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Flagstone - subbase level?
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Posted by mielcita2 TX (My Page) on Tue, Jun 8, 04 at 13:16
I'm putting in a flagstone patio and am in the process of digging in the hard clay of TX soil. How level does the dirt have to be if I'm going to compact it and put in gravel? (and level that)
Pea gravel ok? I have seen several detailed specs on the type of gravel, but are there any "laymen's terms" for the stuff?
e.g. "3/4" class II base rock "
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Flagstone - subbase level?
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| I live in CO and am a do-it-yourself type, I did a flagstone patio in a clay soil and simple put down about 3-4" of sand and compacted with water and a hand-tamper. It worked well and I used soil and grass seed for the filler. It worked perfectly for a patio! I would guess that pea gravel (tiny size.. smaller than 3/4") works just as well for a base in clay. Suggestion: For anything harder than soil or sand, use a mattock for digging (friendly adivce from Colorado). |
RE2: Flagstone - subbase level?
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| Oh yeah.. How level? For a patio, try to keep the pieces level with a slight slope from the house, 2 ft level will work fine and stay at about a 1/4 bubble slope. I am not a landscaper, but this worked fine for me. |
RE: Flagstone - subbase level?
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| I am by no means an expert, but I would think the clay doesn't have to be perfectly level, as long as water will drain away from the house. That means putting in a slight slope, with no low areas where the water will collect. As far as what gravel to use, for my patio I used something which is known in this area as "crusher run" or "road base". This is a mixture of gravel in various sizes and sharp sand. It compacts easily, stays where you put it, and drains well. |
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