Brick Patio. Sand and gravel or stone dust?
Question:I'm putting in a 20x15 loose laid brick patio. I have seen some websites recommend using sand on top of gravel as a base, and some recommend using a layer of stone dust. Are there advantages to either? Or does it matter at all?
Answers:
Most home center sells gravel, stones, sand for patio brick setup. They are usually numbered 1,2,3.
#1 is the coarser stone which is for the base foundation. It is good if you need to level your patio in a major way, like a foot or something. You will also need it if you plan to put heavy item on it like parking a car (driveway). Otherwise you should be good with a #2
#2 is finer and it is the layer the brick lay on and you can level that easily.
#3 is basically fine sand and it is use to fill the gap between the bricks so that they will be nice and sturdy. This is done after you have finish laying down the bricks.
Here is a tip.. Mix some Preen with the sand when filling the gaps between the bricks. This will help prevent weed from growthing out between the cracks.
Just use what is cheaper in your area. I would use sand because I think it looks better when you put it in the brick joints later.
If you live in an area that freezes in winter, then you want to use torpedo sand and not the stone dust. The reason is that stone dust holds more water (more fine particles) and can cause heaving in winter. The type of sand you use is important also. Torpedo sand is angular and locks in the joints. Its less prone to blowing out of the joint and transfers loads to adjacent bricks better. Mason's sand or play sand tends to have round grains and they do not lock, always moving. Here's a tip, use polymeric sand in the joints. When you wet out polymeric sand, it binds the grains of sand together and does not allow weed seeds to germinate in the joints. Every time it rains polymeric sand rebinds. It will last as long as your patio. Preen will break down in 6 weeks and you have no more weed seed germination protection.
Sand and gravel works for me. I don't know anything about stone dust.Sand and gravel works for water drainage also.
sand is better to fillter water and helps stop water logging and puddles when it rains.
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