My latest Covid 19 project

3143 Views 29 Replies 19 Participants Last post by Danman1957, Jun 5, 2020

Danman1957

Discussion Starter · Jun 3, 2020

10

I haven't been very active on the forum lately because I took on a big project and wow it made me realize I'm not getting younger or stronger. I bought most of these pavers used from an add on marketplace and it took 3 trailer loads because of the weight to get them home. The soil where I live is that darned clay ! it is so hard to dig that I hired a mini excavator to do that. I buddy needed land fill so I was pleased I did not have to pay to get rid of it. Top quality geotextile was used and then 5 trailer loads of 3000lbs. of 0- 3/4'' crushed stone and a load of stone dust. All compacted every 4'' with a vibrating plate borrowed from a family construction company. Over 300 sq.ft. later and I am enjoying the look. A bit of soil and grass seed or sod around the edges and it will be complete.

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Stick486

· #2 · Jun 3, 2020

nice...

Reactions: 1

OCEdesigns

· #3 · Jun 3, 2020

Very nice! And that is a lot of heavy work!

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Stick486

· #4 · Jun 3, 2020

OCEdesigns said:
Very nice! And that is a lot of heavy work!

I got a backache from looking at the pictures...

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DesertRatTom

· #5 · Jun 3, 2020 (Edited)

Really nice job, and surely a LOT of work. Question, my eyesight is making it hard to distinguish detail, but it looks like you laid concrete pavers on the gravel. Are you able to pull tools out and use them on the pavers? Did you put a weed-stop underlayment in?

FIY, we did the front yard rockscape using small crushed rock, about the same size as pea gravel, but it compacts down and doesn't shift when you walk on it the way pea gravel does. As it has packed down, I am able to drive on it and haul big wheeled trash containers filled with yard waste on it without leaving tracks. It might as well be concrete. If you have a weed stop underlayment, the crushed stone holds it down far better than pea gravel. Crushed rock gravel is generally more expensive than pea gravel, especially if it has color. No criticism intended, just information for others doing yard pathways, something I learned by trial and error.

All that aside, it really looks nice and is certainly going to help prevent tracking dirt and such into the house. I think you spent your Corona "jail" time well. I bet your wife loves it too. Worth a hundred tousand husband points at least, which should cover at least one, "why didn't you call if you knew you'd be late" event.

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DaninVan

· #6 · Jun 3, 2020

Moisture and frost heaving are a serious problem up here, Tom. Drainage is really important!

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Herb Stoops

· #7 · Jun 3, 2020

Looks great,Dan, That looks like a heck of a lot of work, like Stick commented, Oh, my aching back.
Herb

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Stick486

· #8 · Jun 3, 2020

Herb Stoops said:
Looks great,Dan, That looks like a heck of a lot of work, like Stick commented, Oh, my aching back.
Herb

not to mention the knees...

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Stick486

· #9 · Jun 3, 2020

herb stoops said:
looks great,dan, that looks like a heck of a lot of work, like stick commented, oh, my aching back.
Herb

there's the other issue...

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RainMan 2.0

· #10 · Jun 3, 2020

Wow Dan , great outcome . Certainly looks sharp

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Multiwood

· #11 · Jun 4, 2020

Great job Dan

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marecat3

· #12 · Jun 4, 2020

Looks great

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sreilly

· #13 · Jun 4, 2020

I expect Mamma's happy! There was a time but that's long behind me now........my son will have to lead the charge on this project. Excellent results Dan.

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TenGees

· #14 · Jun 4, 2020

Looks great, Dan, very nice.

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DaninVan

· #15 · Jun 4, 2020

You're a better man than me, Gunga Din! Great job, Dan.

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Danman1957

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jun 4, 2020

Tom, Yes I used Geo textile of the highest quality available. I used 8'' of 0-3/4'' crushed stone/gravel compacted every 4'' and then about 2'' of stone dust leveled but not compacted. After the stones are laid, we then installed the borders with the 10'' spikes and applied the Polymeric sand and then re-compacted everything, then a final layer of sand swept in the cracks with a soft broom and finally a light spray of water to lock the sand and pavers permanently(I hope). Yes my wife likes it but at the front I used cold asphalt to create an angled transition between the asphalt driveway and the pavers, and of course the wife does NOT like that part. TOO bad I said, I like it and it's staying ! she asked why I did not use a piece of wood ???? I think the asphalt is appropriate and wood would have looked out of place and in our climate it would not last very long. I am not sexist, but, sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do !

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Danman1957

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jun 4, 2020

Thank to all for the positive feedback.

As for the sore parts of this old body, well some noninflammatory pills helped and so did the 26 year old neighbor that I hired to do the knee parts. My knees are finished and I was able to do very little of that part. I did most of the rest though and unloading the trailer loads of crushed stone definitely helped me sleep well those nights.
My next project outside will be staining the pool deck I built 2 years ago and the fences I built last summer. Then My son's recording studio needs some finishing touches and some shelves and then maybe I can finish my table saw sled !
My boss has told me I may not be back to work for quite some time. Being a technical sales rep means going to many different regions and for now the law is forbidding this activity. Who knows, I might be off for the summer ! I would sure like to get back to normal paychecks though, this 60% salary sucks !
Cheers,
Dan

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JFPNCM

· #18 · Jun 4, 2020

Impressive. Take some well deserved time to sit back and enjoy it.

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MEBCWD

· #19 · Jun 4, 2020

Dan that looks great. Too bad they will not let you travel, you could have come down here and done my whole driveway and entry to the shop and house. Of course, that would be a lot of traveling to haul all the stone and pavers down here.:grin:

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roxanne562001

· #20 · Jun 4, 2020

Looks super nice job Dan

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