# Forum Home Renovation Paving  Paving 8m x 5m next to weatherboard

## mugatu

Hi All, 
I'm looking through videos and sites on the web to pave the 8m x 5m area in the attached photos. The ground is fairly firm and I have a few questions if anyone can advise. 
I'll use the 400 x 400 charcoal masonry pavers to really minimize maintenance. 
We've recently stripped this house of asbestos and put weatherboards down. Questions are: 
* Should I dig the dirt completely down to ground level. As you can see it's been built up previously to create a higher level. Still below the damp coarse. I was thinking of leaving the level as it is and build up from there but not sure if it'll create issues with the house itself with moisture etc. 
* Any reason to install drainage or just have a slight fall away from the house to the fence? It's doesn't get a stack of rain on that side of the house coming in. 
* Do I need to box up the area with some treated timber? Or do I just go the sand/roadbase and whack it. Then lay pavers on top. The thought was after a few years the side may start to break up and the pavers wouldn't be as straight. 
Thanks

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## Oldsaltoz

Hi there, 
I would be looking at the depth of the step down onto the finished height of the paver's first, and establishing it was within the standards. 
Next I would add a 100 minimum (more is better) run of concrete along the side of the house, this will stop most moisture and prevent the paver's moving in that direction as well a level guide when laying. 
Compacted cracker dust with a little bit of water added will compact well with a small plate compactor, then use a straight edge to get a 10 mm fall to the fence. 
Lay all the pavers and run the plate compactor over the lot, adding a bit of fine sand to fill in between the paver's so the lines stay straight. 
Leave a small gap between the fence and the last paver, fill this with more concrete to prevent any movement on the outer edge. 
Job Done. 
Good luck and fair winds.   :Smilie:

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## OBBob

Yep, definitely think you are on the right track with supporting the outer edge, sand especially loves to wash away over time. Also might be worth considering if once it's complete you're going to want a pergola or roof structure? It'd be much easier to add any post supports beforehand (just a thought).  :Smilie:

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## mugatu

> Hi there, 
> I would be looking at the depth of the step down onto the finished height of the paver's first, and establishing it was within the standards. 
> Next I would add a 100 minimum (more is better) run of concrete along the side of the house, this will stop most moisture and prevent the paver's moving in that direction as well a level guide when laying. 
> Compacted cracker dust with a little bit of water added will compact well with a small plate compactor, then use a straight edge to get a 10 mm fall to the fence. 
> Lay all the pavers and run the plate compactor over the lot, adding a bit of fine sand to fill in between the paver's so the lines stay straight. 
> Leave a small gap between the fence and the last paver, fill this with more concrete to prevent any movement on the outer edge. 
> Job Done. 
> Good luck and fair winds.

  Thanks Oldsaltoz, so I'll base my top height of the step down as per standards. Is the other option just install a Merbau step as I'll have a Merbau screen covering the fence to try and block out the neighbours garage. 
The 100mm 'run', is this really a 100mm x 100mm concrete channel/line. So I would work from step down height, paver height, crushed rocked depth (or are you saying just use the fairly firm dirt with a little cracker dust), then dirt. After these layers first/last pavers would then sit over the concrete so you wouldn't see.  
Thanks again.

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## mugatu

> Yep, definitely think you are on the right track with supporting the outer edge, sand especially loves to wash away over time. Also might be worth considering if once it's complete you're going to want a pergola or roof structure? It'd be much easier to add any post supports beforehand (just a thought).

  Probably not going to do any form of roof over that as we have a large covered patio on the other side of the house. This will be bbq area that comes off the main living area for summer. I will be installing some supports though for a Merbau screen to run the length of the deck.

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## Oldsaltoz

> Thanks Oldsaltoz, so I'll base my top height of the step down as per standards. Is the other option just install a Merbau step as I'll have a Merbau screen covering the fence to try and block out the neighbours garage. 
> The 100mm 'run', is this really a 100mm x 100mm concrete channel/line. So I would work from step down height, paver height, crushed rocked depth (or are you saying just use the fairly firm dirt with a little cracker dust), then dirt. After these layers first/last pavers would then sit over the concrete so you wouldn't see.  
> Thanks again.

  The concrete edge alongside the house should be below the house footings/damp course to avoid any drainage problems, this will control the maximum level available, you go lower, not higher. 
Add a small fall from the house toward the boundary fence for drainage and add another section of concrete on the outer edge to stabilise the pavers (this should be done after the pavers ar all down). 
The finish level of the paving will determine if you need a step to meet the standards, this can be made of any suitable material, so matching timber will be fine, however the step should be fixed, not standing on the paver's. 
Good luck and fair winds.   :Smilie:

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## mugatu

Ok nearly there, only half of the pavers arrived on time so will go back and finish this weekend. I ended up using H4 sleepers instead of the concrete.

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## barney118

I would contact your pest guy to put down some Kordon for termites since its so close to the house.

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## mugatu

> I would contact your pest guy to put down some Kordon for termites since its so close to the house.

  Of course completely forgot about that and was short on time for the concrete and hadn't used it before. The whole house is wood and been there since the 60's without problems is there a reason doing the way I have done increases the risk of termites?

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## barney118

Kordon is pretty cheap insurance at $5 lm just pull up the pavers close to the house and run a strip of 300 mm and attach to bottom plate may mend to take bottom weatherboard up.  
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## phild01

Hang on a bit, not getting a proper view of what the floor construction is.  If that is timber then don't be quick to strip Kordon along it.  If it is a slab then just make sure there is 75mm of it permanently exposed to view. 
Placing any kind of strip along there may shield view of termite activity, just because the Kordon is in the vicinity is no guarantee that termites won't find nearby approaches.  Is there underhouse access if it is a timber floor? 
Giving termite prevention advice here is fraught with error with such little information there is in these photos.

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## mugatu

Yes the house is easy to get under as it's on a slight slope and is about 800mm off the ground at the rear. House was checked out before we bought it and no white ants but will get someone around to see what we should put in.

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