. so my first thought was ants.I have never seen rodents leave sand piles atop a flagstone, so Im still leaning towards ants. Maybe 6 yardS of 1/4 minus (decomposed granite is more expensive, just ask for 1/4 minus, or pathway fines). We dont want to worry about spilled water when gardening, so permeable is good. Not much sun on the walkway but Id imagine moss doesnt care that much about that. Keep the joint material just shy of the tops of your stones, an eighth inch or quarter inch lowdo this, and your problem will be solved. My stepdad used to buy something called tufa that he would put on paths to the horse barn to keep them from getting muddy. Thank you for your very fast response and for taking the time to answer my question. Ditto what had been said here about using pea gravel. Still, this stuff is what you are asking me for. Well, its fairly easy, but you have to becarefulthe sand is mixed with a binder. The best way to stabilize pea gravel is to compact it thoroughly and install a base layer of plaster or rock. My husband and I were considering using the polymeric sand in our new flagstone patio but my gut was telling me to go with the natural product. Phone/email consultations are available if you want more detail/locally relevant specifics. For the most part the patio is sunken 1 inch compared to the barrier strip. Seee this post here on sand cement or gravel. I think that any crushed stone with a good variety of sizes would work. I have 4 large, thick stones for the 4 corners and many med-large stones interspersed for stability. Only now did I realize that I neglect to answer. If the pea gravel is slippery, apply another coating. Thoughts on what we could use? So far we have tried aggressive scrubbing test areas with soap and water, aggressive scrubbing with a 50/50 bleach mixture, and also with a powerful house siding cleaning mixtureall with no luck, the same haze remains. Most of my jobs are in Pennsylvania. 3. I dont know if it would do any harm though, but it might. Also, very impressive stone sculptures! I realize it would be better to remove everything but Im not up to doing that. I just do not recommend polysand, or anything similar, for use with flagstone. Me, I usually go 6+ in northern regions, 4+ in warmer places. Solutionfit tighter and fill with larger sized material. Sure. No maintenance issues there. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. ", Here is a link that might be useful: Stabilizer Solution. Have you seen this used with travertine tile in an outdoor pool deck in Florida? Im 61 and have hauled a TON of this slate. We had a flagstone patio put in last year. In Colorado, I believe they are sold as crusher fines. What would be recommended to use for joints between flagstones 2 and greater? Ready-mix concrete refers to concrete that is specifically manufactured for customers' construction projects, and supplied to the customer on site as a single product. Unfortunately, job is small and nothing artistic about it. The stones have large gaps between them and weeds are taking over. Small voids may be left underneath your paving unitsespecially if you are using irregular natural stone. Your thoughts please? To decrease the gravel carried away by any runoff, you can also add drainage trenches to your pea gravel installation. I have heard many hardscapers claim that its impossible to remove the polymeric sand haze. What I use is stone dust AKA screenings. Once again, tamp the decomposed granite until it does not move. Thank you Devin for this, preparing to put in quartz flags in Colorado over clay soil, gravel base, love this long term solution you provide with decomposed granite for leveling and filler. You can indeed use the same stone dust for leveling out the stones as well as for in-between the flagstone joints. But thought maybe someone had anecdotal evidence that it could work so I dont have to clear out all of the gravel before adding the poly sand. Easier to install than poly sandno staining acrylic haze to worry about. We are having a dry laid, recto-linear patterned, natural cleft, blue stone patio installed by a professional landscaper, but I am a little worried about the size of some of the joints. We have an existing flagstone patio which was built on a layer of crushed limestone with the same in between the flagstones. Great advice and beautiful work around the pool.. thank you! In a few places where pressure washing has removed the soil, I filled the joints with the rock screening you recommend. We want to go with a flagstone patio around the pool. But the mortar beneath the stones will likely crack, making wobbly stones sitting on cracked hard cement. We got heavy rain and its very wet and now some of the stones move and are sloshing around in the stone dust there are no pools of water but its really soft and the lots of the stones move and almost slosh down when stepped on. Travertine fits together so tight, I think stone dust would be too big. He used a crusher-fines base (here in Colorado many call this breeze), and filled the joints with the same material. Devin, Thank you for this blog and great info. Possibly free too, if you have gravel onsite. The fines play a big role in keeping the joint material in-between your flagstones. Start your subscription today and save up to 70%. Despite that, regular stone dust usually works just fine in between flagstones, without any binder, polymeric or otherwise. Is there a means to just patch the cracks? Come to think of it, one of the private residences in