Bulk Aggregates for Patios in Erie, MI

Michigan Rock Supply stocks gravel and aggregate delivery in Erie, MI, and the mix of materials here starts with 21AA limestone. That crushed limestone with fines is the standard base across Monroe County, and it is what most patio and flatwork jobs are built on. The ground under it is flat former lake bed clay, so what you put down and how deep you put it decides how the patio holds up.

You order online, pick a quantity by the ton or yard, and a dump truck brings it to your site. Everything below is about what to order for an Erie project and why.

Ground and Conditions in Erie

Start with the failure a thin base shows here. On flat, slow-draining clay, frost comes out of the ground in spring and water is trapped in the soaked soil. A patio or drive with a shallow base softens, ruts and shifts, and the pavers move with it.

Erie sits on the Southeast lake plain, a former glacial lake bed of clay, silty clay and clay loam, crossed in places by sandy beach ridges and sand channels. Most of the ground is poorly drained, and much of the land relies on ditches and tile drains to move water away.

That shapes two choices. First, base depth and compaction, because a base that is thick enough and packed hard resists the spring thaw. Second, a drainage layer, so water has somewhere to go instead of sitting under the pavers.

Timing matters too. Base, driveway and paver work runs from the spring thaw into late fall, and frozen ground stops compaction in winter. Frost laws also limit heavy trucks on many roads during the spring thaw, which affects when material can reach a site. Frost depth is 42 inches under the Michigan Residential Code, a footing figure set by the building official.

Materials for Erie Projects

Patio and flatwork jobs live or fall on the bedding layer, so that is where to spend your attention. Under pavers, flagstone and patio slabs, the bedding material has to compact flat, drain, and stay put through freeze-thaw.

Stone screenings are the usual bedding choice. The fine crushed stone beds pavers, flagstone and patio stone, and it also works as a fine topping over a compacted base. Below the bedding, 21AA limestone is the base that carries the load. It is the standard Michigan driveway base, and it goes under drives, parking pads, pole barn and shed bases, and patios.

Where water needs to move, 3/4 inch crushed stone handles drainage beds and drive surfacing, and #57 stone covers French drains and concrete aggregate. For the joints between pavers, #8 crushed stone and #89 crushed stone are small washed stone for tight bedding. Sand matters as well: mason sand goes into paver joints and brick and block work, and washed sand levels and beds under slabs.

For a drive or a private road, 22A road gravel is a hard-packing mix of stone, and it is not for drainage work. Driveway gravel surfaces an existing drive or tops a compacted 21AA base.

Delivery to Erie and the Surrounding Area

Ordering is done online. You choose your material, then choose a quantity by the ton or by the yard, whichever you are working in. If you are unsure how much you need, the calculator sizes the load for you before you check out. Pick a delivery date at checkout and a dump truck brings the material to your site.

Erie sits in Monroe County, and delivery covers the county, including Monroe, Lambertville, Temperance, Dundee and La Salle. Bulk loads are dumped where the truck can reach, so think about where you want the pile before the truck arrives.

Size Your Load, Then Place Your Order

Work out your square footage and the depth you need, then let the calculator turn that into a quantity by the ton or yard. With your numbers set, choose your material and a delivery date at checkout. Michigan Rock Supply will bring the load to your site in Erie, ready for the base and bedding work.