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 | wbowhunt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 West Virginia 
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2003-12-16 71307
Now that I know my tractor is on the way, the list of projects from my Wife is growing. One thing she would like done is to put in a walk from the back deck to the walk out basement and also to the barn. I had looked at the 18" square molds that you can purchase and then use quick set concrete in. It is molded to look like stones. Has anyone used these before? If so, how well did they work, were you satisfied with the end result? Does it hold up to foot and lawn mower ( soon tractor ) traffic? Meaning if I lay down a base of stone and then set the molds. After all has set up, will it handle being driven over as I cut the lawn on both sides? Any feedback on these would be appreciated. Thanks
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada 
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2003-12-16 71317
A friend tried them, since you can only pour a few at a time it takes a loooooooong time to get enough to make much of a walk.
In most cases the cost of buying them is low enough it's not worth screwing around with pouring your own.
Best of luck. ....
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 | kubotaguy
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 360 Shepherdstown, WV
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2003-12-16 71321
I'd have to agree with Murf on that one. I helped my brother pour some of those and it took forever and they shifted too much even with a base of stone. You could either go with walking stones or pavers if you didn't want to go for the solid concrete walk. ....
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| wbowhunt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 West Virginia
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2003-12-16 71384
That is what I wanted to know. I mean they looked like a good idea to have a stone look to your walk, but I think I will look at doing some kind of premade pavers instead. I don't really want to go with just a straight poured walk, as Being that this summer I will actually be home, we are planning to do alot of the landscaping and design on the yard and I am hoping to give the walk a more pleasing look then a squared out poured walk.
Thanks for the feedback ....
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| Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2003-12-16 71390
Have a look around your area, there are a bunch of concrete contractors around now doing "patterned concrete".
Some bigger rental shops rent the molds also.
Basically they pour a slab then when it is firm but still maleable they lay the rubber moulds on top and run them over with a plate tamper. The end result is the best of both worlds, simple poured concrete, patterened to look like almost anything, brick, stone, cobbles, you name it.
Best of luck. ....
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| wbowhunt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 West Virginia
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2003-12-16 71407
I've seen that on some home repair shows, but I think after the wife agreeing to buy a CUT, I would be hard pressed to justify hiring a contractor to do this job. This was just one of many projects she has on the list for the tractor. Moving stone and concrete/moving the dirt that was taken out for the stone Etc etc. I am in no rush to complete this. I figure I do a little when ever I have time and am out playing on my new tractor doing something else. It will be a good long term project. Thanks for the idea though. I may look into seeing if you can rent the mold. Then do all the prep and stone work in advance. Then just have them bring in a truck load of concrete and go that route. Time will tell ....
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| kubotaguy
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 360 Shepherdstown, WV
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2003-12-17 71502
My wife's family does a lot of concrete work and I was talking to one of her cousins and he was telling me about a driveway they did with those stamps. They poured the concrete and then used some type of dye to color it and then stamped it into the stone look. The driveway was over 400' long. He said it seemed like forever finishing the job. ....
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 | jasonsewell
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 34 Plainville, CT USA
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2004-01-06 73194
I am a concrete products manufacturer in CT, My grandfather started the business over 42 years ago. The molds for an 18"X18" patio block can cost upwards of $50 for a quality one. The cost of a manufactured 18"X18" block from a manufacturer should not exceed $5 each. About $2.25 per square foot. The stamped concrete walks and driveways are unusually stressed by compacting the molds into the wet crete, causing premature cracking. The best way to install a slab or paver walkway would involve a 6"-8" compacted base of 3/4" processed gravel, followed by no more than 1" or either angular sand or stonedust, followed by the blocks, with a restraint edging spiked into the ground next to the blocks to prevent migration outwards. If anyone would like detailed installation information on this project I would be glad to mail literature to anyone. ....
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| wbowhunt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 West Virginia
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2004-01-12 73828
I was told or read somewhere that you should not put pavers on stone dust, only on sand. That natural stone was OK on Stone dust, due that stone dust got to hard after copaction and could cause unven surface and hence stress cracks.
