Quote:
Originally posted by agla
The way it is done in my area, or at least one of the ways, is to use cement in the installation. It is not to withstand the freeze/thaw cycle, but to aid in the installation and make it much more stable than simply dry lating them. The cement cracks under the grade for sure, but the cobbles hardly shift. They also withstand being driven over much more than dry laying them.
Most important is that it is much easier to dig a trench, toss in a bed of soft cement mud and push the cobbles into it than to be messing around digging in or adding stone dust to set each cobble. They don't joint them because they will look like hell WHEN they crack. Showing some cement at the base of the cobbles (like a gum line to your teeth) is OK because the cracks don't really stand out. You can do really nice clean lines and level tops doing it this way and it holds up.
It is faster for sure.
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This is exactly how I do it. We dig a trench about 3 inches deep and 7 inches wide, the width of the shovel. I make my concrete just a hair wetter than a no slump mix and trowel than set the stone. After I hit the stone into place I take a tiny finish trowel and smooth all for edges of the stone so no water can get into the cracks. This method has worked well for the last 2 years, beyond that I can't say at the moment. I don't morter in between the stone for drainage reasons and a more rustic look. Since I mix my mud so dry I probably could use it for morter. I'm going to experiment with is shortly.