Level The Top Layer Of The Concrete Paver Patio Base
Use the square nose shovel to scoop the paver dust and spread it onto the base layer. Do this in a sifting type of motion to get it even.
Dont tamp the sand before laying the pavers. The screeding will basically have already compacted the sand for you.
I recommend only screeding one section at a time, for two reasons. One is that if it rains before you have placed your pavers, you will need to add more sand and relevel with the screed.
The other is that since you can walk on the pavers as you place them, it will be much easier to get around the patio. Youll be forced to work outside the patio the whole time if you level the entire space at once. Youll also benefit by getting a second set of hands for this.
To screed the sand for leveling, start at one end and place the screed on top of the pipes.
Hold the screed tight to the pipes and push it across the pipes. Keep the pressure even as you move along.
You may need to slide the screed back and forth to help even the sand out.
If you get to the end and you meet a wall, like the foundation of your house, use a mason float to scoop out the additional sand.
You can also use the float if there are any spots that you accidentally pulled a piece of gravel through and it made a divot, or your hand hit.
Select Paver Type Shape And Size
The first step in planning your DIY paver patio is to pick out the size and shape of the pavers you will be using. Square or rectangular blocks are fairly easy to arrange, so if you have a specific area you want to cover, one of these is your best option. If you are more flexible on space, you can consider natural stones like flagstone or slate. However, it will take more careful planning to fit the unique and various shapes into your patio.
After youve selected which type of pavers youll use, plan out the size and shape of your patio. Calculate the square footage of your desired patio area, adding between 10 and 15% to account for pattern matching and mistakes. This number will be important when buying your supplies.
S To Prepare The Ground And Install Your Paver Patio
For anyone thinking about upgrading their outdoor living space, a paver patio is an absolute must. These versatile patios add depth to your home, as well as style and creative design. It pushes the property value exponentially, increases the area for entertaining and adds character to your home.
If you are wondering how difficult it is to install a paver patio yourself, we have the steps right here for you.
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Level The Ground For Your Paver Stones
Take the four stakes and hit them into the ground 12 outside of your patio area using the rubber mallet. Hammer them in until they are at least a foot into the earth. They should be nice and tight and not move if you pull at them.
Once theyre secure, measure each stake from the ground up to 4. Mark this. This will be your level line and also the top of your compacted base layer.
Reminder- due my patio being boxed in on all four sides, my photos show the stakes placed inside the patio area.
Make sure when you put the stakes into the ground, that they are at least a foot down. They should be nice and tight and not move if you pull at them.
Measure from the ground, up the stake to 4 and mark this. This will be your level line and also the top of your compacted base layer.
Take the nylon string and wrap it around the mark you made. How you tie the string is important, so take a moment and read this article that explains how to do this so that you get the proper tension.
Keep the string as one continuous string and repeat this for all four stakes, using the tying method linked above. When you return to the first stake, tie it off and cut the string from the spool.
Other Factors That Affect Cost
Your paver patio project would be easy to plan if size was the only factor affecting costs. But there are many other factors to consider, such as the patios location, shape, and paver material.
For example, a concrete patio with a square shape will cost much less than a curved stone paver patio. Lets take a deep dive into how different facets will affect total cost.
- Material: Brick often comes to mind when we think of paver patios, but there are many different patio materials you can choose from. Note that some paver materials are more expensive than others.
- Labor: Anything that makes a professional patio installers job harder will run up the bill.
- Shape: Right angles make it easy on the pros. Start throwing curves and tight corners around, and the pros will have to work much harder to install the pavers just right.
- Location: Want to install your patio on a site with bumpy terrain? Youll need to pay for some land grading first.
- Paver Design: Most paver patios involve a basic paver installation. But if you want your pavers to resemble a special design, such as a mosaic or spiral, expect labor costs to rise.
- Intended Use: Installing your paver patio around a pool? Want your patio to bear the weight of heavy vehicles? How you plan to use your patio will affect some material choices .
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How To Lay Pavers On Uneven Ground
In terms of how to lay pavers on uneven ground, you will need to address the unevenness and create a flat base. Pavers need to be placed on level ground in order to perform and look their best and to ensure no movement occurs. In any case, regardless of your backyard, you will need to level your chosen area prior to laying pavers. This is why the process of levelling using bedding sand, road base and a spirit level is essential for all pavers.
