Last walkway of the season

[tcalb2]

I just finished this project a week ago and wasn't pleased with the out come. Moslty because the clients didn't take any of my advice in regards to design other then color. Typically when I finish a project I get to design, I'm like this is my favorite by far. I hate the feeling I get when you do all the work and it looks like ****. Like a big blog of pavers no shape or design. I don't know if any one gets that, but anyways. I was wondering what ideas you guys can through me in regards to installation techniques. This is how my base goes. Layer of landscape fabric, 3-4 inches of compacted gravel, 1-1.5 inches of concrete sand then pavers. I've seen a few guys in my area using stone dust instead of concrete sand, any one use that instead of concrete sand? I have some problems with the concrete sand holding up to the compact stage which is the last thing I do before the wet the poly sand in. it seems it can be fluffy sometimes in areas and not in others. I don't know if anyone else is getting the same problems.

[MuirView Design]

Here's a good guide on installation.

http://www.idealconcreteblock.com/contractors_corner.cfm

The walk looks okay. It's a little too busy for how small it is though. You'd need a bigger area to pull that off. It kind of looks like something I'd do with a bunch of leftover stuff I had laying around. I think the double border on something this narrow is a bad idea and the circle looks a little out of place. Your cuts look decent, so keep up the good work in that regard. Definitely study all the different installation guides available on the web. It's your business to know the difference between concrete sand and screening and modified and gravel.

[MuirView Design]

It is a big improvement over the plywood they currently have!!! Looking at the pics again, you'd of probably been better off to bump the walk out away from house a little, create a planting bed on the inside and curve back in to wrap around to the driveway. Just a thought.

[tcalb2]

Yea, The homeowner designed it. I just added in the colors. It seems as though I get the customers that want to make a walkway into a patio. I swear I started designing this project and the homeowners like "we don't want planting beds, we want enough room for chairs and maybe a small table." what do you say to that?
I said "You mean you want a patio, I can do that also". ha

Yes looking back the double soilder course was possibly a mistake. I think when I do color and border design I get carried away. I want it to look like it belongs in a magazine, and Quite frankly they just want a hard surface to walk on to get to the front door. Point in fact I bid this job against a stamped concrete company and got it because my bid was better and they liked my website. ha, I never thought I was cheaper then stamped concrete, I must be doing something wrong.