Hardscaping planning considerations
for the Home Owner
What are we wanting to build?
First look at the big picture for your hardscaping project. So besides pavers, don't forget vegetation, irrigation, lighting and any other features like a fire pit (stonewall product), sitting benches (Masonry Block), raised planters (Retaining wall or regular Block) or a built in Barbecue (Block or Flagstone).
First look at the big picture for your hardscaping project. So besides pavers, don't forget vegetation, irrigation, lighting and any other features like a fire pit (stonewall product), sitting benches (Masonry Block), raised planters (Retaining wall or regular Block) or a built in Barbecue (Block or Flagstone).
- Budget: Determine the funds available for your project. For budget numbers for our products mentioned above, see the suggested steps below. Naturally you will need to add labor and the other features.
- Survey Your Yard & determine what features you would like to add or modify. This may be driveways, walkways, patios, block fencing, retaining walls, fire pit, barbecue, tree beds, ect.
- Product: Function determines paver thickness. Pick out products suitable for your project.
- For Fence Wall: Pick block type, (Slump, Standard CMU or Fence Block (Tongue & Groove)) then
- Size, Texture (Smooth, Split Face or Shot Blast) and color.
- For Retaining Wall: Load consideration and height will determine product type, then texture and
- color.
- For Pavers: paver thickness for (application), a paver for the border, paver for field, pattern and
- color. Residential driveway pavers need to be a minimum of 2 3/8" thick (60mm) and require
- stricture installation procedures. The following pavers are suitable for both driveways and
- patios: AZTEC, all COBBLE sizes, TUMBLED COBBLES, HOLLAND, DECORA, MINI DIAMOND,
- TURTLE BACK & I-PAVERS. Pavers/stepping stones for walkways and patios-not driveway are:
- Gecko Stone, Spanish Tile, 6x2x12, 12x12,16x16 in smooth or brick face or cobble stone,
- 12 x 16 Cobble Face.
- The most popular border pavers are: Hollands, 6x6 or 6x9 cobbles.
- For Flagstone: Pick thickness and color.
- Who is going to do the work?
- Are you doing the installation or are you going to have it professionally done? While pavers may be installed by the do it Your-selfer, we recommend for driveways, complex patterns, areas with poor soil (clay or all sand), heavy run off and / or steep slopes to be done by the professional. Two of the most important elements of a good paver installation is the base and compaction. Paver pavements are only as good as the base upon which they are laid. If pavers are for a driveway, those increased loads require more sub-grade quality than say pavers just being walked on in a patio. Following the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) quide lines is always a very good idea. Soil conditions are generally good in the greater Tucson area but can very alot. As such, few homeowners have the soils knowledge nor equipment needed for proper base installation for driveway applications. In addition projects requiring mortared masonry, flagstone and things like barbecues are best left to the professional.
- If you are doing it your self-See Specific Product Estimating Suggestions below: determine the rough quantities of materials needed and get pricing. Be sure to allow some extra funds for unseen events. If within budget, finalize the materials. If multiple deliveries needed, stage them so materials needed first come first. If over budget, can it be scaled back, or do you need to delete an item. Walls are where the most savings can be found. 8" tall block are about half the labor cost to install 4" tall block, and 8" cost only slightly more than a 4" high block.
- Walls:(WHL) width-height-length: choose wall thickness of either 4",6"or 8"-rarely 12". 4" wide will be T & G in an 8" high (TG 4x8x16) and will require pilasters (columns for strength) in- A's, H's, L's and T's). This is the typical sub division screen wall between lots. 6" wide block can be conventional or T & G in 4" or 8" height (6x4x16)and (6x8x16). 8" wide would be conventional masonry- in either 4" height (8x4x16) or 8" height (8x8x16"). 8" T & G is a special order for us. To get approximate quantity for a 4" high wall, wall length x wall height x 2.3. For 8" wall its wall length x wall height x 1.2. Both allow 5% for loss, cuts, breakage.
