Hello everyone,
we recently had our driveway paved with natural stones. Unfortunately, I am not satisfied with the result. Many stones are still loose, and the surface is extremely uneven. We had a pathway paved with the same stones about 2 years ago, and that one turned out perfect.
I have already spoken with the builders, and we will find some kind of agreement. However, they are not professional landscapers but rather a general construction team that handles various tasks. (After 4 companies didn’t even submit a quote, we were just glad they finally agreed to do it.)
The main question is: How can I make the already laid stones as level and firm as possible? We are now trying to get a heavy (700 kg (1,540 lbs)) vibrating plate, as the previous one was too weak. Will that be enough to level everything properly?
we recently had our driveway paved with natural stones. Unfortunately, I am not satisfied with the result. Many stones are still loose, and the surface is extremely uneven. We had a pathway paved with the same stones about 2 years ago, and that one turned out perfect.
I have already spoken with the builders, and we will find some kind of agreement. However, they are not professional landscapers but rather a general construction team that handles various tasks. (After 4 companies didn’t even submit a quote, we were just glad they finally agreed to do it.)
The main question is: How can I make the already laid stones as level and firm as possible? We are now trying to get a heavy (700 kg (1,540 lbs)) vibrating plate, as the previous one was too weak. Will that be enough to level everything properly?
Paving stones can be laid on sand, but crushed stone is usually better because sand can be washed away. Typically, gravel (which you have) is spread out and compacted thoroughly using a plate compactor. Then, about 5cm (2 inches) of crushed stone is spread on top and leveled using a screed board over embedded steel pipes, which creates a flat surface. After that, the paving stones are laid. For natural stone, each stone is tapped into the crushed stone bed with a rubber mallet to ensure everything is level. Finally, the joints are filled with jointing material and carefully compacted.
Best regards,
Sabine
Best regards,
Sabine
Hmm, this doesn’t help me at all. The guys did it all like this. There is crushed stone at the bottom, which is completely compacted, then they added more crushed stone for leveling and a bit of sand so the stone would lie flat. Then they tapped each stone firmly into place with a hammer. Afterwards, sand was brushed into the joints. It looked great until the small vibrating plate compactor was used. After that, everything became uneven and crooked.
I’m not asking how to do it correctly. The question was, can I get it straight again using a decent vibrating plate compactor?
I’m not asking how to do it correctly. The question was, can I get it straight again using a decent vibrating plate compactor?
H
HilfeHilfe1 Mar 2019 11:38Remove the stones, place gravel underneath, tamp down with a rubber mallet, and then compact.
You can secure everything firmly by using enough new, loose gravel underneath (not old compacted material). It should be level, not sloped.
Sand is not suitable for compaction. You can carefully place the stones in sand, but when the slab is laid, everything will shift.
For compaction:
Dampen the driveway beforehand.
Move very slowly, almost at a walking pace.
A larger compactor plate means a different frequency and different compaction results.
Always use a rubber mat under the base plate to prevent damaging the stones.
For a flat surface:
Remove the material and redo it as described above.
Sand is not suitable for compaction. You can carefully place the stones in sand, but when the slab is laid, everything will shift.
For compaction:
Dampen the driveway beforehand.
Move very slowly, almost at a walking pace.
A larger compactor plate means a different frequency and different compaction results.
Always use a rubber mat under the base plate to prevent damaging the stones.
For a flat surface:
Remove the material and redo it as described above.
Similar topics