How To (Properly) Screed For a Paver Patio.

This video will take you through all the basics of sloping and screeding for a paver patio. Enjoy!
#hardscaping #pavers #patio #concrete #landscaping
Check out all the videos from this playlist by clicking this link right here👉 • Lakeside Patio Install
00:00 (Grades / Screed Rails)
01:33 The Plan
02:15 Bedding Material (Chip Stone)
04:05 Checking Grades / Compacting
10:01 Setting the Screed Rails
14:27 Screeding

[@DavidBoysII-hz5zo]

This is probably the best patio video CHS has done. Nice job Kyle and Benny and nephews.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thank you! I tried to explain it the best way I could ✌

[@seanjago9227]

Benny using the perfect Zamboni pattern with the compactor.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

He's got the pattern down 👌😂

[@SJWardBuilders]

Great work gents! Slightly different to how we do it in England but same result! Nice job!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thanks brother! ✌

[@marklanese5594]

I started using 1/4" crushed bluestone for bedding a few years ago. What a pleasure to work with. No more ant colonies in the sand under the pavers. The sand holds too much moisture often causing efflorescence at the surface, especially with extra large pavers..

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

That's awesome man, I feel the same way about it. And I always forget to mention the fact that it prevents ants in these videos. That is a huge benefit that is overlooked. Thanks for the comment! ✌

[@jacknagleconstruction]

Great work. I own a paver company close to you and this is done exactly how it should.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thanks for the feedback man. It is always good to hear from local contractors ✌

[@josephrottina1901]

Trav will be a master when he gets older.👍🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

He certainly will, Just got his license recently. 2 more years he will be in the machines! 🤞

[@gibsonbuilds4841]

Thanks for the great video. Or 1/8" of drop / slope per foot. And 1/4" per foot.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

My pleasure and yes, that is also true ✌

[@avaseal]

Great video. I'm in Southern NH, getting ready to tackle a DIY 12 x 25 patio install (with Brock PaverBase Panels). This method feels a lot more approachable than using stringlines.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thank you. Using these pipes is the best way I have found to find grades. Works great 👌

[@jodygotyourgirlngone]

Nicely done!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thanks! ✌

[@ThatPainterGuyKy]

Looking mint as per usual my friend. Glad I’m caught up but I miss binge watching at night lol..

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thanks brother! I appreciate the support and more videos to come for sure!

[@yuvrajsudan9272]

Excellent video. Very thorough and detailed. One question that I had was that would the materials used in this video be good for a colder climate where it snows in winter? If not, what would be the types of rock and thickness of their layers that you recommend?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thank you, this method is excellent for cold climates. I am in Massachusetts, USA. We have cold winters and multiple freeze / thaw cycles through the winter

[@shoe7146]

You do a great job teaching and explaining things brother. I have been taking notes while watching your videos as I plan for my 20ft circular paver patio project with a firepit. Great explanation on slope and showcasing it on the job site. Outstanding craftsmanship.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thank you very much, I try to explain things as simply as possible. It is awesome hearing from people like you on how helpful the videos have been. That was my biggest goal of the channel, share the knowledge of the trade. ✌

[@shoe7146]

@@TheChristianHardscaper Keep it up! You are doing an outstanding job. I love how people, like yourself, in the trades share their experiences, skills, knowledge, and wisdom with others. YT is a great place to learn all these great trades. I learned how to frame my BIG 12x12 shed and built it myself by watching videos just like yours. It really encourages others that they can DYI if they study videos and reach out for questions. And hopefully, it will encourage others to enter into the trades as well. Cant wait to see your channel grow more in the future.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

@@shoe7146 Thank you for that awesome feedback! I totally agree on how great KZbin is for that exact purpose. The best educational source out there right now and it is free. I honestly believe KZbin has turned the educational system upside down. It empowers every day people to try their hand at teaching in their own creative ways. Which has proven to be a incredibly powerful thing. I feel so blessed for the opportunity KZbin offers. I am also super grateful to have viewers like you who support and encourage my journey on here. God Bless and thanks again for the kind words! ✌

[@shoe7146]

@@TheChristianHardscaper You are welcome sir and God Bless you as well.

