Resurfacing again - Tips & Tricks from the Community

Hi everyone,

I am a new homeowner (purchase from existing property) and have just had a new line installed for a heat pump. Now I have to get back to paving. All the YouTube videos have quite different basic conditions. I now have a rather rocky rubble as a base.
Question 1: What is the most sensible here? First some kind of intermediate layer to level it out (soil without stones or something?) and then gravel, or gravel directly now (even if that means using three times the amount)?
Question 2: I already have 2 small problem areas: a) During the work, quite a few small stones slipped into the joints of the intact rows. Therefore, they are spaced a little wider than normal. Is there any clever way to fix this without dismantling anything? b) a few rows in the middle are already a bit crooked (but because the entire concrete wall underneath has already slipped). Is there a trick for this (some kind of jack from below or something)?
Question 3: What do you think is the best option for the joints? So far I haven't found joint sand in the color, only something like in the photo.

Looking forward to your experience!

I would simply approach the small spots like this:
Remove the gravel remains
Compact the ground, e.g. with a sledgehammer
Fill up with gravel and smooth with a trowel (2cm higher than the bottom edge of the lying stones)
Lay the paving stones and tap them firmly with a rubber mallet until they are flush. All with a lot of care.

To be honest, I don't understand all the questions. Was there still concrete underneath in some parts? Where the stones are loose and the concrete is crumbly, I would chip it out. Basically, I would also try to tamp down all the larger stones that are currently in there as firmly as possible. If you don't have a hand tamper, you'll have to make do with something, but the larger stones shouldn't be loose anymore or sticking up too much. Afterwards, I would fill up with gravel. However, leveling 2cm above the existing stones might be a bit much, I would have guessed... Regarding the color of the joint sand, I wouldn't worry about it. It won't be noticeably visible.

Fill with gravel and smooth with a trowel (2cm higher than the bottom edge of the lying stones)

Exactly, you need gravel, that is the dark granulate. It's best to remove all the thick stones above, add granulate/gravel and press and smooth with a paving stone. Gently tap the stones in with a rubber mallet if, as can be seen here, it's just a small side path. I would go under the 2 cm, maybe only half, because the stones are not constantly walked on.

Is there a trick (like a kind of jack from below or something)?

There is a device with which you can lift stones. But I would recommend not just partially, but removing everything at once. I now assume here and now that it should look reasonable but not professional?! By the way, I didn't have YouTube when I paved my access path in the front yard. There were/are books about creative design ideas for path design in private gardens etc. Maybe you can find something with these keywords online or in (online) bookstores.

Hi,

I would first thoroughly compact the rubble base and then put gravel on top – 2–5 mm grain size, nothing too coarse. I wouldn’t use soil or anything like that for leveling, that only causes trouble if it settles.

I would clean the shifted joints with a narrow joint scraper and see if you can push the stones back a bit with a rubber mallet. If not: tamp in gravel and that’s it, later you hardly notice it.

If individual rows sit crooked due to the base, unfortunately just patching from above won’t help. You have to take the stones out and rebuild the area – it’s more work, but everything else will be a mess in the long run.

For joint material, I would simply use classic joint sand, preferably with weed protection. The stuff in the picture looks like some polymer-bound material – it holds better, but you really have to work cleanly with it, otherwise it quickly looks shabby.

Best regards