Hey guys,
I am new to the site. I have been reading some of the threads and see that there are many professionals and knowledgeable people on this site. I was hoping for some advice on some questions I have. First, let me apologize in advance for the length of this post.
I am looking to lay down some pavers on my property. There is a small area already done around my pool, but I would like to extend a bit of the patio area and also make paths leading to the front and back of my house. Aside from aesthetics, I need the paths for driving my tractor over. It’s a small Kubota with a front loader and backhoe, which weighs about 3000 pounds. I am looking at about 1200 sq ft of pavers. I will be doing this pretty much on my own, so it’s definitely going to take some time. I live in the suburbs of Montreal Canada and winter is coming soon. My plan because of the time I have before the snow comes, and also to spread the expense over the next year, was to dig out all of the areas where I will be putting down the pavers, putting in the gravel and compacting it before winter. Next spring I will put in a couple of inches of stone dust and then do the pavers during the spring/summer. During the winter, I will be going over and removing snow on this path with my tractor.
My first question is doing the gravel and compacting before the winter and finishing the pavers next summer, is this a good idea or bad? Will the winter freeze and snow help the gravel and sub terrain settle better, or will driving my tractor over during this period loosen what I have compacted.
Second, I have checked with Permacon and Techo Bloc (2 local paver distributors) and they recommend about 12 inches deep for the gravel/stone dust (about 10 inch gravel and 2 inch stone dust). I am willing to go as deep as necessary, but obviously don’t want to over dig, would anyone recommend I do at least 18 inches? More?
Lastly, because I don’t want to rush anything and do the compacting properly (2 to 3 inch lifts), renting a vibrating plate is OK, but I have been looking into purchasing a used one. When I am done with the paver work, I have a 130 foot retaining wall to build on the edge of my property, so I figure renting would not be that much cheaper and hauling this thing back and forth from the rental store isn’t easy, I don’t have a truck. So for the compaction, I have seen some smaller plates (e.g. the Wacker VP1135) that do about 2600 pounds of force (when new). Is this sufficient compaction? Or should I go to the next size up which usually do in the 3200 to 3500 pounds of compaction. Obviously the smaller unit is cheaper to buy and easier to maneuver and might be more ideal for the retaining wall base, but I want to make sure that the compaction is right. If most recommend to 3000 plus pound units, so be it.
Thanks in advance for the advice
