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Frequently Asked Questions |
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Pavers & Walls
I have hard clay ground, do I have to use the gravel anyway?
Do I have to compact the gravel?
Does it matter what kind of sand I use under the pavers?
Does it matter what kind of sand I use over the pavers?
Do I have to use paver edging?
How do I decide how many blocks I need for making a wall?
How tall can I build a wall?
How do you keep the caps on a wall?
Do I have to use drain rock behind my wall?
I am cutting out part of a hillside and putting in a retaining wall, how high should the wall be?
How much gravel needs to be used under a retaining wall?
Do you build the wall first and then fill behind or what?
I am terracing my backyard. How close can each layer be?
I have hard clay ground, do I have to use the gravel
anyway?
A: Yes, clay does not stay hard when moisture is present. To keep pavers nice and level, you must use the gravel base.
Do I have to compact the gravel?
A: If you don't, mother nature will do it for you and then you will have dips and bumps and all your work will have to be re-done.
Does it matter what kind of sand I use under the pavers?
A: You don't want mason sand or any sand that is extremely fine and will have too much movement. The screened sand is perfect for this use.
Does it matter what kind of sand I use over the pavers?
A: You can use the screened sand to fill the cracks in your paver
project. Better would be to use the Super Sand. This polymeric sand product would be swept into the cracks, then you spray water over the top, and Voila! when it dries, it hardens like mortar--no more weedy cracks, ant hills, or sand washing out!
Do I have to use paver edging?
A: Not if your pavers will be up against a poured concrete edge. Otherwise, correctly installed restraints will keep the pavers in place through all weather and uses.
How do I decide how many blocks I need for making a wall?
A: If you know how long you want your wall, how tall you want it and which wall product you want to use, we can help you determine how many blocks you will need!
How tall can I build a wall?
A: Each of the wall products has a maximum height for gravity walls. In the state of Washington, any wall over 4 feet high must be engineered; we can order wall products that can go as high as you need to go!
How do you keep the caps on a wall?
A: Any cement adhesive will work. They come in tubes for use with a caulking gun. We sell dry adhesive. Do not adhesive the wall blocks, however, there must be room for some movement.
Do I have to use drain rock behind my wall?
A: Short answer--yes. Long answer-- if you are making a little wall two feet high that is surrounding your flower bed, drainage is probably not as big of an issue as if you were to build a raised area that your garage will be sitting on. Drainage in Southwest Washington should always be taken care of at the beginning of a project. If you have to go back to do something about it later, think of the cost and headache to tear it all apart again or worse, have your wall end up somewhere else when the pressure of the soggy dirt takes your wall with the hillside as it comes down.
I am cutting out part of a hillside and putting in a retaining
wall, how high should the wall be?
A: If you are undercutting a hill around here--get an engineer to help you design it. Having a hillside come down and take your house with it (or your neighbor's) because you weakened the structure would be a catastrophe! They can also recommend which wall product will best suit your needs.
How much gravel needs to be used under a retaining wall?
A: NCMA Standards say 6" minimum depth. You also want the base to include the block , 6" in front of the wall, and 6" behind the wall to prevent movement when the wall settles. Example: The block you chose is 8" deep front to back. Your gravel trench would be 20" wide, the length of your wall and 6" deep.
Do you build the wall first and then fill behind or what?
A: Always backfill and compact each level as you go.
I am terracing my backyard. How close can each layer be?
A: However tall the first layer at the bottom is, you must at least
double this for the space necessary behind that wall before
you start your next wall up. If you don't follow this, the upper
wall will be putting it's entire load on the bottom wall. If you
will be putting more strain on a layer, like a parking area, a
gazebo, a garage, you must have an engineer design your
terraces so you don't end up with a big heap at the bottom of
the hill!
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