Patios and Walkways

We love installing new patios and walkways for our customers. The improvement to the curb appeal of your home alone makes it worth the time and money. Not to mention that new hardscaping is adding long lasting usability to areas around your home you can use in all types of Oregon weather.

The types of patios or driveways can vary from textured/stamped concrete, to natural/artificial flagstone, to pavers in numerous colors/sizes, or even decomposed granite! The options and/or combinations are almost endless! But the one important construction component that is common in any patio/driveway construction job is the base. Without a properly constructed base you will end up with a patio or driveway that is uneven or in the worst case, a patio/drive that is cracking and unsafe to walk/drive on. Drainage issues could also develop if the base is not graded or compacted properly.

The factors to be considered before the base is installed depend on many things, some of which are: maximum surface load, soil type, selected patio or driveway materials to be used, the grade of soil, tree root concerns, and the size of the crushed rock to be used. Water retention and yearly weather conditions can also affect the way a base should be constructed.

After calculating the project and establishing the size and shape of the base (which generally has a footprint 6”-12” larger than the patio or driveway itself), the area is excavated from approx. 6”- 18” deep. The excavated area is lined with geo-tex (or similar) fabric. Fabric is laid in the excavated area, and then generally covered with ¾”- crushed rock and compacted in “lifts” every 6” or so. We generally use a vibra-plate first, then follow with a jump-jack compactor. The jump-jack will further compact the crushed rock an additional 1”-3”. A lazer level is used to maintain proper grade allowing for drainage and other concerns. This procedure is repeated until the proper base grade is achieved.

Like most anything in construction (or life for that matter) a good foundation is one of the most important aspects of a well-built patio or driveway.