Paving - Sub-Base And Other Pointers

[jellybeard999]

I'm finally getting round to doing the garden after gutting and renovating the house. Tomorrow the sand and paving is getting delivered and I've hired a wacker plate, but have a quick question for you seasoned DIYers/tradesmen.

I've a good few inches of rubble, which I intend to cover with sharp sand and compact. Should I compact the rubble first and get my levels, before adding the sand and compacting? Or am I better levelling off with sand and compacting the whole lot? What sort of depth of sand do i need?

Once the base is done, am I best bedding the slabs (450x450 marshalls) on a dry mix (5:1?) or wet mix? I thought dry, but reading seems to point to a stiff wet mix bed and dry mix for the joints?

Any tips appreciated. I've already accounted for adequate fall, before anyone mentions that lol.

Patio area is roughly 6.3m x 2.7m

 

[Maccapacca]

Lay your rubble and smash it up as much as possible with a sledge / club hammer then waker it down the add layers of sand, your just trying to avoid pockets of nothing that''ll eventually fill with washed sand then your slabs will rock.

http://www.pavingexpert.com/images/clays/southports_xs.gif

As for bedding I'd go for a screeded solid bed

 

[bitslice]

Compact the rubble first, that's providing your base support.

Add enough sand to cover the peaks of the rubble (usually about 50mm), the sand stops the rubble from moving around later and spreads the load.

Compact the sand.


Bedding I've seen done in lots of ways, dry layer, wet layer, blobs of wet mortar.
Depends on traffic, blobs are easier to level but a full layer will carry much heavier loads.