[@paulbodder3354]

👍👍 All in the details!!!!!!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Yes sir!

[@paulbodder3354]

Not sure if you know, one of your video's is being played on a KZbin channel at Paver Block 123@@TheChristianHardscaper

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

@@paulbodder3354 I am aware... There is always people out there trying to get views from other peoples content. I could go through a process of making him take it down but it would take awhile. So I just let it be... Not sure his channel will ever do good, KZbin knows when people do what he did. They actually sent me a notification when he uploaded it. Cause the thing is that you can use other peoples content if you edit it and customize it a little to make it your own style, but he did not do that... It all comes back around when you steal things. Thanks for the heads up though brother✌

[@jamesrazza2246]

Great content, gents. Very helpful and straight to the point. New subscriber 👍 I’m working on building my first patio in upstate New York at my house. Quick question. I see how you screed with the pipes with chip stone but how do you get the stone base to the right height and pitch before you put the pipes down? Do you use the pipes and a string line to make sure you build enough base to only have 1” of chip stone? Thanks. Keep up the good content!

[@lukemarks92]

Id love to use the open grade base. In my area. They really dont have a great option for crushed stone. Everyone around my area uses road mix. I think the closest thing we have to your crushed base stone is 3/4" chip stone. However there is a ton of smooth round stone mixed in. Its not all angular

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

I do hear from people in certain areas that it is difficult to find the materials I use. I wish they weren't... But if the 3/4" stone you are talking about is at least 1/2 & 1/2 with angular and round, it should be fine. The benefit of clean stone is worth it.

[@tropicaoptica]

The go pro makes flat lines curve haha

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

That is a downfall to the very widescreen setting I use for sure... LOL

[@NickSupe]

i have that same Stanley tape measure and it sucks lol. the tape always retracts no matter what. it doesn't lock out at all

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

That thing is terrible...LOL It is in the trash now. It broke over the fall and I will never get one like it again.

[@keithrayeski6417]

I said clean crushed stone AND chip stone to the two places I deal with near my home and they looked right passed my as if they were trying to see where my spacecraft was parked!🤷🏻‍♂️ So I’m writing all this down and in the spring I’ll take another stab at it. But I’m going to invest in a plate compactor…between me and my friends and neighbors, I’ll convince the Mrs., that it’s essential! I just don’t feel confident that I can get everything done in one day and at 100 bucks a day rental, I’ll have my moneys worth in 4 days! A company by the name of VEVOR, has one that will fit my needs. I’m sure glad I watched because my wife got me into this mess with this patio build and she watched some DIY woman and her husband do it in a weekend using a 3/4 stone base on stone dust on pea stone! I told her that the pea stone would be gone in a year but you know…do and so did it for her patio! Who am I? 🤣🤣 But I showed her THIS, from a certified professional with years of experience and she gave me the nod to follow your advice!!👍🏻👊🏻👊🏻!! Outstanding! Outstanding episode!! Been a pretty mild winter so hopefully, You’ll have Trav back on the end of a rake real soon!! Really enjoying your channel! It’s all just my projects and I’m a wee bit too old to start a business like you cranked up…so home projects, maybe help a friend…is all great stuff!! Wish you lived closer cause I’d have YOU, building our patio…in a way, kinda, you are!!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

😂 I can picture the people's faces when you asked them and they had no idea... Kind of sad really though. It blows my mind sometimes how often I hear from people that their landscape supply stores don't even know what the stuff is... Crazy. And I'm glad this video sold your wife on the method! LOL You will not regret it. That Vevor website seems pretty cool, I just checked it out. That will be a good option instead of renting one. Our season is probably going to start in a couple weeks. Winter went by fast... Good luck with the project brother! ✌

[@darrinmc]

@@TheChristianHardscaper Are you in eastern MA? What suppliers in your area sell the base materials you use? I'm in metro-west. I have a patio project planned for this spring. Which is probably going to be sooner than I expected!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

@@darrinmc I am in south central MA. There are quite a few places here in MA that sell this base material. I would just start with calling your local landscape supply yards, they will most likely have it and can probably deliver it for you too.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

And I hear you, I'm about to start my season today actually... Good luck with your project!

