How To Install Square Patio Pavers

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Installing a patio in your yard can transform an ordinary outdoor infinite into a wonderful gathering expanse. Using pavers to create your patio is economical and allows you to build an countless diverseness of shapes, sizes and colors. It volition take piece of work on your part to install a patio made of pavers, but you tin hands do it yourself from start to finish.

1. 1

   Measure the area where you want your patio. This allows yous to determine how many pavers to buy, too as how much of the other supplies you will need. You demand to have a clear thought of what yous desire your patio to look like and then you can ensure you buy enough materials. Measure out the length and width of the area you lot want to cover. Multiply the length times the width. This will give yous the square footage of your future patio.

   • If the shape of your patio is not square merely you volition use square pavers, you will demand to estimate the foursquare footage. Another selection is to use pavers that are designed to be laid in round shapes. These blazon of pavers volition crave yous to take different types of measurements to determine the amount of pavers needed.
   • If you lot are edifice stairs on your patio, you may need to subtract the square footage of the bottom stair and purchase some retaining blocks.

2. ii

   Decide on the pavers to apply for your patio. Pavers come up in a multitude of shapes, sizes, colors, and prices, so you lot take decisions to make. When determining which pavers to utilize, compare how much information technology will cost you to embrace the whole patio expanse. Some pavers are sold by the foursquare foot and some are sold equally individual blocks. Small pavers may be cheaper individually but they could finish upwards costing you more in the end to cover your foursquare footage. They are also much more labor-intensive, which tin price you in terms of time and effort.

   • To effigy out how many pavers yous will need, multiply the foursquare footage of your patio by the stones per square foot of the pavers you are considering (a number that should be on price labels or listed on product specs), this volition requite you the number of stones needed. For example, if you are making a 100 square pes patio and the pavers y'all are using are listed every bit 4 square anxiety per piece, multiply 100 by 4 and the total number of pieces y'all will need is 400. In one case y'all have that number, you tin effigy out how much specific pavers will cost you overall by multiplying the number of pavers needed by the toll per paver.
   • Remember, pavers tin be arranged in a multitude of dissimilar patterns; a sales associate at your home improvement store should be able to make suggestions if you tin't determine.
   • Brand sure you talk over commitment options with the sales acquaintance. A large number of pavers will weigh quite a lot, and you will probable demand them to evangelize a pallet to your habitation.

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3. 3

   Purchase pavers and other supplies. You will need more than than pavers to install a patio. The patio should include a layer of gravel and a layer of sand below the pavers, as well as a barrier to keep the pavers in place. All of these supplies should be purchased earlier you beginning your project.

   • To determine the corporeality of gravel and sand you will need to purchase, determine the volume of the space yous are filling or the cubic anxiety and cubic yards.^[i] The gravel should be at least 4 inches deep, simply this will be compacted, so you will desire to add some other i.5 inches to your calculation.^[2] The sand should be over 1 inch (2.v cm) thick, so these measurements should be multiplied by the foursquare footage of the patio. This will requite you the cubic feet you demand. You lot tin also use an online reckoner, such as the one here: http://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/structure/
   • If all else fails, consult a sales associate at your home comeback shop. They should be able to help yous effigy out how much sand and gravel yous will need for the square footage of your patio. Talk to them about your options for ownership supplies like sand in bulk to save money.
   • Make sure you buy polymeric sand to fill in the spaces or joints betwixt the pavers. Regular washed sand will not bind together well and your pavers will become loose.
   • Decide if you want to lay a fabric weed barrier between the gravel and the pavers. The sand and gravel are usually plenty to go along weeds from growing between your pavers, merely this added layer provides additional blockage. Make sure the barrier is porous so that y'all still become proper drainage through the gravel.^[3]
   • When yous buy pavers makes certain you lot buy at least x percentage more than you plan to apply. Paver blocks can break or you lot may need to cut some to fit around obstacles.
   • You lot may also need to hire a gas powered plate compactor as well as a paver moisture saw with diamond bract and stand if y'all need to trim or shape the pavers.