- Retaining Walls: All retaining wall except Nursery Stone use a 4" high cap on top of the wall. Nursery Stone, and both 6" & 8" Stonewall caps are 4" tall and 12" long. So length of wall in feet equals the number of Stonewall Caps needed. Length x height of wall and multiply x 2.3 for 4" tall, 1.75 for 6" tall and 1.2 for 8" tall retaining block.
- Pavers: Once you determine your applications for the pavers (driveway or patio), pick appropriate field and border pavers. Next is sizes (if cobbles), color and desired pattern. You need square footage of each paver project (width x length). Most installations have at least several border paver sections used to contain the field pavers from being displaced. Often called a Soldier course- they are set in mortar, usually on top of a small concrete footer. Pavers per square foot by type of paver, is found on paver & stepping stone heading at top of web page. If no border, take pavers per sq.ft x your square footage, add 5% for a few extra if straight line fields. Circles and curves will require more for loss due to cutting. For projects with at least 1 a border - to be with pavers- measure border lengths using paver borders in feet, divide by 12 to get length in inches. Next look up length of border paver that will be in contact on the outer edge. Example- Cobble pavers in field using just 6x9's in a 10x10 square foot patio, with a Holland paver border on just 1 side. Hollands will be laid perpendicular to the edge, so that will be the 4" side of the Holland, 10ft x 12 =120" divided by 4" = 30 pavers for a single side border. Hollands are 4.66 pieces to a sq.ft. So 30 pieces divided by 4.66 = 6.4 Sq.Ft. Total patio is 100 Sq.Ft. so taking 100 sq.ft total- Border Sq.Ft (100-6.4=93.6sq.ft). 6x9 cobble needs 2.67 pieces for a square foot = 2.67 x 93.6 sf = 250 6x9 pavers. Add 5% to both border and field pavers.
- Quick Installation -Paver Placement
- There are 3 ways to place pavers: mortar less, dry mortar and wet mortar. For the non-professional, we suggest mortar less or dry mortar. For mortar less paving on PEDESTRIAN walkways or patios, on existing quality soil, we recommend 1" of wash sand, be placed over the compacted sub grade and screeded smooth to the proper elevation required. On driveways, for best results, we would suggest a sub-grade of 4" compacted ABC, then sand per above.. Following: Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute guidelines (ICPI) is strongly encouraged. It is vital for color consistency, to pull pavers from 2 preferably 3 pallets at a time, top to bottom, not by just top row. Place pavers in pattern of choice as close as sand lugs allow. Be sure sand lugs leave a small gap for sand between pavers, otherwise chipping is likely to occur. After placing pavers, spread a fine dry sand over them and sweep into joints, this will require several applications. It's our opinion, on driveway applications, pavers should be vibrated during sanding the joints. We recommend a sealer be applied after surface scuffing from transportation and installation have dissipated (1-3 months is the norm). Generally best to re-sand to fill any gaps before sealing. Sealers help hold color, make cleaning most spills easier and helps reduce ant hills.
- If you are having it done: we would suggest getting a minimum of 2-3 quotes from reputable contractors or landscapers. While licensed contractors generally cost more, their license at least means they passed a test for knowledge of that field, have workman's compensation, liability insurance and likely are bonded.
Remember as review- To choose you paver:
1) drive or patio application?
2) type of paver, pattern and color.
3) Determine total square footage?
4) Determine border paver type (if desired-usually needed) and its orientation?
5) Subtract border square footage from total square footage to get field square footage.
Additional Paver Info: Except for tumbled pavers, all pavers are sold by the piece - you do not have to purchase pallet quantities. All listed weights and sizes are approximate. Due to the changes of color in photographs, then web pages - colors here-in, may very from actual product. Please come and look at actual product before purchase. Expect some color variance of products due to different production lots, temperature, humidity, aggregate and cement color variations. To get the most consistent color blend, lay pavers from a minimum of two or more pallets, taking pavers top to bottom, not by course. Surface scuffing does occur during transport and placement, try not to drag pavers off of pallets. Most scuffing will fade away in several months. See also reference header than Hardscaping Flyer
