[TrickyDick]

We are trying finish up our last big project of the year and it is slow going for a variety of weather related reasons. I have one more section of bluestone patio to install where there is currently a mud pit and some mortared cobblestone edging and flatwork some of which is waiting on the paver to pave. My questions are...are there any special considerations in 1)working with mortar when it is freezing at night? and 2) installing a patio base under the same conditions?

[Stonehenge]

Here's a good thread on the mortar topic: Cold Weathe Mortaring

As for patio base prep, so long as the prep work is completed while everything is thawed, we'll lay pavers over it (even if it subsequently froze up).

[mrusk]

We are going full speed a head on a very large project. We are not going to stop or slow down for winter. We are just going to take 2 days next week to build our tents and then we will be ready to move foward.

I'll post some pics of my tent setups once they are up.

[TrickyDick]

Huh...responded to the wrong thread. I'm ready to hibernate.

[AZTLANLC]

Originally posted by mrusk

I'll post some pics of my tent setups once they are up.

Oh yeah! pics from your tent will be so nice to see.

[mrusk]

Thats funny, because i do not think i am looking foward to working in the middle of february!

[lasting impress]

As long as you work a small section at a time. Even if there is 2" of frost, once you dig it out, install your base and pavers or wall before it freezes back up, no problem.

[Lanelle]

If you are working with mortar, is your patio base poured concrete?
There are temperature constraints when doing concrete and mortar.

[TrickyDick]

Patio/walkway is dry laid. The mortared parts are a lot of cobblestone edging and flatwork mostly part of the driveway.

[mrusk]

I am working with concrete and motar. The neccessary procautions will be taking to insure a quality finshed product.

[Stonehenge]

mrusk - Share what your precautions will be. If you read TrickyDick's post, you'll see that's the question we're trying to answer.

[Paul]

Tents are great if you can keep it heated all day and night, frozen ground sets you up for failure. There are a number of companies that offer heating systems that will defrost frozen ground. They use a liquid heater and tubes, and insulated blankets, that will thaw out the ground or prevent it from freezing. With concrete you have to remember to keep it from freezing during the curing time, this varies with the type of concrete and pour temperature. 35 and rising not too much trouble, 32 and falling watch for the edges to freeze first. If you have a heater and tents with the ground thawed out you should be ok as long as you pour early in the day and keep it heated or insulated or both depending on the temps.

If your doing pavers, and your base is installed with no frost in the ground your ok, you can heat your sand dumped over 12" CMP pipe with a couple of propane torches inside. Keep it warm until you compact and your set to go.

[mrusk]

Right now the tempertures are between 30-35 during the day and drop down to 18-20 at night. Currently we have the torpedo heaters running under tents to keep the areas were we are working defrosted. We are in the process of doing 900 face feet of engineered SRW. Job was priced with road base for the reinforced zone. I new this time of year we would never get the right compaction from dirt. We've had a wet fall and things just do not dry out.

With the walls, its just important to not be compacting on top of frozen material.

Once i get these walls up i will sleep better at night. The 2800 sq feet of flat work i have should not be to bad. I can get 600 sq under tent at a time.

I will keep my bedding sand defrosted the way Paul suggested. And i have 2 yards of mason sand in the customers heated garage.

[AZTLANLC]

Originally posted by mrusk
Currently we have the torpedo heaters running under tents to keep the areas were we are working defrosted.

That means I can go and look for the pictures you posted for the previous job right?

[Matt Kulp]

Originally posted by Paul
If your doing pavers, and your base is installed with no frost in the ground your ok, you can heat your sand dumped over 12" CMP pipe with a couple of propane torches inside. Keep it warm until you compact and your set to go.

Great idea!