|
The wooden edging may be left in place if desired-redwood, cedar,
or cypress well brushed and soaked with wood preservative being best
for this purpose-or the edging may be removed. In either case, fill in
with soil next to the paving or edging and sow grass seed, if the paving
abuts on a lawn; or fill with good topsoil if there is a flower border next
to the paved area.
It may be that you will want to use a brick edging set in mortar or
concrete, in place of the boards, to contain the sand and the paving
material, thus making a permanent edging to the walk or terrace. (See
the sketch in this Chapter called "Methods of Laying Brick Paths and
Various Ways of Edging Them.") The brick may be set on end in the
concrete base or laid flat, with mortar between bricks in both cases.
Paving bricks may be laid on a sand bed between these permanent
edgings; or they may be laid on a l-inch mortar bed on top of a well-
tamped sand bed; the sand bed in both cases being wet down and
allowed to settle, and then screeded to level it. These permanent edges
will form the edge on which the screed rests as it is pulled along to
level the sand bed. Note that paving should be set from 1/4 to 1/2 inch
higher than is eventually desired, to allow for settling.
. . . paving set in mortar on a concrete base
The most permanent bedding for pavement and the one requiring the
least maintenance is, of course, concrete. The paving material is usually
mortared in place on top of this concrete underlayer. Occasionally
paving units are laid on a l-inch sand bed placed on top of concrete
to obtain the softer texture of the unmortared pavement. This may be
desirable in many places.
In cold climates all concrete slabs should be reinforced with wire
fencing or steel rods (see Chapter XIII), and everywhere it is a good
plan to place expansion joints between slabs every six to eight feet to
allow for contraction and expansion during temperature and weather
changes.
Good drainage under the concrete is essential; 3 to 4 inches of crushed
rock and tamped cinders will insure this. On top, pour the concrete in
the manner described in Chapter XIII, where the formula for concrete is also given, a 3- to 4-inch slab sufficing for this underlayer. In the
case of a very wide walk or a terrace, it will be well to divide it into
sections and build forms for them so that they can be conveniently cast.
|
