Stone is a beautiful, hard-wearing material for any landscaping project. Over the past decade it has become a popular choice for garden paths and driveways. Careful surface preparation for stone installation is what keeps that paving flat and level for years.
In new developments, where buyers may landscape the plot and choose the driveway surface themselves, new homeowners very often settle on paving stone.
In this article we walk you through the groundwork you should complete before the first stone is laid.
Surface preparation for stone installation: the groundwork
Before you call in the paving crew, plan the base. Some contractors deliver the whole job as a turnkey solution, while others only lay stone on ground that is already prepared.
The main advantage of preparing the base yourself is cost efficiency. When you rent the right construction machine, you can also handle other excavation work at the same time for the same money.
1. Do you have the skills for surface preparation?
If you lack the experience and have no wish to train as an operator, hand the job to a professional instead. Ideally, choose a professional who also owns suitable machinery. Take a look at our full-service rental.
2. Can you get the machine transported to the site?
Delivery is usually arranged by the rental company, which also brings the machine to the site. Keep in mind that transport is charged by distance, so it pays to compare several quotes.
Besides the price, compare the other details as well. Check how many operating hours the rate includes and how servicing is handled, so that no unexpected costs appear later.
3. Fill material for surface preparation
Surface preparation for stone installation always starts by stripping the topsoil. After that you build the base up in layers of sand and crushed aggregate. For advice on quantities, talk to the specialists at Isekallur.ee.
They can tell you, square metre by square metre, how much sand and aggregate you are likely to need for a base that suits paving stone.
4. Do you have a plan for the stripped material?
You can often reuse the stripped soil elsewhere in the garden. Most people still want it taken away, simply because there is no room for it. Therefore, decide in advance how and where the material will be hauled. Here too, we recommend contacting our partner Isekallur.ee.
5. Have you allowed for the gradient and rainwater run-off?
Depending on the site, you also need to allow for the fall of the finished paving and for rainwater run-off. Think this step through carefully and discuss it with people who know the subject. After all, you want to step out of the car with dry feet rather than worry about puddles on the driveway.
6. Compacting the base
Once the sand and aggregate are spread, compact the base so that the paving does not settle later. For this you need a plate compactor or a rammer. For a small area, a compactor with a compaction depth of 60 cm is perfectly sufficient.
Done!
With that, the surface preparation for stone installation is finished.
From here the choice is yours. You can lay the stone yourself as a DIY project, or let a professional complete the job.
If you are looking for the right rental machine or an experienced operator, the Fortal team is always ready to help.
Call +372 5555 7700 for a quote, or book a machine through our self-service.
