Best screed rail set up - Rails

[kariba]

hey guys what's the fastest and best way to set up screed rail

[mickg]

use steel pins knocked into the ground at both ends of the area to be paved and a taught line fixed to the pins set 2 - 3mm higher than the finished height of the paving, lay out the screed rails parallel to the line and approx 50mm to one side

put your foot on the rail to hold in place and using it as a guide drag a taper mouth spade down the edge of the rail forming a channel in the compacted sand which the rail will fit into

using a paving block as a guide for the height lift or lower the rail into position using the block on top of the rail so it just touches the line, you need to push sand under the rest of the rail to give it support so when you commence screeding it cant dip when you add any weight during the screeding process

continue the same process with the second row of screed rails making sure the width is not wider than the aluminium or timber your using to screed the sand, I always allow 100mm minimum each side

you may have to use additional lines to check for any cross falls but this is something to be checked on site as every job is different

[Tony McC]

Kariba,

are you using a system (such as Probst or Plader) or just freehand rails? There's a bit about freehand rails here

[kariba]

freehand rails as mick described. Cheers for the info lads, this site is worth its weight in gold!

[kariba]

do you guys just use concreters screed bars with freehand rails?

[mickg]

I use 18mm hollow galvanised tube the type what electricians used to use for commercial type ducting

[kariba]

oh no i meant when you are screeding

[mickg]

right with you, no I use a aluminium feather edge screed similar to this link

I have 3 different lengths from 1 metre long up to 3 metre long
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm....0487150

[kariba]

cool, any advantages over such a fine edge?

[lutonlagerlout]

I use the same tube and straightedge as mickg
with the straight edge you can kind of cut excess sand away as you go

we normally install the stone 75mm down from finish then wack

then grit sand 30mm down from finish and wack

then screed to final levels 45mm down from finish

lay blocks

wack

then kds and wack again

LLL

[mickg]

Yeah the feather edge digs into the sand as you pull it towards you making it easier to screen the sand, the alternative is a piece of 4x2 timber what is heavier and has a square edge which is as much use as a chocolate fire guard

[lutonlagerlout]

too much flex in timber
LLL

[msh paving]

Probst easyscreed, everytime not on your knees,stand up and pull adustable from 2.3-3m.smaller version .6, 1.2 and 1.6 cover almost everyjob no wet knees,short ally screed for tiny bits or a float MSH

[mickg]

no wet knees either Mark, I wear knee pads

[kariba]

will have a look at getting some of those. never screed with timber been using a concreters bar recently. would something like this do the trick?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm....&_uhb=1