Process
With Winnipeg's always-shifting clay ground, lasting stonework needs to be engineered to adapt to inevitable movement. This can be accomplished through a proper foundation and a flexible interlocking brick system.
Step 1: Excavate organic material
First, we remove as much organic material as possible – organic material is what absorbs water and therefore changes in volume, causing the ground to shift. The area under your future patio will be excavated to a depth of 10" (or more, if necessary). This is beyond the depth that many landscapers try to get away with.
Step 2: Lay geo-textile
We install a geo-textile membrane, sometimes called landscaping fabric, as a barrier between the stone base and the clay sub-soil. The geo-textile is a water-permeable fabric that allows water to drain out of the base stone while preventing the clay sub-soil from mixing with the foundation.
Step 3: Add and compact stone base
The organic material will be replaced with an inorganic foundation of crushed stone. 3/4" down crushed limestone has excellent drainage properties, allowing moisture to drain away from the surface of the patio where it can do the most damage. To increase load-bearing capacity and prevent settling, the crushed stone is pressed down with a vibrating plate compactor.
We ensure that the stone base extends beyond the finished square footage of the patio, driveway or retaining wall. No cutting corners.
Step 4: Lay bricks
With the construction of a proper foundation, we have done what we can to minimize and control the movement of the ground. But unfortunately we cannot eliminate movement completely, so for the surface itself, we need to use materials that will accommodate movement. This is where concrete pavers and modular retaining walls come in. Rather than a single piece of concrete, hundreds of bricks function as a system that allows for movement between units.
Step 5: Sweep and vibrate in polymeric sand
Many once-beautiful patios have transformed into weedy eyesores over the years. The sand often employed to fill the joints between pavers and stones tends to blow away with wind and washed away by rain. Weeds love unoccupied dirt and so do ants.
Polymeric sand all but eliminates this problem. It's a fine sand mixed with a powdered-epoxy. We sweep and vibrate polymeric sand into the joints then we wet the entire surface. Water activates the epoxy adhesive, cementing the sand into places. It creates a flexible interlock.
Patios with polymeric sand can be cleaned with a hose or even a pressure washer without a worry.
Step 6: Enjoy your new space
We leave your yard clean and ready for you to enjoy the moment we leave.