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1. 1

   Check for underground utilities. Earlier digging upward the lawn take your utility companies locate and marker hole-and-corner lines. Local agencies vary but information on who to call in your specific surface area is usually available past calling 811. This will connect you to your local agencies.^[4] Don't make the error of bold that there are no utilities in the area you lot are excavation! It'southward better to be safe than deplorable.

2. two

   Marker off the patio area. Measure your patio dimensions and mark them on the ground with stakes at each corner of the plot. Wrap a string or thin rope around the stakes to outline the patio'south perimeter. This will give you a good idea of how the patio will fit into the 1000 and it volition make sure that you are merely prepping the ground where the patio will actually exist.

   • To keep your patio level from the starting time, information technology'due south a skilful idea to make sure your perimeter string is level (they sell niggling levels that hang from these strings at any home improvement shop). If all of your strings are level, then you tin mensurate downwards from the cord at every step and your measurements will exist based on the aforementioned starting indicate.
   • You can also use a laser level, which saves you the fourth dimension and energy of setting upwards the strings by using laser light to cheque that everything is level.

3. three

   Dig upward the ground. Excavate vi to 8 inches by excavation up and removing all the soil in the marked area. The depth y'all dig down volition vary depending on how thick your pavers are and how much gravel you put down. This excavation should allow room so yous can install paver edging on the perimeter of your patio.^[5]

   • Slope the entire expanse slightly toward the direction in which you want water to run off the patio pavers. Lay a board across the area, and place a level on top the board to get the desired slope.
   • A level perimeter string volition come up in handy hither. Measure out downward from the string all around the patio space, to make certain you have dug down a consistent depth. You tin even stretch a temporary string across the area to determine whether the middle is level as well.

4. 4

   Add a gravel base of operations to the area. Cascade a 4 to 6 inch layer of gravel into the patio trench and compact it using the ground compactor, also chosen a plate compactor. Spray water over the gravel to wet information technology down then the stones compact better.^{[half dozen]}

   • If y'all don't own a compactor, y'all may be able to rent one at a local home improvement shop. You lot tin can as well use a mitt tamper to become edges and corners that might be missed by the compactor.
   • Once over again, mensurate off your level perimeter string to brand sure your gravel is relatively even across the whole patio area. This does not need to be perfect, and in fact should slope a little bit abroad from any house it'south next to, just it should give you lot a skilful idea if y'all are in the correct ballpark.
   • If you plan to utilise a weed barrier, now is the time to lay it downwards. Brand sure you lot accept called a biodegradable and porous fabric and so that it does non add toxins to the soil or interfere with drainage.^[7]

5. 5

   Add a layer of fine sand over the gravel and compact it. The sand layer should exist about an inch thick and follow the same course as the gravel.^[eight] This is the last layer y'all install before laying paver blocks, so make sure information technology is smoothen. Later laying downward the sand and compacting it, lay down two pieces of round level pipe more than v feet (1.5 m) apart, pushing them downwardly into the sand. To make sure your surface is level, then take a ii x 4 and pull information technology across the height of the two pieces of pipe, which will level out the sand underneath. Once the surface area is level, remove the pipes from the sand. You will be left with two indentations where the pipes were simply the rest of your patio area will be gear up for pavers. ^[9]

   • Yous may need to move your leveling pipes to several locations, depending on how large your patio is going to be. Just recall that y'all need to brand the whole patio to be level overall.

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1. 1

   Lay the pavers in the pattern you want. Starting time at i corner and keep the blocks equally shut to each other equally possible. As you lay each paver down, tap information technology a bit with a rubber mallet so it is nicely seated in the sand.