Colonial Williamsburg has a stabilized pea gravel front walk. Youre welcome, I hope my blog posts are helpful. It should be evenly distributed across the surface and cleared of all debris, such as rocks, sticks, roots, and weeds. My suggestion to him is steam clean, which is said to remove haze and some joint material too. Ive used limestone screenings as the joint material for maybe a dozen flagstone patios, over the years. We live in Ontario and I am almost done with my flagstone landing. I think that where there is soil, the rain results in dirty water covering the stones, making them dirty more quickly than might be expected. As it stands now, even a 20% improvement will satisfy them. Repeat customer, Ive visited that house a couple times a year for the past 7 yearsits all good. We had a pro lay a flagstone floor. Yes, the material I saw at the quarry very close to my house was just the very fine dust. But I get ityoure suggestion youd just seal the mortar itself. Hi Devin Thanks for all your comments. 1 ton of screenings will do about 200 sq at 1 inch. i am a fan of screening, but at times, find it hard on bare feet. Okay, I just dont know what that isyoure not talking about hydrated lime are you? Thanks for your help, George. Your Thoughts are? Ive done this once before. Also, I lived in the Poconos for more than 20 years and at one time not far from your town. Not a good look. First off, thank you for giving your location! Common does not mean good. Youll be fine using screenings. Just finished laying a patio of large natural stone2-4 thick in a shaded area. You cant really hide the edge thoughso dont bother trying to hide it, but go with an edge that you like the look of. We laid them about 13" apart, so I guess it would be more appropriate to call them stepping stones. The gravel helps toughen up the dog's pads without damaging them. First off, thank you for all your posts. If youve already done so, I wouldnt sweat it too much. If you do not have any orange based cleaner, then try using a bit of vinegar along with the wire-brush. Naturally it failed. I have been getting a lot of hate from basically contractors who don't want you to do your own work. Therefore, be aware of the possibility of water running off to the edges and plan accordingly. I am considering adding about 5 to 10 tons of fines to firm things up a bit, hoping that the smaller particles will help lock the larger stones in place. I have never used a polymeric sand, and I am wondering if I made some out of the crushed stone I have (which is very fine, for filling the joints, and I have a lot of it still)? If there are large areas, apply the binding solution in two or three coats. We currently carry sand that comes in 5 colors: brown, black, grey, red and buff. Well, i figured pavers are just big stones, and it works for them. Or sand, if need be. Theres also an adjoining bluestone path with 2 joints, but Ive used mulch for those and pounded it in; seems to be holding although it gets weedy of course. Check it againrepeat until its wobble-free. Kern in his book, "The Owner Built Home" talks about no-fines concrete. Wanted to check with you the cheapest way to do it under 2K if possible? Thank you. Okay, on second thoughtI might hose down really well, then take a 24 and a 3 pound hammer to it. Which is ideal for large joints? Hi Devin, greetings from colorado. Bravo to this article and its author, Devin. Luckily, there are many ways you can stabilize pea gravel on walkways and driveways. I didnt provide enough info. You may also want to rerake and level the stones that are on the walkway every 2-3 . Make sure the patio is pitched hard enough. Hose the joints down, on shower setting, sweep off the excess, if you want you can use blower to remove more excess stone dust. The tile company probably makes a rubber underlayment that youll want to lay on top of the 1/4 minus. Having not seen the patio in question, I really cant say what is best. I have thought of using the polymeric sand to keep out both as much as possible. You can also use cement. If you live somewhere with winters, then it will crack up faster. Quick question: in cases where the polymeric sand has left a white haze on the slate as you mentioned, what is the best way to remove the haze? Devin, have you tried NATRACIL as a stabilizer? Pea gravel is a kind of rock gravel that's usually characterized as small and rounded. I imagine theyre not all entrances to the colony, they are just cast-off from their digging. In short: sweep the stone dust into the joints, hose down. But then, it its still more rigid and solid than we want, for flagstone joints. Devin, What a great article. Plus, Ill answer short and sweet questions here on my blog, of course. Use too much water and the binder, an acrylic glue, washes out and leaves a nasty haze all over your carefully laid flagstone. There are some joints approaching 1 inch. Dig down to mineral soil, clay/sand, you dont want to build on top of organic material. Compacting the gravel will also help keep weeds from coming through. The, after laying the flagstone you re-plant the sod between the stones. D-limonene. But tiny cracks do form, and weeds will get in there, roots will grow, cracks will get worse. Also can I expect your comment via email or simply on this site? I have done this, for a client. I dry laid the flagstone (on a 4-inch compacted base of 5/8th minus gravel with a 1 inch layer of 1/4 minus gravel that the stone was set on top of). And that is exactly what it looks likelike