[left]Hi there, I’ve been installing interlocking pavers for the past 15 years and have come across a slightly new installation circumstance that I’d like some advice on. I’m installing 2 sections of 2-3/8” thick pavers between 3 existing driveways at a townhouse complex. The span between the driveways is just under 10’ wide and are 23’ & 31’ long, respectively. I’ve already got everything excavated and have compacted my 3/4” road base up to within 4”-5” of existing driveway height. My finished, compacted 3/4” base depth with be approx. 12”-14”. All of my interlocking paver work, until this point, has been walkways and patios. The crux of my question has to do with final compaction on top of the pavers before, and during, my joint sand installation. On walkways and patios, I use a smaller plate tamper that has 2500 lbs. of compaction force. Since I’m dealing with vehicle weight, not foot traffic, can I still use the smaller tamper on top of the brick to achieve proper compaction, or should I use a slightly heavier tamper with 3500 lbs. of compaction force? I also don’t want to chip, or break, any pavers by using a heavier tamper. Sometimes something I’ve never had a problem with using the smaller tamper. Lastly, I screed a 1” depth of course sand for my bedding layer. How high above the existing driveways should I leave my pavers during the laying process so the 2 surfaces will be flush after final compaction? Other forums I’ve read are anywhere from 1/8” to 3/4”. I’d like to narrow that down a little, lol! I forgot to mention, the existing driveways are poured concrete. Any tips, suggestions and feedback are appreciated. 🙂🙏 [/left]

We are replacing a falling apart pathway, 60' by 3' with a brick pathway. I'm reading different ways of doing this. One source says just use sand underneath, other sources say use a layer of gravel then sand on top of the gravel, another says use crushed gravel alone. Are all of these options adequate, is one better than another? We live in the South with hot summers and relatively mild winters, lots of rain, and clay like soil.