Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Oct 16, 2008 4:36 pm To all paving gurus and gurettes….some advice requested on brick path edging.
In a previous post I'd mentioned the idea of doing paths around the backyard.... https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=10078 Originally I was thinking of doing them out of granitic sand, I'm now leaning more towards recycled brick as a paving material as it suits the house, and it's easier for the kids to fang around on the bike. I've used recycled bricks at the previous house - and reckoned I achieved a reasonable affect - basically created a redgum lattice and infilled with bricks. And before you ask personally I don't like pavers and prefer the look of "brick" bricks. Anyhoo here's a photo of what I did at the other place. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ However, now I want to get fancy and do a curved path so the redgum lattic idea doesn’t work. Basically the effect I'm after is similar to this… Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ What I'm confused about is the edge restraint I should provide to the path. It seems every "paving guide" offers different advice. There's the US 1" x 4" treated composite lumber approach where you use timber as an edging material which is left in place…using a composite timber means you can get around tight radii… Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ There's the dry placement method where you dig deep enough for the soil to provide the edge support…probably works best when the bricks are placed as soldiers or like dominos… Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ There's the concrete edging method…. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And finally there's the new fangled proprietary "this product is the bees knees approach especially with the steak knives"…which comes in various guises…aluminium, plastic, or galvanised… Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ One thing I'll add to the mix is that I don't intend to do a lot of excavation for the path - not just because I'm lazy - but because I actually want to build up the garden beds a bit from it's current elevation. So I'll probably excavate enough for the crushed rock base and sand but the bricks will effectively sit with their base at the same level as the existing surface. So what are people's experiences with the various types of edge restraint, what did you use and why? I may be pre-empting responses here but I suspect the concrete edging one is the most used method if so how do I prop it whilst I'm hitting it with the Wacker but before I place the concrete edge restraint in place - or have I got this back to front. Cheers, Mike. Re: Paving Advice...or getting edgy! 3Oct 16, 2008 10:26 pm I always lay onto a bed of yellow sand (no shortage of that in WA )
Nearly every house in Perth has had the edges locked in with a brickies lite mortar mix or concrete edging. Most landscapers and pavers consider it the done thing for us and it works well. In fact I don't think I have ever seen the boards done on the edges on any new house around Perth. I am sure there is a reason for the different methods depending on soil types in the area local to you. Why not ring a few paving mobs near by and just say you are interested in how they do their paving so it may help to choose a company? I think if we used timber on the ground like so many do over east they'd be eaten away in a year Re: Paving Advice...or getting edgy! 4Oct 16, 2008 10:31 pm It shouldn't come apart when doing a lap or two with a carpet covered plate compactor. I would suggest mudding up the sides at the end.
Do the headers first and leave bricks ready for the cuts. Do the cuts last. Compact the area prior to paving very thoroughly first before laying. if it is going to be done in one hit, hire a brick saw on the last day or the following weekend. If you are doing a huge area and will be doing a bit at a time I would buy a 9 inch grinder for about $100 and a diamond tip saw blade for about $80 and do it that way. brick saws aren't cheap to hire many times over and so by an alternative instead. Lots of dust though Re: Paving Advice...or getting edgy! 5Oct 16, 2008 11:47 pm Adrian B Davinci can prob give you sokme great advise. i put down granetic sand between pavers on a bed of mortar, and the granetic sand is rock hard. Good fangability factor HFI or High Fang Index is what I'm after...may be worth considering the granitic sand...should get monster power slides on it too.... ...I guess a lot of BMX tracks are done with granitic sand.... Adrian, presumably the pavers were bedded on a layer of compacted gravel/roadbase. Cheers, Mike Re: Paving Advice...or getting edgy! 6Oct 16, 2008 11:47 pm Fu Manchu If you are doing a huge area and will be doing a bit at a time I would buy a 9 inch grinder for about $100 and a diamond tip saw blade for about $80 and do it that way. brick saws aren't cheap to hire many times over and so by an alternative instead. Lots of dust though FuMan good advice. I bought a cheap GMC angle grinder for the job at the old place, I worked out I'd need to kill two grinders to break even with renting. Still using the original grinder.... ....although I did look like a Martian with all the red brick dust.... Yeah like I'm not sure about the timber idea... Cheers, Mike I had 28m2 of engineered pavers laid six months back and it was difficult to find someone not taking the pi$$. Internet suggested it should be $85-100/m2 to lay them.… 3 9625 As most others have posted above the install isn't compliant. The pipe is meant to be covered in loose soil or sand, the pipe has holes in it that leaks out a termicide… 10 4637 |