# Forum Home Renovation Paving  Paving, compact rubble, add top sand, compact??

## wozzzzza

When your paving, you put 10cm rubble then compact this, then you put about 2cm of sand on top then pave it.
when you put the sand on top, do you compact it before putting the paving on or not??

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## raff

I always have. Compact road base 1st, sand on, compact and then level the sand. I throw (or scatter) a couple of handfulls of clean sand over the compacted levelled sand to help any slightly uneven parts and provides a bit of 'give' when bedding the paver in with a tap from a mallet. Some recommend putting carpet on the base of the compactor and then compacting the pavers one laid. I never have bothered and didnt have a problem. 
Cheers, Raff

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## namtrak

I wouldn't compact the paving sand it would throw your levels out.  I do run the plate over the pavers (with a piece of carpet attached) after the pavers are laid - and each time you sweep in the PaveLock

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## wozzzzza

one person says do it, one says dont.  im sort of inclined to compact as when i walk on the sand after i lay it and level it, it leaves a nice deep footprint.  i can see the pavers sinking and distorting in weeks if i dont i think???

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## raff

> I wouldn't compact the paving sand it would throw your levels out. I do run the plate over the pavers (with a piece of carpet attached) after the pavers are laid - and each time you sweep in the PaveLock

  Each there own I guess..... 
I would compact the sand then level- which wont affect levels! Certainly dont level and then run a compacter over it- the compactor will creates lines no matter how much the sand is compacted.  
I agree wozzzza, not compacting the sand leaves its very soft. Once compacted and screeded you will find minimal footprints in the sand- hence throwing back a few handfuls of sand to help 'soften' the placement. Compacting after the sand is laid may exagerage 'pot holes' if not previously compacted imo. 
I not a brickpaver by trade but never had a problem with mine and the various mates places Ive helped pave  :Biggrin:

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## Planned LScape

I have done both with the sand- either screed out with the screed bar on the screed rails set at the right levels, tamping down the sand as I go compacting it, or roughly rake out the sand, run the whacker over it, then screed it freehand as you would concrete. The sand must be course or single washed sand and still have some moisture for it to compact well.  
The carpet-covered whacker certainly sets them all in. Make sure you sweep in triple washed or gap sand all over the pavers, and leave excess on top so that the pavers dont wobble around and so that the sand is forced into the gaps. Make sure you pave your levels about 10-15mm higher than you want so that when you whack it, it will not be too low after compaction.

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## varpy

I prefer a pass with the wacker, then screed it off too.  
Where you get your pave sand Planned? I just use the washed for filling the gaps, but it's a bugger when you can't dry it. (damp just don't work)   :Smilie:

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## Planned LScape

I use single wash for underneath, and triple wash for over the top, it's much finer and gets into all the gaps, but as you said is a bugger when it's wet. All the garden yards have it 
You can buy bags of gap sand or Pave-Lok that is a silica sand, already dry and sweeps in no probs. But must be completely dry otherwise it leaves a glaze on the surface

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