[@Stretch-of5zk]

Your work is amazing. I’m sure you answered this in another video but do you tamp the pavers in after install or only on the poly sand step? I know you beat the paver boards down but do you tamp all the pavers in then poly or just lay poly tamp and then poly again? Appreciate it

[@tomyazu]

Greetings from Sturbridge! Question on the base material and chip stone. I’m sure you’re probably familiar with Larry’s Landscape in Charlton. In looking at their stone selection on their website, it’s not totally clear as to what stone selection would be used for an open grade base from their selection? Have you used their stones for any of your jobs? Also, what other landscape suppliers are there in Central MA that has the stone selection necessary for the open grade install? Looking to build a paver patio this summer using the knowledge that I’ve gained from your channel. Thanks so much for taking the time to make these videos! You explain things so well!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Hello! I am familiar with Larry's Landscape Supplies. They do have the base stone, they call it (3/4" Crushed Stone) I will say that the 3/4 stone they have is dustier than most other suppliers... And I'm not sure if they sell Chip Stone... Where I get my stone 90% of the time is at (Robbins Garden Center) in Oxford, Ma. They have very clean 3/4" stone and they have the chip stone. And I believe they will deliver to sturbridge. I would check them out if I were you. Glad the videos have been helpful and good luck with your project! ✌

[@biglav6048]

Love the videos and teaching. Why do often rent machines vice purchase?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thank you! I just started my business a couple years ago and been using rentals to get to a point where I can buy my own. Thankfully I was able to purchase a skid steer last season. Hopefully a mini excavator will come within the next couple years.

[@paulstinebiser2459]

Dude looks like Ben Afflek

[@Drplastic123]

Hi. Beautiful work. DIYer in southeast Ma. Will this method work with thermal bluestone patio? Is this stone uniform enough as the concrete pavers for this method instead of usual dense pack/stone dust base? Concerned that might need small adjustments with sand etc. any thoughts appreciated. Thanks,Steve

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Hey there, thank you! This method is great for any kind of paver or natural stone like bluestone. It allows for water to drain freely which will give a longer lifespan to the stone. Nothing ruins pavers or natural stone like sitting in moist base materials. Clean, crushed stone helps prevent that. You may need to make small adjustments as you lay with bluestone because the thickness can vary up to an 1/4".. But stone is still the best bet. Sand shifts far too easily.. Good luck with your project! ✌

[@joshbackstrom3115]

Nice! How did you know how much dirt to excavate? Is it the same amount of inches for every job?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

The amount of excavation can vary depending on the job. This project was a textbook install with no need for extra excavation / backfill. We used 5-6 inches of base stone, 1.5 inches of bedding stone + the thickness of the pavers. So we excavated between 8-10 inches throughout the area which is just fine for any install with a good sandy / gravel sub soil.

[@KevsChronicles]

I want to lay a combination of stepping stones with river rock in between and artificial turf on a narrow side strip (78ft long X only 5ft wide). I know artificial turf isn’t your niche, but my question for you is…can I lay both of those things directly on top of 3/4” open clean stone, or do I also need the chip stone bedding layer?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

The stepping stones can be laid on 3/4 but I usually lay them in a bed of mortar also. The Artificial turf I would definitely use a bedding layer to make sure there are no bumps or sharp points sticking through.

[@Tcw2019]

Can you mix the small chip stone with a normal site pack? Or do you need to keep the chip stone with the 3/4?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

I try to keep my entire base clean stone, but you could use the chip with a dense grade gravel, just won't drain as good as with a clean 3/4 base.

[@Tcw2019]

@@TheChristianHardscaper cool thanks man. Love the videos

[@shanebermingham3336]

Hello, these are great videos. I can only find 10mm(slightly more than 3/8 inch) crushed and washed stone in my area. Is this too large for bedding for a paver walkway do you think?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Hey there, glad you like the videos! That stone will work fine for bedding, it may take longer to screed but it will work no problem.

