We are wanting to put in a patio w/ pavers in are backyard. The builder all ready poured a small concrete slab

Question

We want to extend it w/ pavers to make a larger area. Is it better to pour more concrete and put the pavers above it or... something else. We live in Utah where the ground freezes and we would like low maintenance. What is the best option for us. Thanks for your time

Answer 1

In my experience it will be better if you sledge the slab and remove it, start fresh.
Bring your pavers up to the door. Do you need a step? Not more than seven inches from door sill threshold to patio surface. No step? Good, just make it all flat, raise with AB or sand as needed. See your supplier for tips.

Answer 2

If by pavers you mean geometric shapes that fit tightly together, or brick pavers, then you'll want to place them on sand.

But first, prep the area by digging down to hard soil as a base. Apply a layer of fine gravel or "crusher run." Skreet (smooth) it with a section of wood you draw over the surface to level it. Then, water it well to make it settle, and compact it with a tamper (heavy metal plate on a long handle -you can rent one).

Now come back with about 2-3" of sand, level and wet it down and tamp and level again. The idea here is to create a flat surface so the top of your pavers will be even with each other. Have a small pile of sand nearby.

Flat, yes, but not necessarily level. There should be some tilt to one side or the other to run water off; or otherwise, the middle areas should be slightly mounded up to run water off the sides. Use a level.

Along two edges that meet at a corner, install retaining edgers, available as plastic or metal sections, or just use treated lumber secured by iron pins running through them or along the outside. Don't put anyhting along the opposite sides yet.

Lay down your pavers, butting them together. There's a trick to this: if you just lay one down and push it against another paver, you'll plow up sand that will get between the pavers, and you'll also dig out and the sand base; the pavers will not be flush and may wobble. Thus, you should get a paver you're about to place lined up along the side of one that is already in place and drop it down. Even so, you'll have wobbles and uneveness here and there, which is when you take some reserve sand and trowel it into place to make mid-course corrections. After you've placed 4 or 5 pavers, tamp them down by spanning them with a section of 2 X 4 or similar laid flat across the pavers, and firmly hitting the 2 X 4 on top with a hammer. Don't be too aggressive -you just want to set everything in place. When done, install the retaining material along the open sides, snug it up tightly to the pavers so the job is "framed" along all sides. Dump some reserved sand on top, and sweep it around to fill cracks. Water everything, then more sand and sweeping. You may need to repeat several more times as things settle.

There will be some frost heave, but the important thing is that everything settles back in place as warm weather comes in. This is why you build a firm base of uniform depth, and a slight swail to move water away so movement is more or less spead evenly across all surfaces.

I wouldn't worry about the concrete in place -just join your work to that.

Hard work with satisfying results.

Answer 3

sand or pea gravel