Then again you can't always believe everything you read. I prefer stone dust over sand, as ants do not build tunnels in stone dust like they do in sand. ....
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| jasonsewell
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 34 Plainville, CT USA
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2004-01-15 74074
There are two thoughts on screed courses, sand and stonedust. Most major manufacturers will admits that either will work as well as the other. Most contractors in the Northeast agree about the ants, as well as I.
As far as the cracking with stonedust, pavers are made to a psi of 8000-10000. They are made on high-pressure, "Big-Board" machines. Blocks that are made on regular "Block Machines" are nothing more than a cement block, shaped differently and colored, around 4000-4500 psi.
A properly prepared compacted base, with uncompacted stonedust about 1" deep or less, followed by compacting directly over the paver will result in a pavement system with superior strength and drainage than any other pavement system.
Personally, I prefer stonedust. ....
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 | yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan 
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2004-01-15 74085
I wouldn't recommend driving on the pavers with a CUT during the spring thaw or when it has recently rained allot. I live in the city and had a contractor put pavers in an L-shaped sidewalk that leads from the street sidewalk to my front entrance and then off to my driveway. He did it with a curved shape and put circular patterns in it. He also did the same with the step. It looks cool and was done about ten years ago for about $5,000.00. It has held up great and only needs backfilling in the cracks on occasion.
In the spring and when it has rained heavily the pavers can be pushed down quite easily with my weight (250lbs.). In my hometown they have put pavers across main street with lots of truck traffic. They replace/reset them every year or so.
I would suggest putting in a normal cement sidewalk and make a drum that has a brick pattern on it. You can then outline the sidewalk with this pattern and use a cement stain to get the desired color. Timing has to be right when putting the pattern on. If you do it too quickly the cement runs. If you wait too long the pressure crumples the upper surface. You need only wait about 10-20 minutes after pouring and final leveling. Lay a sheet of visqueen on the surface to be cover and place the roller on it and roll it one time. Peel off the visqueen and let it dry. ....
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| wbowhunt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 West Virginia
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2004-01-16 74131
Jasonsewell, Thank you for the feed back. I was planning on the Stone dust, as I just had 20 tons delivery to put in the runnin' shed for my horses and have enough left over to do the walk from the house to the barn. I have just been a little reserved about cracking. I plan on taking my time an doing the install correctly as I want it to last. ....
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| kubotaguy
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 360 Shepherdstown, WV
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2004-01-16 74154
Wbowhunt:
Who did you get your stone dust from and what did it run? I'm just curious as I am having some stonedust and shale hauled in this spring. The guy I have been using keeps raising their prices. ....
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| wbowhunt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 West Virginia
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2004-01-16 74157
Well I had a friend who was giving me a really, really good deal, But he retired and I had to look else where. I ended up at Riverside out on 45. Pending what you are going to do with it, riverside has the Blue stone and it is a little better for not turning to concrete and cloding up. I just got it deleivery last friday ( Truck driver took out part of my pasture fence, Glad I had the tractor to fix it ) It ran $9 a ton plus $3 a tone delivery, end really is $12 a tone and I got a truck load. Which varies from 16 - 20 tons. Mine was 17 tons and cost me just over $200. ....
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| jasonsewell
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 34 Plainville, CT USA
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2004-01-16 74195
wbowhunt: If you wanted some printed material explaining different installation procedures for different soil conditions, I would be glad to mail it to you. E-mail me with your address if you would like it. I have a ton of literature on installation.
We have a mine one town over and it is the source of the strongest trap-rock on the east coast, Tilcon. They shipped their stone on the rails to florida to use in the concrete for the space shuttle launch pad. They only charge $12 per ton for stonedust, so your price sounds right on the money. ....
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| wbowhunt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 West Virginia
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2004-01-17 74286
That would be great . I will E-mail you. I haven't take on a project quite as big as the one I am looking at this summer. So anything would be greatly helpful. Thanks ....
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