How do you install sleeves for umbrellas in a paver patio?

[npkr]

Hello,

I have searched the forum but haven't found anything with much detail about how to place umbrella anchors/sleeves in a paver patio (almost everything references installation of sleeves in a poured concrete patio). My gunite pool was put in this past summer. I delayed the paver patio to allow for settling to occur until this spring. The patio will be installed in early April.

Questions:

Can they be anchored adequately without concrete?

Should the sleeves be placed in the base first and the pavers cut around them?

I have seen retail pvc, brass, or SS sleeves (usually about 6 to 8 inches) referred to on this and other forums. However, if they are placed in a concrete base, and then the patio built around them, I am concerned that the finished paver patio surface will not be exactly flush with the sleeve, especially allowing for grading, etc.

Also, with the sleeves being only 6 or 8 inches in length, very little of the sleeve will be anchored in the concrete after allowing for the thickness of the pavers on top of one inch of sand.

The alternative, as I see it, would be to use long pieces of pvc (1 1/2 inch or 2 inch sched 40 per this forum) anchored in concrete, place the patio around them, then cut these pvc pipes flush with the surface of the pavers.

Is this reasonable? Are simple pvc pipes durable enough that they will last for many years or should I get a retail sleeve product? My concern is that simple pvc sched 40 pipe may crack and I won't be able to get it out.

Does anyone have suggested alternatives or experience with specific products or methods?

I would appreciate any suggestions or comments.

Thank you

 

[JasonLion]

Re: How do you install sleeves for umbrellas in a paver pati

There are several ways to deal with this situation. The best is to use a steel pipe at least an inch larger than the outside of the umbrella sleeve, place that in concrete (below paver level) so it sticks up to almost as high as where the pavers will reach, fill the pipe most of the way with concrete and stick the umbrella sleeve in that. Then cut the pavers to fit around it. Another approach with the potential for a little less work (if you measure correctly) is to let a paver (or two) sized block of concrete stick up to the top of paver level and put the umbrella sleeve in that. Yet another approach is to secure one paver directly to buried concrete with construction adhesive and then mount the sleeve in a hole drilled into the paver (and concrete below).

Plain PVC pipe will work for a time, but it will eventually crack, and fixing it means digging out the entire buried concrete chunk.

 

[npkr]

Re: How do you install sleeves for umbrellas in a paver pati

Jason,

Thank you for your reply. I like your tube-within-a-tube idea.

So, just to clarify, I would take a steel pipe, maybe 15 inches in length (of 2 to 2 and 1/2 inch diameter?) set it in concrete below the grade of the pavers with the top of the pipe ending up just below (maybe 1/8 inch below?) the surface of the finished paver patio. The inside of the pipe is partially filled with concrete leaving about 6 to 8 inches empty at the top to accomodate the pvc umbrella sleeve ( I was thinking of the umbrella pole holders from Colormatch Pool Fittings) which would be anchored in the top of the steel pipe. This would allow simple removal and replacement of the pvc sleeve if it should break in the future. Is this correct?

I don't know if you can tell me, but what diameter steel pipe would accomodate the pvc umbrella holder?

Thanks again

 

[JasonLion]

Re: How do you install sleeves for umbrellas in a paver pati

You've got it. The ideal size for the steel pipe depends on which design of umbrella holder you get.