Paver Kit Base with Recycled Glass

Orcas residents Julia Turney and Jay Lucas share their experience using recycled glass from The Exchange to create a beautiful paver area in their yard.

“We used about a yard of the crushed glass from the Exchange as a base layer for a 9 foot diameter concrete paver kit. The glass offered several advantages: it was free, locally sourced, it compacted well and we could level it with a straight board. Here’s a summary of the process.

Digging the base for the pavers was the most difficult task. The ground is firm glacial till with abundant rock fragments. Tree roots were present just below the soil surface and above the till. Once we got the excavation down about 6 to 9 inches below the surface and the diameter we wanted, we used our pickup truck to get about a half yard of glass from The Exchange.

The Exchange kindly loaded the truck for us and the weight of a half yard was all our Honda pickup could handle. A rake held tines up was useful for spreading the glass over weed fabric. A hand held 10 pound tamper compacted the glass so well I could walk on the surface. The tamper also helped level the glass. A second load of crushed glass brought the level up to the right elevation.

Laying the pavers over crushed glass was the easiest part of the project. The kit came with a pattern, rather like a knitting pattern and the pavers went together quickly. A spare bucket of sand was helpful to have on hand for adjusting pavers where needed. The paver finish completely covers and encapsulates the glass. A final layer of washed paver sand from the hardware store, brushed into the gaps in the pavers, completed the project.

Here are some tips about working with the crushed glass that helped us:

• Wear gloves and eye protection. It is possible the glass could have sharp edges.
• Use a very large tarp in the bed of your truck to keep it off of all the surfaces. The glass is very sticky from residues in the original bottles and the glass sticks to any surface it touches.
• The glass was easier to compact when it was wet and kept any potential dust suppressed.
• Don’t wear shoes that have been on the glass into your house. It will scratch floors or get stuck in carpet. We’re really pleased with how the project came out and appreciate having the crushed glass as a resource that worked well and saved money.”