building a Tenn. stone patio, any suggestions?

[strupgolf]

I've had the idea to do this for years, but now that I'm retired, I have more time. 2 tons of stone, 2 tons of sand, a level place and here goes.


I'll post some after pics also, but so far so good. Has anyone done this before to offer any suggestions or ideas?

[matt f]

Did you tamp your stone and sand down?
Sand appears loose.
In my experience, the prep before laying your stone is most important.
When done properly your finish stone won't float or change depth with traffic, temperature change and adverse weather.

Matt

[wdfifteen]

Looks like you are getting a good start on an ambitious project. Unless you dig a foundation for the stone that extends below the frost line your stones are always going to move with changes in moisture and temperature. The sooner you start thinking of them as a nice bed of stone on a lake of moving soil the sooner you will understand what you are dealing with. Research what you will put between the pavers. I use polymeric sand, it is flexible and looks good, but between moss growth and weather I have to replace it every 5 years or so. So far I haven't found a good alternative, but I'm open to suggestions.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by strupgolf

building a Tenn. stone patio, any suggestions?



I'll post some after pics also, but so far so good. Has anyone done this before to offer any suggestions or ideas?

I think I see Rhode Island, Indiana, Georgia, and a few that look kinda like Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Utah. I would put Tennessee right in the middle.

[Rot 911]

Great idea! But like Matt said earlier, you really need to first compact the gravel and then the sand. If you haven't, you won't be happy with the end result.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by matt f

Did you tamp your stone and sand down?
Sand appears loose.
In my experience, the prep before laying your stone is most important.
When done properly your finish stone won't float or change depth with traffic, temperature change and adverse weather.

Matt

Matt is correct......this is what should have been done before laying the patio stone....

[billybek]

It looks as though the crushed rock base had been down for a while before the sand was put down.
For level I use 3/4 inch black iron pipe for screed rails and level the sand before placing the stone or pavers down. Sand is pretty much not compactable and it is nice to have some forgiveness when placing the stone.
It looks like you are doing a fine job! Looking forward to seeing the final product.
Edit
The crushed rock base should have been compacted to make a stable base for the patio. I thought that the base was already in place from your first photo.

[strupgolf]

Thanks to all for the help. Yes the gravel has been down for 5 years. I put 3 inches of sand over the entire mess. I thought about a compactor, but then I knew I'd be walking all over it, creating hilks and valleys. So I tap the sand down when I have a stone to place, then I tap the stone down after level. Thus far so good. Ive got some polymeric sand to put down between the stones. We use it so seldom, this should be good for years.

[strupgolf]

I finished up with the stone today. Now I have to do the polymetric sand between the joints. Its been a fun puzzle, but for a younger guy.

[bivenator]

A big thumbs up. That is a lot of stone to move in 3 days.

[masraum]

Wow, looks fantastic. Personally, I like some vegetation growing in between whether it's moss or some sort of very small, very tough ground cover, but I don't have experience with that sort of thing and I'm not sure what could be used.

Great job!

[billybek]

Great job!