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If you are laying pavers on a slope , you can still level the ground so it is all sitting at an even slope, depending on how steep the area is.
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If the area is too steep, you can implement retaining walls that break up the slope. This is best done with the help of a professional.
How To Lay Pavers Without Base
Are you searching for how to lay pavers without a base? Unfortunately, there isnt a way to lay pavers without excavating the ground and preparing it with road base and bedding sand. Without this process the pavers would move around, become sunken in and even crack. Not only would this be very visually unappealing, it would be a safety hazard for the area. So, if you are unsure how to attempt paving your own patio, we recommend speaking to a professional who can assist you with the process.
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Compacting The Sand Base
Once you have established a good, compacted, base of gravel, youll lay a 1 layer of sand on top of it. On top of that sand is where youre going to place your pavers.
Many people think this layer of sand should also be compacted, but thats a mistake. This layer of sand should be merely screeded.
Screeding sand consists in placing two 1 conduit pipes on top of your gravel base and covering them with sand. Then you place a 2×4 on top of said pipes and use them as a rail to level the sand around them.
That should leave with a perfectly leveled 1 layer of sand in which to place your pavers. After that, carefully remove the pipes and do not compact the sand.
Add Sand Between Pavers
Finally, you need to fill in the gaps between your patio stones. Simply pour a pile of polymeric sand onto your pavers and sweep it into the cracks. You may not know how much sand youll need to fill in all the cracks, so add small piles of sand as you go to prevent a big cleanup afterward. Unless you have a lot of leftover sand, you can simply sweep the remainder onto your lawn.
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Compacting Base For Paver Patio
Compacting the base causes smaller particles in the soil to settle in the voids of the material underneath, forming a sturdy base. Surely this step is key to creating a paver patio that will hold up through the years.
In addition you can buy or rent a hand tamper tool to compact the base. Of course, we rented a powered compactor for this project to speed up the process.
How To Install A Paver Patio That Will Last
Earlier this week we talked about creating an outdoor living space on a budget. Certainly this post offers you great tips on how to style a patio to create an inviting and relaxing atmosphere, perfect for evening dinners or large parties. While today wed like to share how to install a paver patio that will last. Furthermore, using our step by step guide will result in professional results.
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Build A New Paver Patio
Do you have an unused corner of your yard just begging for a makeover? Theres certainly not much to look at in the before photo above. But with some easy-to-find materials and a few days of work, you can transform a blah space like this into an inviting getaway.
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Sometimes its nice to have a patio escape away from the house! At 14½ ft. long and 9½ ft. wide, this one has plenty of room for furniture and a few friends to move around without tripping over each other. On the other hand, you wont feel lonely even if youre the only one enjoying a morning cup of coffee and listening to the birds.
Doing Anything Other Than The Click
Most pavers, especially the concrete ones, have built it spacers. These are small crevices that are designed to make sure the pavers have proper space between each other.
At the moment of the installation, when the pavers touch side by side, you can hear a click sound. Thats where the name comes from.
Pavers should be laid by putting them close next to each other until you hear the click, and then be gently dropped in place. Never shift a paver around in the sand once they are placed. If any mistakes are made, pick them up and place them again.
The click-and-drop method should be used even with pavers that dont necessarily have the spacers, although, in that case, buying plastic ones separately is always a good idea.
Improper space between pavers is also a very common mistake, so the use of plastic spacers in an excellent way to avoid that.
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Prepare The Patio Area
Laying pavers is a DIY project that takes about one weekend to complete. When you’re building a patio, you’ll make layers using these materials:
- A 6-inch layer of gravel for the paver base
- A 1-inch layer of sand
- DIY patio pavers
Use a tape measure to find the square footage of the area where you’ll lay the patio. That will help you figure out how many stone patio pavers and how much paver base and paver sand you’ll need. For example, for an area that measures 60 square feet, youll need about 60 12-inch x 12-inch paver stones.