asphalt, like black top. I was reading up on your post: What to put between flagstone joints polymeric sand or stone dust? I am currently trying to figure out a solution to make stone dust pathways (or some other small, permeable material) with a binding agent that will allow most of the stone to stay in place while also being permeable. Havent had any issues of stone dust getting into the pool, 3 years later. Ill keep trying to keep the fit tight and corners flat. When using pea gravel for a hard surface patio or similar area, you need to use a binding solution. Then, if filled with stone dust or d/g (interchangeable, I dont know of any reason why DG might work better) the cut that you made will allow water to drain. Thanks! Thanks again! An inch of slope per four feet is right, water should flow. Add the proper amount of cement and water and mix well by some mechanical means, smooth to grade and pack it. We have large four inch thick, Colonial stone laid on a dry base, like a stepping stone path. Hello, I apologize if this has already been answered. We have a large concrete patio(800 sq ft?) This is professional advice, written by dedicated a stone mason/passionate stone artist with over 25 years experience. About ground cover for in between your stones.theres a few good options out there, like Irish moss (not really a moss) and thyme and others. Had a similar problem when we bought our current property. You can do it. Several products on the market specifically work to bind loose gravel surfaces, like Gravel-Lok or EasiHold. However, since the gravel is loose, people often need to know how to stabilize pea gravel. Thanks in advance. Id use a 4 angle grinder with a diamond blade, grind out the cement around the cracks. Great article Devin, We have large slabs of Indiana ledge rock some as big as 30 sf and 4 inch thick around our pool laid with 1/4 inch tolerance laid on sand with sand between the stones sme have shift and opened gaps and tilted Its impossible to fix without big machines so I am planning just to stabilize it Screenings the best? I had been tempted to use polymeric sand, but plan not to use it now. After reading your article, Im confused.. Is polymeric dust the same thing as screening? They're sold as soil stabilizers (type that into google and settle in), but the principle is the same. Or how to deal with it? But sand wont help and if you do not want to do it proper to begin withthen what you already have is probably fine. But I would toss it together with stone dust, mixing the two, and consider it an acceptable joint material, so lang as its at least half stone dust/screenings and so long as its mixed fairly well. Or grind out the entire joint between the flagstones. Any idea on how to remove to get the stones back to previous state? (The previous owners thought a pea gravel front yard would be nice as well - so I already have that on my plate to remove).I was wondering if anyone has tried to stabilize pea gravel using concrete sand, DG, or other material and tamping? Stays slightly flexible so it doesnt crack ((yes.it cracks, sometimes)). I hope you are happy with the final product! Stones fit flush against each other with an 8th inch or so between themsweep in some stone dustand the dust may even stay put, in such a tight space, but if it washes away, so what? Quikrete Gray Sand/Topping Mix 60 lb. Im trying to keep my foundation dry on north side of home. Where do you buy your screenings in Pennsylvania? Just looking at the drawing, you can imagine that the larger chunks of gravel will stand in more sturdy fashion, with the smaller chips packed in tight between them. Any corrections or suggestions I should be advised of? Lay an inch of 1/4 minus (stone dust, oathway fines, DG) over this, screed out nice and level, hose down ( on the shower setting, dont soak) then tamp. I was wondering how best to address a potential problem as winter is approaching. Im glad that you appreciate my work. My issue with the concrete border is that the concrete may crack. You can purchase products like EasiHold or Gravel-Lok, or other epoxy coatings. I have used it quite successfully in the past, albeit with concrete pavers; the haze isnt as bothersome and didnt seem to last. But Ive seen em fail down south, and out south west, too. In colder places, dig deeper and have a thicker gravel base, say 6 to 8, in warmer places 3 to 4. Need your patio be perfect? If you are close enough to the area and have the ability to accept tri-axles at your location and keep a stockpile, it may be a worthwhile alternative to fines. We just moved in a year ago. We didn't try to stabilize it, but what we did do is to put down flagstones in the pathways. Effort PA. Southern Poconos. Where do you buy the screenings? 2. -moss. And have fun! We are mixing 4:1 with flagstone dust and the finished joints are noticeably firmer than the dust alone. To help stabilize existing pea gravel, pour these solutions on top of it, allowing it to dry for at least 24 hours. Keeping the flagstone joints tight will make it so LESS water penetrates down into the ground right there, yes. Material cost is more or less of no importance so if decomposed granite would work better or look better than other stone dust I would use it.
Jewish Neighborhoods In Nashville, Tn,
Acalanes Union High School District Governing Board Candidates,
Do Mice Eat Their Babies If You Touch Them,
Steve Kelley Cartoonist Linda Kolkena,
Chuck Aspegren Obituary,
Articles C
can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel