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Didn't Build a Table... Built This Instead (Rased Paver Patio)

I meant to post photos of this last year when we completed it - but when we moved into our new house - the builder just gave us a 6x4 stoop outside the sliding door.  After I got my large, I soon became tired of wheeling my Egg out of the garage and cooking on the driveway.  So a friend of mine decided we could figure out how to do a paver patio. The project got much more interesting (and expensive) when we realized we needed to build the entire thing on a retaining wall.  


All in all took 2 FULL weekends - be happy to share approach and details to all who would be interested. 
-Large BGE since 6-13
-Indianapolis, IN

Comments

  • minniemoh
    minniemoh Posts: 2,145
    Nice job. Installing pavers is a lot of work but you won't have to do anything to it for many years. How you have a nice place to start on an outdoor kitchen!  :D
    L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....
    eggAddict from MN!
  • GATABITES
    GATABITES Posts: 1,260
    I want to do this on the side of my deck. Very nice. 
    XL BGE 
    Joe JR 
    Baltimore, MD
  • NervousDad
    NervousDad Posts: 307
    Nice! I'm in the process of looking at pavers for my home when I move. I think I'm going to put a raise paver fire pit as my egg table. I just need to find a stone big enough to hold it.


    Aurora,OH
  • HAWKCARL
    HAWKCARL Posts: 63

    That turned out great.

     

    Mind if I ask where you live, here in the midwest the ground freeze would destroy something like that in the first winter. We have to go at least 10" below grade to compensate.

  • nick_banich
    nick_banich Posts: 110
    edited June 2014
    Indianapolis - built it last fall and it looks exactly the same right now (even with this winter).  The ground here is a clay that is a son of a gun to try and dig in. The concern about winters also concerned us - so we tried to use every precaution with our material type and amount to mitigate the risk.

    The retaining wall goes one level deeper that what you can see.  The retaining wall sits on compacted earth, 4" of compacted #53 driveway gravel (with limestone dust), and 2" of masonry sand.  The picture with the bobcat and the red truck in the back yard shows us building the base for the retaining wall.  We then "front filled" additional earth on the outside of the retaining wall to try and increase how deep it when.

    We also excavated the earth in the footprint of the patio and compacted it.  We then added ~9" of the gravel and 2" of sand.  At every 2-3" we compacted and leveled.  

    Critical was having the limestone dust in the gravel.  We sprayed the gravel with water as we ran the plate compactor and as we compacted and it dried it turned into a concrete like substance. Also we laid the black cloth landscaping tarp before any gravel and also had it run up the sides of the retaining wall to try and help with drainage, erosion, and the like.

    I believe we used about 10 yards of gravel and 2 yards of sand for the entire project.  Thought my neighbors were going to kill me when I showed up with a Bobcat and the dump truck dropped the gravel in the street. 

    Did I mention this was my first DIY project?  Nothing like jumping in the deep end your first time swimming!  It was actually probably better this way since we were very careful to check our measurements 100 times to ensure we were square and level at every step.  
    -Large BGE since 6-13
    -Indianapolis, IN

  • lilwooty
    lilwooty Posts: 215
    Your builder gave you a 6' X 4' stoop?  Our builder gave us a 3' X 3' stoop.  Cheap sum-o-gun!

    Living Large and XL

  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    I guess it looks ok...if you're into awesome.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • nick_banich
    nick_banich Posts: 110
    @lilwooty‌ I wish we could have forgone the stoop! Just more waste to illegally dump... I mean to help weigh down the builder's dumpsters at my neighbors house
    -Large BGE since 6-13
    -Indianapolis, IN

  • lilwooty
    lilwooty Posts: 215
    Hah! I hear you. Building code says a residence entrance can't have dirt at the doorway so they pour the smallest stoop they can just to pacify the building code. It does end up being a waste in most cases later on down the road. Excellent work on your project though. You can tell a lot of thought went into that before you even started.

    Living Large and XL

  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    I have always liked the dry fit pavers. It provides a solid surface that after a few storms/rain it becomes a natural looking area. Nicely done!
    Ashford & Simpson - Solid: http://youtu.be/y6DMMjUYvsU
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
    Man that would take me a truck load of beer to do...  Well done.

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

  • nick_banich
    nick_banich Posts: 110
    @bud812‌ ample amounts of beer, gin, and pain pills were consumed in the process. Oh and several types of animals found their way into the egg throughout.
    -Large BGE since 6-13
    -Indianapolis, IN