HOW BEST TO LAY RECLAIMED COBBLE PATIO??

[lordsainsbury]

Hi,

I have salvaged some old cobbles that are all basically the same dimensions 21cm x 9cm x 10cm and i want to replace my patio area in my garden. it's very lightly trafficed by me hanging the washing out, and occassionally sitting outside for a bbq.


currently there is an area of your bog standard typical decorative gravel that i intend to dig up and lay the cobbles there.

I have had a look around for advice on layers of foundations to use for the cobbles and was considering using a sub base, then sand, lay the cobbles on that and brush more sand into the gaps between cobbles to fix in place.

my question is, would it be sensible to use the deocrative gravel (propoerly compacted) as the sub base?

also, is the sub base, sand, cobble, more sand method suitable?


any help appreciated!

 

[Thermo]

gravel wont bind when you compact it. youd be better leaving it there and giving it a covering of mot. The cobbles can be laid on a sharp sand bed, but i would rather bed them in a semi dry mortar mix

 

[daneski88]

How deep is the current layer of stones? It may well be possible to spread sand over it and compact it down by either using a vibrating plate, or hosing it in with water. Then a dry mix of sand/cement (4 or 5 to 1) lightly compacted before cobbles on top. again using a whacker to bed in.

Finally, kiln dried sanded over - yet again which a whacker to vibrate it int the joints.

 

[Thermo]

cheaper easier and a far better result to cover with mot

 

[daneski88]

cheaper easier and a far better result to cover with mot

Either way, a whacker for a day or weekend will be needed. My way involves sharp sand and cement, your needs MOT, sharp sand and cement. Can't see why yours is cheaper nor how whacking MOT on top of the existing stones will compact them.

Both methods are valid, but mine will be cheaper and better

 

[r896neo]

If you just put sharp sand over the gravel it will get washed down through it by the rain and water gradually undermining your cobbles. Do yourself a favour and use MOT.

 

[daneski88]

If you just put sharp sand over the gravel it will get washed down through it by the rain and water gradually undermining your cobbles. Do yourself a favour and use MOT.

That's why I said to hose it in in the first place - it will self compact with nowhere for it to go. The dust/sand part of MOT will also wash down into the gravel and undermine the larger stones of the MOT which will undermine the cobbles etc etc.

 

[Thermo]

no it wont if its a decent layer and properly compacted.

 

[r896neo]

That's why I said to hose it in in the first place - it will self compact with nowhere for it to go. The dust/sand part of MOT will also wash down into the gravel and undermine the larger stones of the MOT which will undermine the cobbles etc etc.

Ok i understand, but i personally think and in my experience people putting sharp sand over any kind of clean stone or hardcore causes trouble and settlment so for peace's sake we'll maybe have to agree to dis-agree.

YES!! my fist ever quote used after all this time!

 

[daneski88]

Fair enough - we will disagree on this one.