Page 314 - Masonry and Concrete

Paving

313
PAVING

FIGURE 8-37

Vibrating plate compactor.

8.3.3 Natural Stone Paving

A flagstone patio or walk is simple to build and is much like fitting the
pieces of a puzzle together. Flagstone paving may be set on a 2-in.
compacted sand setting bed or on a mortar setting bed.
For a sand bed installation, fill the excavated area with ordinary
construction sand screeded to the correct thickness. Starting in one
corner, place the stones on the sand and tamp them into place with a
rubber mallet or a trowel handle. Make sure that the stones are solidly
bedded and do not wobble. Some stone can be very brittle, and if it is
not solidly supported can crack at points of high stress concentration.
If necessary, dig out a little sand to make the bedding on uneven stones
more solid. Arrange the straight edges of the stone toward the outside
1
perimeter, and fit the irregular edges together, leaving about 2 in. to
3 4 in. between the stones (Figure 8-38). Trim individual stones with a
hammer and chisel if needed, and use a mason’s level to maintain the
paving roughly level. When all the stones are in place, sweep the joints
full of sand. Wet the sand with a garden hose to compact it and then
sweep more sand into the joints. Fill the joints again in a few days if
the sand settles a little.

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