Paver Patio - sand base and paver edge retention

[Mr_Yan]

I'm putting in a paver patio next to my house. For about the last 70 years there had been a concrete pad there which I removed as it settled and was directing water to against my foundation rather than away. Overall the patio with walk ways on either side of it and next to the front entry door is about 500 square feet.

Are there downsides to NOT using the traditional gravel / crushed stone layer and only using sand? I understand most applications have clay or dirt under the crushed stone layer but I don't.

My soil here is about 4" of black dirt then about 4" of mix black dirt and sand then pure sand for as far as I have managed to dig (almost 6 feet). In the area for the patio the dirt layer is gone and almost all of the mix layer so I have sand for feet vertically.

As prep I have laid and staked 2x6s around the perimeter of the patio plus about 8 inches. The top of this edge is where I want the bottom of the paver so I'll skreed and compact to here. The pavers will be set on top of that sand base and bedding then I plan on using the manufactured plastic resin paver edge staked around that with spikes driven in to the base.

Am I going off the rails in not buying, importing, and using the crushed stone? I will still have to get a yard or three of sand to level this out.

 

[Tetters]

In my experience Mr Yan, the pathways and other areas I have laid slabs on over the years have mostly been laid down on sand, and it makes a good bed to settle the slabs on without anything extra added. I've always tried to make sure my surfaces have been well tamped down first to make sure there will be no subsidence. I certainly wouldn't want to entertain using crushed stone as well.

 

[Mr_Yan]

Thanks @Tetters

Yes, as you said, compaction is key here.

Crushed stone base with about an inch of sand over the top run over with a compactor works amazing for pavers. But I don't think / hope / wish I don't need that here. I will need a few yards of some small aggregate brought in to make up the rest of the volume I'll need for level (off level or slope but smooth, English sucks sometimes). I have options for that from the local stone yard but will probably stick with local sand.

 

[Tetters]

Thanks @Tetters

Yes, as you said, compaction is key here.

Crushed stone base with about an inch of sand over the top run over with a compactor works amazing for pavers. But I don't think / hope / wish I don't need that here. I will need a few yards of some small aggregate brought in to make up the rest of the volume I'll need for level (off level or slope but smooth, English sucks sometimes). I have options for that from the local stone yard but will probably stick with local sand.

Sand is, I suppose, just crushed stone until it gets very very fine...

 

[Mr_Yan]

Let's call them really little boulders...

Or take stones, crush them very very fine and heat it a lot, you could make glass. Now that's a shattering idea

 

[Tetters]

It's amazing what you can do with little boulders

 

[DrCase]

I lay pavers and brick on sand beds .
it works for me , I use water to settle the sand

 

[Mr_Yan]

I use water to settle the sand

How? I'm not looking forward to getting the plate compactor to and from the rental place.

 

[Tetters]

I lay pavers and brick on sand beds .
it works for me , I use water to settle the sand

Fancy that, I was going to mention that I have usually used a hose pipe to achieve this job as well. I find that the sand on its own is much easier to wiggle the slabs/pavers about to get them straight.

 

[Mr_Yan]

Well instead of posting on here I've been getting my patio ground work going and the pavers as ready as possible.

I did a trial layout and test cut a few stones. The wet saw I was using worked great but I didn't align a few cuts so that was off. I'll make a jig for when I bulk cut most of the 45 deg stones.

 

[Tetters]

You can pop over here any time you like Mr Yan - I do like to see someone make pathways in that lovely precise fashion - ours are all over the place

 

[Mr_Yan]

You can pop over here any time you like Mr Yan

Well I have been dreaming of a vacation bike trip in the UK or Ireland. I've watched vids with great shots of riding in England and Wales.

But we already booked a vacation in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and after Mrs Yan booked it I learned it has some great mountain biking.