Leveling a patio - Screeding
Bart Flegg on January 11, 2010, 12:05 pm

When it comes to building patios one thing is for sure, you want them to be level.  A patio with dips and hills is not only unsightly but is a cause for a number of other concerns. These include trip hazards, the pooling of water, leaky basements and many other dilemmas. The evenness of a patio starts with the base. It stands to reason t hat if the base is not level there is no chance of the patio being level either.

So how do we make sure that the base is flat and level? Well in reality you never aim to build a ‘level’ patio but rather one that sheds water and directs it to the right place. The Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute (ICPI) recommends that your patio be sloped 1/4”(6mm) per foot to maintain proper drainage of your patio. So with that knowledge how do you create a flat surface for your pavers or interlocking stone? Well the answer is called screeding and it’s the way that the professionals set the base height.

Screeding is the process of dragging a screed or board over two pipes to produce a flat surface. By setting the pipes to the final slope of your patio you are able to ensure that the flat surface that you are creating is the same flat surface you will be walking on when your patio is complete.  This is a little hard to explain in words so let me explain with a picture.

Here you can see that by dragging the board across the pipes you are able to create the perfect bed for your pavers. Screed the gravel, compacting in 2” lifts (layers) until you reach your required base depth. Then you can set the height of your pipes for the final 1” of sand settling bed. Then screed out your final 1” of sand and your pavers are ready to be laid.

Setting the pipes can be a little tricky. With the help of a laser level this can be an easy task to accomplish, however lasers are expensive tools. You can also use a long level (72”) or a board with a level taped to the top to assure the pipes are placed correctly, or a line level.

Screeding, Patio, Base, Leveling Patio
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Tips From The Pros