Adjustable Pedestal - AWS Diamond Head Series®
The AWS™ Adjustable Pedestal System now uses its thread technology to allow for 7/8” of adjustment, to virtually eliminate PVC cutting in the field. It is supported by a 6-5/8” bottom cap for balance, and on most membranes this pedestal virtually eliminates the need for a “barrier piece” against the membrane. All shims lock with the Diamond Head Series® pieces to fine tune support and eliminate “rockers”.
General Description: The AWS Pedestal System Diamond Head Series® is designed for use with Architectural Pavers, natural cut stone gauged for pedestal set and side sawn, wood tile systems and ceramic tiles designed for raised installations. Consisting of “snap fit” pedestal caps, shims and leveling plates made of rigid ABS plastic to form an adjustable head pedestal system. Rubber parts are used as vertical adjustment and base buffer components. The pedestal system is combined with “off the shelf” 4” diameter, SDR 35, ATSM 3034 PVC pipe cut to nominal lengths at installation.
Basic Use: The combination of top and base components, shims and slope compensators and adjustment parts “snap fit” with cut PVC pipe to create adjustable head pedestals providing support to elevated paver installation over waterproof substrates beginning at 1/8” (top spacer with fins). The top head assembly (one bottom cap and one top cap threaded together) provide up to 7/8” height adjustment, fine tuning level heights, at the point of installation. Adjustment to vertical is done by stacking the Slope Compensator under the bottom element of the pedestal. Each compensator adjusts for 2% slope and can be stacked for greater adjustment. Buffer pads used instead of a slope compensator add a layer of protection for the membrane system. Top shims fit in any of four quadrants of the top cap used to fine tune leveling of pavers at an intersection.
Parts in the Diamond Head Series Pedestal System: Technical Specifications
DHS Top Cap: ABS plastic, 6-5/8” diameter
DHS Bottom Cap: ABS plastic, 6-5/8” diameter
PVC Pipe: SDR 35/Schedule 3034 PVC, 4” interior diameter 4.215” exterior diameter, compression tested up to 30” tall withstanding 6,000
psi load capacity.
Bottom Shim 1⁄4” : ABS plastic, 6-5/8" diameter
Slope Compensator: Rubber, 6-5/8" diameter
Buffer Pad: Rubber, 6-5/8" diameter
Top Spacer with fins: ABS plastic, 6-5/8" diameter
Top Shims 1/8” & 1/16”: ABS plastic
View our Downloadable PDFs Here:
Pre-installation;
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Pre-cut appropriate half-inch increments of SDR 35 PVC. Use predetermined height of installed pavers indicated on plan drawings. Allow for a 5/8 inch added height of a fully assembled DHS pedestal including the cut PVC pipe.
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Arrive at job site. Lead Foreman and job lead review the project layout.
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Bring pre-cut lengths of PVC to the project site, off load with pavers.
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Crew begins by sweeping the job site of debris.
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Foreman instructs crew to off load the pavers and provides them with how many pavers are to be stocked on each installation area/deck. Avoid point loading.
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Foreman and Lead measure from left to right making sure no small cuts end up at railings/walls.
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Set string line going from north to south and east to west. The string line is a guide to maintain square sets of your pavers at the appropriate height. Most clients or architects would like to see the pavers tuck just underneath the threshold with cut pavers ending up against the side of the building/house
Installation;
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Working in a four (4) person crew, three (3) crew members are setting pedestals and laying pavers.
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Using pre-cut PVC from warehouse, One (1) crew person is combining PVC pipe and snapping 2 piece adjustable head and a bottom cap on each piece before handing to the install crew.
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Installers have a small caddy tray with AWS top shims; slope compensators and buffer pads to fine tune the pedestal height and ensure a level installation. Other tools may include a tape measure, marking pencil, 4’ or 6’ level.
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Begin by installing all the full sized pavers first. These are called the field pavers.
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A normal installation will require one each of both sizes of top shims for every pedestal. Each top shim is designed to snap in to the two piece adjustable top cap.
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Do not attempt to cut the PVC at an angle to compensate for the slope of the deck. Use the engineered slope compensator. Adjusts for 2% slope.
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Assign one (1) of the install crew to begin measuring, marking and cutting pavers for the areas that will require less than full pavers. The pavers are always to be cut using a wet saw with a diamond tip blade.
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The best setup for using a wet saw is a pop-up canopy with snap on sidewall panels. To avoid potential staining and damage to property always set up the wet saw downwind from the building and downgrade.
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Expect an experienced crew to set 150 pavers each per day (24x24, 18x18, 16x16).
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An experienced crew can mark, cut and lay 120 lineal feet of paver per day.
AWS Pedestal Installation Helpful Hints
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In a triangle or non-90 degree corner you can use a bottom cap in place of the two piece adjustable head cap. Two bottom caps work well if you need to support the center of a large paver. It gives you a flat top in this application. Use 1/4th bottom shims to adjust pedestal height to level with adjacent pedestals. Or cut a special piece of PVC pipe that allows for ¼” in height difference for two bottom caps on each end of the PVC.
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The top spacer is designed for low supports, starting at 1/8”. With stackable 1/4” bottom shims and buffer pads or slope compensators, you will alternate these two in / out, working up in 1/8” increments until reaching the height of the DHS 2-piece pedestal at 1 3/8”. The DHS top and bottom can thread together without the need of PVC and adjust from 1 3/8” (thread completely engaged) up to 2 1/4”. At that point you will transition into the DHS 3-piece system for the remainder of your project. PVC being your main element of height adjust, tested to 30” in height.
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When setting a pedestal against the wall/perimeter of the building/house you will want to use the AWS perimeter pedestal.
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Always consult the architect about using the buffer pad on a waterproof membrane. The buffer pad protects the membrane from wear and tear over the years. This is your insurance policy against a call back years down road. On excessive sloping conditions sub in the slope compensator for the buffer pad to adjust for up to 2% slope.
Clients and ordering;
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Pedestal orders are normally calculated with up to a 5% override. This gives the installer enough parts to cover for unexpected corners, planter boxes that never show up on the drawing, bump outs that are created by framers who needed a little room for a drain chase and so on. On a 1000 pedestal installation you should be selling up to 1050 pedestals to cover the project. Overnight shipping and lost installation time is much more costly in the long run.
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Roofing companies are some of the best clients. Landscapers and deck builders are becoming a larger segment for us.
*Always consult an engineer to determine load limits for your projects.
DHS Top Cap
SDR 35 4" PVC (ATSM D 3034)
DHS bottom Cap
Buffer Pad
Slope Compensator
1/8" Top Shim (Red)
1/16" Top Shim (Blue)
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