How much sand and gravel do I need for my base? | Western Interlock (2024)

FAQs

How much sand and gravel do I need for my base? | Western Interlock? ›

For gravel, you'll need 4–6” of ¾ minus crushed gravel. One yard of gravel covers approximately 80 square feet. For the sand, you'll need 1” of concrete sand. One yard of sand covers about 200 square feet.

For your patio paver installation project, you'll make layers using these materials: A 6-inch layer of gravel for the paver base. A 1-inch layer of sand.

What depth of base materials is necessary? There is no absolute rule to determine how required depth, however recommendations vary by use. The guidelines are 4 to 6 inches for pedestrian walkways and 8 to 12 inches for driveways. Local soil conditions also impact depth needs.

Both paver base and paver sand are essential components in laying pavers, but they serve different purposes. Paver base, as discussed earlier, provides a sturdy and level foundation. Once the paver base is laid and compacted, a layer of paver sand is added on top.

Paver sand holds the pavers in place and allows you to adjust them. The final paver sand depth needs to be 1 inch and you need to account for sand filtering into the paver base and into the joints between the pavers. Make your calculations using a sand depth of 2 inches or 0.1667 feet.

Laying pavers on sand base follows the same steps as laying them on soil base, but you'll be adding a layer of coarse sand, road base, or polymeric sand first. Rake the sand to even it out and use a plate compactor to make your sand base solid so you have a firm, stable base.

The traditional base for a paver patio is 4–6” of compacted gravel above your dirt. If you're installing a driveway or road intended for vehicular traffic, you'll need to double the thickness of your gravel layer.

Concrete sand (also known as sharp sand) is common for paver bases. Its finely crushed particles create reliable drainage, easy compacting, and a stable surface.

Crushed stone makes a solid paver base because it allows water drainage and is easy to work with. Like sand, crushed stone comes in several varieties. The best aggregate for paver bases is a quarry processed dense grade aggregate. Quarry processing creates a combination of 3/4-inch crushed stone and stone dust.

Can I skip the gravel and just use sand under pavers? ›

Using sand alone to set pavers is not enough. The best and recommended paver base is 3/8-inch crushed gravel.

Unfortunately, there isn't a way to lay pavers without excavating the ground and preparing it with road base and bedding sand. Without this process the pavers would move around, become sunken in and even crack. Not only would this be very visually unappealing, it would be a safety hazard for the area.

Before you begin laying pavers, prepare the ground. Ensure you have a root and rubble free compatible sand sub-base of at least 50mm thick. The sub-base should be roughly levelled and damped down before tamping down firmly with a hand or mechanical compactor.

Uneven, Heaving Pavers

A contractor can save a lot on materials by skimping the base, but it will compromise the structure of the pavement. Too much sand in the base can also cause pavers to shift or heave.

Then add a 1"-2" layer of stone dust for levelling purposes for the patio stones or interlocking. The other option is to use 1"-2" of concrete sand instead of stone dust since the concrete sand does not compact, allows for easier levelling, and provides good drainage.

Finally, rapid water drainage and a striking aesthetic result, with an elegant range imitating the appearance of natural stone, concrete, wood, marble, etc. make the installation of porcelain pavers over gravel a perfect choice for all circ*mstances.

The paving blocks or bricks should be laid directly onto a bed of coarse, grit sand , 25-40mm thick. This sand may also be known as sharp sand, concreting sand, Zone 2 or Class M - see the Sand section of the Aggregates page for a fuller explanation of these terms.