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Flagstone patio...can I lay stone on powder sand?
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Posted by greenman-3535 (gw:greenman-3535) on Sun, Nov 5, 06 at 8:47
Hello,
I live in central Florida. My soil-type is pure powder sand (that goes down quite a way). I dug out a circular patio (with an area of about 80 square ft.) 2.5 inches down. I purchased sandstone slabs (huge) that are 2.5 inches thick. Can I lay the slabs directly on the powder sand base and fill the joints with a powder sand/manure mixture (more humus to grow a groundcover like creeping thyme..a 'green' mortar to stabilize the joints)? I tried to level the sand bed, but because of the nature of powder sand, there is a fair amount of shifting. I have also installed 6" plastic edging as a border. Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Flagstone patio...can I lay stone on powder sand?
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| That's exactly what I did up here in Rhode Island. It's been two and a half years and still going strong. However, mine lays upon firm topsoil..........I put about 5 inches of sand down and filled the cracks with small pebbles..........looks/works great. |
RE: Flagstone patio...can I lay stone on powder sand?
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| I grew up in Florida and am familiar with the conditions you are dealing with. I'd suggest you consider two factors. First, you probably live in an area that gets some very heavy rain. Make sure you have some sort of gentle slope to avoid pooling of water on the patio. And make sure you have as firm a base as possible. It might be sand is sufficient if firmly tamped down, but were I to go to this much trouble, I'd go a little further, sig it our and put down a firmly tamped base of pea gravel, then a base of sand. Like many projects, preparation may be the most tedious and time consuming part of the job. Show off the results, please. I'm in coastal South Carolina and we share one factor we can disregard: frozen ground that heaves up patio stone! I can't imagine. |
RE: Flagstone patio...can I lay stone on powder sand?
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| Thanks for the replies, garry and tuff. I appreciate your advise. I will try to display pictures of the patio when it is done. |
RE: Flagstone patio...can I lay stone on powder sand?
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| You can also use stabilized sand. Mix Portland cement with sand, prepare the base, then lay the stones. Sweep more stabilized sand into the cracks, and mist with a water hose. Don't disturb until it sets and is dry to touch. This will set up like concrete, but looks more like sand. It is very easy to work. We have sand on the coast here, too. Janie |
RE: Flagstone patio...can I lay stone on powder sand?
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| The sand I use between pavers here in PA is called polymeric sand (contains polymers). It sounds like the same thing as stabilizing sand mentioned above. It is costly. It is around $22.00 for 60 pound bag. It comes in a tan or gray mixture. I don't suppose there is much limestone available in Florida. We use a base of modified stone here (limestone about an inch or so mixed with limestone "dirt" (that's the modified part), so that you can put down a 4 - 6 inch base and tamp it so that it really packs down. Then use 1 inch diameter pipes (appropriate length(s)) to lay down on the packed base which is slightly sloped for water runoff, dump sand (coarse construction or cement sand) in the area of the pipes that are resting on the base and use a straight board (2 x 4) of required length to "screed" or level the sand (don't tamp it) to the one inch depth (the top surface of the pipes will be slightly exposed). Starting at a convenient spot, lay the pavers on the sand and work your way around the area, moving the pipe as required to cover a manageable section with sand, laying pavers as you go. Try to slide the pipe(s), maintaining contact with the base at all times, and fill in the groove left by the pipes with sand, leveling lightly with a flat metal cement hand trowel or something similar. |
Landscale Fabric...
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| Forgot to mention that I use landscape fabric in the excavated area before I put down my modified stone base and compact it. Supposedly, the fabric keeps the stone from working down into the sub-soil over time. I don't know if that is applicable for FL soils. |
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