[@shanebermingham3336]

Thanks a million!

[@Gemmell94]

Hi Kyle, when using concrete sand as the bedding layer, how come the pavers don't sink much into the sand? If I walk on the sand my foot goes quite deep into the sand but if I lay pavers then compact them the pavers only sink a quarter of an inch. Dumb question but I'm just curious as to why this is. Thanks for the video too, it helps with building my paver driveway.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

The pavers can sink pretty easy when laying on sand. When I used sand in the past, I would spread it out in between the screed rails and compact it before screeding to help prevent that, but there is always a chance with sand. However, when the pavers are all installed, they hold each other and the sand becomes less prone to shifting. But still, sand just is not as stable as crushed stone. This Chip Stone is the best bedding material hands down. Good luck with your project! ✌

[@Gemmell94]

@@TheChristianHardscaper thanks, wish we had chip stone in my area.

[@LOL123456101]

Do you think your method is well adapted for Quebec’s temperatures?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

I sure do. It is excellent for very cold climates. 👌

[@garrettarruda495]

Hey bro you going to Mohegan sun hardscape expo march 20 im sponsered by cambridge so ill be there would be sick to meet. Out of fall river MA we talked a few months back

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

I certainly will be. We are competing in the install competition again. Maybe we will bump into each other ✌

[@garrettarruda495]

Sweet I'll look out for you when you getting back to work

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

@@garrettarruda495 Nice, I might be starting next week...LOL Going to be in the high 40's / 50's with no snow on the ground and no frost... Crazy.

[@robbermick2545]

Awesome video! I was wondering, how do you determine how much chip stone you'll need to do each job? Thanks, Keep on keeping on :)

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

I find the amount of (Cubic Yards) I need. To find that you need to find the square feet of the area 1st. Let's say you have 300 sq ft. The math you need to do is 300 x .15 (this represents 1.5 inches). So 300 x .15 = 45 (cubic feet). Now you need to divide 45 by 27 (1 Cubic yard = 27 cubic feet) and you get 1.66 cubic yards of chip stone needed for 300 sq ft at 1.5 inches deep. You can apply this equation to any size or depth to find how many cubic yards of material you need. However with 3/4 clean stone has a very low compaction rate so you do not need to factor much volume loss after compaction. With road base gravel or fill, sand, etc... you need to factor more material because of compaction. Hope that helps

[@robbermick2545]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. I found your videos to be very informative and Inspirational, giving me the confidence to attempt my very first DIY patio install this summer. Wish me Luck. Thanks again for sharing them, Keep up the Great work! God Bless @@TheChristianHardscaper

[@shoe7146]

@@TheChristianHardscaper This is great advice. Would you be willing to do a video on this particular topic and give some examples about how to "math" for sand, gravel etc?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

@@robbermick2545 My pleasure, I'm glad the videos are helping you! That is the main goal of the channel. I wish you the best of luck with your project and God Bless you too! ✌

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

@@shoe7146 It is definitely a good video topic, I will have to make a video on it someday for sure

[@johnnypotter1737]

Is 3/8" salt and pepper granite comparable to the chip stone or premium bedding that you use? I'm having a hard time finding that bedding material here.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

It certainly is. You will be fine with that material. Sometimes I can't get the 1/4" chip stone either so I have to go with the 3/8". It takes a bit longer to screed but still works just fine ✌

[@johnnypotter1737]

@@TheChristianHardscaper Awesome, thank you as always for the content!

[@toddw5361]

At 13:11 you say “it has to go up more cause it is going to compact more than that”. Looks like you got about a 1/8 or 1/4 inch lip higher than that concrete. How much higher than the concrete should it be?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

We try to get a solid 1/4" at the minimum. slightly more in some situations like this.

[@expectnolove9978]

I think I just became smarter or I at least learned something while watching this video.... You should come down to Fort Pierce Florida so you can do a project at my house.... I dont trust any of the companies down here.... quality of work is nothing compared to what you do

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

😂 Glad to hear it! That would be one heck of a commute from Massachusetts LOL Thanks for the feedback ✌