Marcellus · Pavers and steps

Patio and Walkway Pavers in Marcellus

Much of the mapped Marcellus ground is well drained, which gives a paver patio a good start. The base still decides whether it stays flat.

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The projects and soil notes here fit Syracuse and nearby towns.
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Wide gray stone steps with stone-faced side walls at the front entry of a house

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When pavers and steps fits a Marcellus home

A back step that lands on grassA paver landing and patio extends the doorway into a usable space.
A path from the drive to the porchPavers or flagstone give a village-style house a proper approach in place of worn turf.
A gentle slope behind the houseHoneoye soils here run on 3 to 15 percent slopes, enough that the patio may need a small cut on the uphill edge.
A garden bed that needs a stone edge and stepsNew stone treads at a change in grade make the route safe in wet weather.

Quick answers

Questions about pavers and steps in Marcellus

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Is a four inch base enough in Marcellus?

It is the minimum the specification gives for patios over well-drained soil. Wet spots or poor soil need more, so ask for the depth for your yard.

Can pavers be laid late in the fall?

Not onto frozen ground. Base material should not go over a frozen subgrade, so ask the contractor how the schedule handles a cold snap.

Are poured concrete steps part of this page?

No. Poured concrete is a different trade. Stone and paver steps are covered here.

Pavers and steps in Marcellus homes

The largest soil unit mapped in town is Honeoye silt loam, about 25.2 percent of it on gentle 3 to 8 percent grades, and a further 12.5 percent lies on steeper 8 to 15 percent ground. About 61.9 percent of all mapped ground is well drained. For a patio, that is the good kind of news, because the paver specification gives a minimum of four inches of compacted base on well-drained soil. The bad kind of news would be a wet pocket, and only 10.6 percent of the town's soil falls in that group.

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Check the spot you chose

Averages hide the yard in front of you. If water stands behind your house after a storm, the base is going to need more than the minimum, and in cold climates continually wet soils call for a base two to four inches thicker. Ask the contractor to state the depth in writing and to say what happens at the low corner.

Compaction matters just as much as depth. The specification asks for the subgrade to reach 98 percent of standard density, laid in lifts, and it says frozen base material should never be placed. At the Syracuse airport, October has nearly 13 nights below 40 degrees, and that is a reason to ask about the finish date and not only the start date.

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Ask whether a patio, steps or a wall needs a permit before you assume either answer. Check with the Town of Marcellus Code Enforcement Office, or the Village office if your address is inside the village, and confirm footing depth with them before a footing is dug. Utility lines need marking at least two working days before digging starts, and the contractor should say who calls.

Basis: USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO), Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes