Patio Debate (How to Build)
I’m starting the contractor search for a paver patio. Some contractors build on a concrete slab and some others will do over sand/stone base. This will be a rectangular patio with 2 feed wide borders for plants. Rain water drain hole is closer to the house in another small section of concrete slab. What is…
I’m starting the contractor search for a paver patio. Some contractors build on a concrete slab and some others will do over sand/stone base.
This will be a rectangular patio with 2 feed wide borders for plants. Rain water drain hole is closer to the house in another small section of concrete slab.
What is best for a typical row house back yard where the patio will be set in the back portion of the yard with no drainage?
Are paver over concrete slab better than over sand bed? How thick should the concrete slab be? one of the contractors is talking about a 4 inche slab, this seems short to me. I’m thinking a concrete slab has more risks: Cracking, harder to remove if it is ever necessary, pavers “floating” in water if badly built, water only drains on the side of the slab causing flooding problems to my house and neightbords, etc.
Please, could I get some opinions on concrete slab vs sand base? Thanks.
betty grable?
here is the deal eco friendly and cheaper if you use sand/gravel it goes straight into the earth and prevents water run off polluting the surrounding bodies of water. It will also feed your groundwater and your plants. plus if you want to change it or plants something you don’t have to hire someone to demolish . Just add a little bit of sand in the spring and fall to clean the pavers/brick what ever ……..less is more eco friendly.
Agreed, grable is beeter.
Before placing grable and sand if ground compact well and than place grable and sand base for blue stone its beeter as natural drainage sytem even it could pitch to the drain if there is any.heavy water will run to the drain and little water will get in to the ground.Grable and sand base is easy to remove or replace.You may call m.Hamid Construction Co.at 718-633-1500 for an estimate.
I agree, pavers over sand & peagrit – far & away the better choice.
Pavers over sand allow for drainage which you won’t get if they are laid on a slab. You’ll get runoff if laid on a slab and that has to be dealt with appropriately.
That said, it takes a professional who knows what he’s doing to lay pavers over sand + gravel base so that they never buckle, heave or become uneven. Additionally, although they will drain, even a paver over sand base neeeds some pitch to it.
I’ve constructed several paver patios and never once used concrete slab as base; we always used stone dust that would be power-tamped to form excellent base layer with mason’s sand brushed in after pavers are laid.
We had the same debates with contractors too, and made the same conclusion you did for the same reasons. I think some contractors find concrete easier to do because less excavation is required and the materials cost is about the same. and perhaps because some think it can look more “polished” at the end of the project (even if the results don’t last and cause more problems down the road). That said, we have neighbors who did theirs in slab and it still looks fine 3 years down the road.