Bulk Aggregates for Patios in Exeter, NH
Spring is the busy window for gravel and aggregate delivery in Exeter, NH. Base and paver work waits until frost is out and the ground has drained, and low ground near the tidal marsh holds water longer than the rest of town. New Hampshire Rock Supply stocks crushed gravel, stone dust and the sand a patio base needs. Order online and we deliver across Rockingham County.
Materials for Exeter Projects
On most Exeter patios, the bedding layer is what decides whether the pavers stay flat. A thin or poorly graded bed lets the surface settle unevenly through the first spring thaw, and the lowlands here drain slowly enough that trapped water makes it worse. Start with the right base and bedding and the patio holds its line.
Stone dust, also called screenings or crusher dust, is the New England default under flatwork. Screened to a tight range, it compacts into a firm, flat bed for pavers, flagstone and patios. Spread it as a thin, even bedding layer over a compacted base. See Stone Dust.
Under that bedding, crushed gravel carries the load. It is the standard New Hampshire base material for driveways, parking pads and shed bases, and it goes down in lifts and compacts hard. See Crushed Gravel. Where you want a base that binds as it compacts, Crusher Run does the same job with more fines.
For drainage at the edge of a patio or in a French drain, 3/4 inch crushed stone is the usual pick. Washed and clean, it lets water move instead of holding it. Order 3/4" Crushed Stone. For pipe bedding and finer drainage, Drain Rock works at a smaller size.
Joints and tight bedding call for a smaller washed stone. #89 Crushed Stone is small washed stone sized for joints and tight bedding between pavers, and it sweeps into the gaps cleanly.
Ground and Conditions in Exeter
On Exeter's slow-draining lowland soils, a patio or walk that dips at one corner within a year is a common sight. Under it is a base that was too thin, or bedding laid over ground that never drained. Exeter sits on glacial till and ledge on the higher ground, with marine silt, clay and sand in the lowlands and salt marsh along the tidal shore. Silt and clay hold water, so the subgrade stays soft long after a spring rain.
More bedding will not level it again; a deeper base and a drained subgrade will. Excavate until you reach firm, drained ground, then build the base in compacted lifts. Put a drainage layer of clean stone at the low edge so water has somewhere to go. On the higher, stonier ground the base goes faster, but you still compact each lift before the next one.
Timing matters. Base and paver work waits until frost is out and the ground has drained. The ocean keeps winter lows milder than inland, but the ground still freezes and thaws through the winter, and frost heaves gravel drives and walks in spring. Frost depth runs about 4 feet in most towns, and the town building official sets footing depth. Winter nor'easters bring the highest flood risk to low coastal lots, so plan drainage before the ground freezes.
Nor'easters and tropical storms drive storm surge and waves along the coast and tidal waters, and heavy rain scours river and stream banks. Where a patio or path sits near a bank, armor the edge with riprap rather than letting the fill wash out.
Delivery to Exeter and the Surrounding Area
Order online and choose your quantity. Bulk material is sold by the ton or by the cubic yard. A yard measures volume, so it is the easier unit for a bedding layer or a base lift you have already figured by length, width and depth. A ton measures weight, which is what most stone is sold by. If you know one and not the other, the site calculator converts it for you.
Estimate the volume first, then add a little for compaction and uneven ground. A bedding layer under pavers is thin, so small errors in depth change the total more than you expect. Give the delivery driver a clear drop spot and enough room to spread the load.
We deliver bulk loads to Exeter and the rest of Rockingham County, including Derry, Salem, Londonderry, Portsmouth and Hampton.
Order Patio Aggregates for Your Exeter Project
Start with the calculator to work out your base, bedding and drainage stone in tons or yards. Then place your order online and we will deliver the load to your site in Exeter. Get your quantities set and order when you are ready.