You’ll be using 4 inches of gravel, which is 1/3 of a yard, for a paver base. To figure out how many cubic feet of gravel you will need, multiply your square footage by 1/3. In this example, you’d need about 20 cubic feet of gravel, or 3/4 cubic yards. You may want more in case you spill some. You will also need a 1-inch thick layer of paver leveling sand. As a rule of thumb, you’ll need about 1/3 as much sand as gravel, measured in cubic volume.
Clear Out Grass And Soil
To get started, mark the perimeter of the patio area with marking paint. Drive garden stakes into the ground just outside the perimeter markings and attach a mason’s line.
When figuring out how high to make the patio, work from the house outward. The pavers should slope away from the house with a drop-off of about 1 inch every 8 feet, so water can drain away. Mark the height on the stakes and adjust the mason’s line.
Use a spadeand shovel to clear grass and dirt from the work area. Check the depth and slope against the mason’s line and the measuring tape to make sure you maintain both the proper depth and slope.
Tip: Before you dig, remember that you will be adding 4 inches of gravel base and about 1 inch of paver sand before you add the DIY patio pavers.
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How To Lay Pavers On Dirt
Lots of questions come up regarding how to lay pavers on dirt, however, it is not recommended to lay pavers directly on dirt or any unprepared ground. In order for pavers to look and perform their best in a permanent situation, the ground needs to be levelled, excavated and hard compacted. It is suggested that you follow the above steps if your desired space for a patio is dirt based.
Where Do You Start When Laying A Paver Patio
Installing a paver patio can seem like a daunting task, theres no doubt about that. For this reason its a valid question to wonder where to start when laying a paver patio?
How much does it cost?
How do you prepare ground for pavers?
Does it need a slope?
Can you lay pavers on just sand?
How many inches of sand do I need for pavers?
What is the best base for pavers?
Is paver base necessary?
Surely the list goes on. Each question will be answered below.
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Secure The Concrete Pavers In Place And Fill The Gaps
Once you have finished each section and the pavers have all been laid, make sure none of the paver stones wobble. Youll want to check this before filling the joints.
I had about five that had some wobble and just about every time, the culprit was a raised bit of larger gravel that had been pulled near the surface. The concrete paver stone was resting awkwardly on the raised gravel.
The way to fix this is to gently remove the paver and check for the larger gravel that is raised. Remove it and fill in the hole with sand. Carefully place the paver back down into position.
If you dont see any gravel, then something in that spot isnt level. It could be that theres a bit of a bump, or just one edge needs a little more sand. Use the float to level it and place the paver back into place.
With all the pavers set as you need them, you can start filling in the gaps. Use the square nosed shovel to scoop the sand or paver dust and place it into the joints, but only add about ½- ¾ of the paver dust/sand.
Try to distribute it evenly between them. You can use a hand spade and/or a broom to help with this.
Then sweep off any excess sand with the broom.
Now finish filling in the gaps with your decorative top layer. I used marble chips.
I wanted marble chips in part for aesthetic reasons, but also because the larger size would be less maintenance than smaller sized filler. Smaller filler would just stick to peoples feet or get caught in the soles of their shoes.
Excavate The Patio Paver Area
- Remove grass or other vegetation and skim off 2 to 4 inches of soil.
- Pro tip: You can speed up sod removal by renting a sod cutter.
- Pro tip: You also must remove soil evenly and leave a flat surface, as theres no thick layer of gravel to make up for uneven ground. After digging and grading, there shouldnt be more than about 1/2-inch variation in flatness over the area.
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Add Joint Sand And Compact
Next, pour joint sand or polymeric sand over the top of the entire paved area until it reaches about inch above the top of the pavers. Polymeric sand is typically used with large jointed pavers, and regular joint sand will suffice for smaller joints. After verifying that a pad is being used on your plate compactor, tamp the sand down. Failure to use a pad will result in scratched pavers which will need to be replaced.
How To Install A Paver Patio On Uneven Grounds
Homeowners enjoy the great look that patio paving provides for their lawn. It creates a narrow path, and people want to see what the result may be. But uneven ground can derail the paving effort right from the start. Use a few simple tactics to lay down the patio paving stones on that uneven ground. That will explain how patio paving can take place on the lawn as well. The patio paving stones can then be laid in to place without any hassle. Uneven ground can be managed in a short amount of time. There are unique advantages people will want to consider.
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