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kbear_15

Patio 101_start away or up against the house? Step down vs landing?

kbear_15
5 years ago

I am having various contractors come to give me quotes on a patio/steps. I am interested in pavers that look like thermal bluestone (i.e. Unilock Beacon Hill or Richcliff). I currently have grass in the area where I want the patio; Backyard is not level and is sloped.

Method 1: For the pavers, one contractor told me the following: excavate (8-12'' deep), put stone/mesh/sand, then put a concrete pad (Furthest from the house: pile ons 36'' to support pad to avoid pull away or anything moving/shifting). Then use concrete adhesive to bond the pavers (basically gluing the pavers down).

Method 2: For pavers, another contractor told me: they'd excavate; for the base (6-8'' deep), put dust-3/4'' 411? crushed limestone; add water/tamper; put in screen rods (basically 1'' gas pipes); add polymeric sand; put pavers on top of the sand. No concrete.

Which method is correct?

Assuming the steps would be the same material as the patio, how are steps properly installed?

When I asked whether the patio should start/go all the way to the house - I got two different responses One person said it should (it looks better); the other said it shouldn't since no one sits right up against the house and instead, have an area for plants/landscape). Is there a right answer with this one? (House is new construction, built late 2015/early 2016).

Contractors differed on the steps exiting the house onto the patio. One said you could have a small landing at the same level as the house before stepping down; other said because the slider exterior threshold is metal, it conducts heat. In winter with the snow, it thaws/freezes, and eventually could affect the sliders ability to function. Thus, you could NOT have a small landing the same level as the house when exiting but instead need to step down 7” first.

who is correct???

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