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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 6:22 pm
by loudog
I am laying a soldier course with charcole pavers, with a single stretcher of brindle, followed by a stretcher of charcole, followed my a stretcher of brindle. Having looked at the wall, the pillars of the wall stick out by a couple of inches. Do I cut my soldier blocks to keep the line or does the paving follow what ever is in front of it. Hope that makes sense.
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 6:32 pm
by haggistini
a pic would help... with a multiple edge course like that id want to lose the pillars on the first soldier course otherwise cutting them all around would just draw your eye to them imo 
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 6:53 pm
by loudog
Yeah, think your right, think ill have to try and loose it by cutting that 1st soldier course, I have done about 5 paving jobs now and havent come across it before, I am mainly on the black stuff, so not a real expert on paving, I am learning all the time though, specially with help from you guys .
cheers
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 3:04 pm
by Tony McC
Probably too late now, but I felt this was an important point that needed to be made.
One of the functions of an edge course is to present a neat and tidy edge against which the field blocks are laid. It should be positioned and adjusted as necessary to accommodate as much of the inherent variation in the site as is possible. In the case of fence posts, it usually means trimming back the blocks to accommodate the post while presenting a straight line or consistent arc to the field blocks.
I know that, somewhere, I have a photie that shows exactly this, but can I find it when I need it?
What I do have is this photie taken on one of the training days I ran in Ireland a few years back )hence the mob-handed approach to block laying). The scenario is the main public footpath through town and most of the buildings adjacent to the path are old, stone-built and laid to whatever alignment suited the builder on that particular day.
If you look at the rear edge course (on the right) you will notice that, where the realities of modern society have required shopkeepers to fit roller shutters to their premises, the edge course blocks (charcoal) have been trimmed back so as not to interfere with the shutter guides (even though the shopkeepers are out of order by installing fittings into what is a public highway). The boundary line between edge course and filed blocks (natural) remains reasonably straight and true, and the gap around the shutter guides would eventually be filled with charcoal-coloured grano. The same 'trick' is used where we needed to keep the edge course away from the property frontage by up to 25mm - anything more than that would be pieced-in using cut blocks, rather than grano.
The result is, hopefully, a pavement that looks neat and tidy, with the variations and idiosyncrasies of the properties cleverly hidden by trimming or expanding the rear edge course as necessary.
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:33 pm
by GB_Groundworks
Ooh my you learn something new everyday bit for the day 
Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1297280028
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:51 pm
by Ted
I generally try and build blockwork and pillars so the whole lot is flush; makes rendering and painting the wall quicker as well as making installation of the paving/flooring material quicker and easier. It is arguably less aesthetically pleasing though.
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:48 pm
by loudog
Thanks chaps that's a great help.