Heading into the Cold Months

The temperatures are dropping, but the work has been constant for Malco. During this time of year, we are trying to complete as much as possible before the snow begins flying. One of these jobs we completed took place in Dillsburg. This homeowner was looking for a paver patio in the rear of her home. Previously there was two separate patios, one being a stamped concrete pad, which was deteriorating over time, and pavers that sloped off the pad. The first order of business for this job was to break apart, and remove the old concrete and pavers. The pavers came apart relatively easily, however, the concrete needed jack hammered into smaller sections so that it could be taken to the truck with the skid loader.

After all the concrete and pavers were removed and hauled away, we could then do some final grading. This was necessary because the old paver patio had sunken over time. After we took away the dirt as necessary, we compacted the soil to prevent further settling. Once this was completed, we could then begin installing our base for our patio, which was a 2a modified stone. Carefully, we evenly spread our stone at a 6-inch thickness. At a bare minimum, paver patios should have a 4-inch base of 2a modified. After the stone was spread, we compacted it with our plate tamper. This ensures the patio will not settle over time. The next step in this process was to add our thin bedding layer, which was stone dust. The rule of thumb for a bedding layer is to keep it at one inch or less.

Next, it was time to begin laying pavers. For this job, we used techo-bloc blu 60 slabs, which consisted of three different sizes. One addition to this paver patio took place around the window well. The grade of the patio was higher than the top of the window well, so for safety, we decided to install an edging around the window well. These edging pieces blended perfectly with the rest of the patio. After this was completed, we could then begin installing our steps, since there was a drop off from the sliding door to our patio. We decided to stack these steps side by side as they were going up, and it created a sharp look to finish off this patio.

To conclude, we topsoiled and seeded all of the disturbed areas from the work that was completed. Take a look at the pics below!