   • Check your level as y'all piece of work. The patio should keep the aforementioned level as you go on. If one paver is off, tap it with a safe mallet to get it into place. If a paver is too low, don't be afraid to pull information technology upward, put some more than sand under information technology, and put it dorsum in identify. It's easier to get it right now instead of afterwards. This is another point at which the level perimeter string may assist you lot out. While y'all can employ a level across the pavers themselves, measuring their distance abroad from the string will assist keep everything aligned as well.

2. 2

   Cutting paver blocks to fit around obstacles. If the patio needs to fit around copse or fencing, cut paver blocks using a saw with a diamond paver bract. These are available for hire from your local dwelling improvement store and are a good investment if you lot have a lot of obstacles.

   • If you simply accept a bit of an obstacle in your fashion endeavor artistic fixes. If at that place is a spot that requires a small piece of paver, consider merely filling the space with pea gravel or a footing cover institute instead. This will save you time and energy that y'all will need for the rest of the project. You may likewise take a pocket-size piece of paver that was cut off, and you may be able to use it in these tight areas.

3. 3

   Install edging effectually the patio perimeter. Patio edging comes in a diverseness of materials, including metal, plastic, and wood. Once all pavers are installed, secure the edging tightly against the outer border of the pavers using spikes placed two feet (0.61 yard) apart or closer. Whatever type of edging you choose, information technology will keep the pavers in identify, preventing them from slowly creeping out of alignment.

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1. ane

   Fill the cracks with sand. Embrace the entire paved patio with a thin layer of polymeric sand. Utilize a broom to sweep the sand back and along until it fills all the spaces between the pavers. If you notice that there are nevertheless gaps in-between pavers, add more sand and sweep information technology into the cracks. This may accept a few passes.

2. 2

   Meaty the patio. Attach a thick towel or piece of cardboard to the base of operations of the compactor and become over the entire patio. As yous go, brand certain that the patio is staying relatively level. Yous desire the pavers to be set well into the sand and that as little settling as possible will have place in the future. Don't be agape to requite a piffling force when compacting. While you lot don't desire to break your freshly set pavers, they can take a expert corporeality of forcefulness from a compactor with a cushioning embrace over it.

3. 3

   Finish off the edges of the patio. Fill in any areas along the patio edging with soil, gravel, grass, or basis cover. Basically you should make full the infinite at the border of your patio with any material matches the rest of your yard.

4. iv

   Seal your pavers. While pavers will terminal a very long time without sealing, taking the fourth dimension to seal your pavers every few years will make them look better, preventing staining and deterioration. Use a sealer that is recommended by your paver manufacturer. ^[x]

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Add New Question

• Question

  What do you put under pavers?

  

  Scott Johnson is the Owner and Lead Pattern Consultant for Physical Creations, Inc., an honor-winning landscape and blueprint company based in the San Diego, California metro area. He has over 30 years of feel in the pool and landscape construction industry and specializes in large manor outdoor environment structure projects. His piece of work has been featured in San Diego Home & Garden Magazine and on Pool Kings TV Testify. He earned a BS degree in Construction Management with an emphasis in Architecture and CAD design from Northern Arizona University.

  

  Mural & Design Consultant

  Proficient Answer

  

  Back up wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

  Y'all need a route base, like crushed gravel, at the very bottom. That layer needs to be at least three-4 inches nether the pavers. On top of the route base, y'all need sand. Your pavers go on elevation of the sand. The biggest error that most people brand is that they only excavate like an inch or 2 and so call it a twenty-four hour period. You really need to excavate similar 6 inches to go deep enough for the road base and sand.

• Question

  Can you utilise limestone that packs for a base instead of gravel?

  

  Anthony "TC" Williams is a Professional Landscaper in Idaho. He is the President and Founder of Aqua Conservation Landscape & Irrigation, an Idaho Registered Mural Business organization Entity. With over 21 years of landscaping experience, TC has worked on projects such as the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise, Idaho. He is a Idaho Registered Contractor and a previously Licensed Irrigator in the State of Texas.

  

  Experienced Landscaper

  Expert Respond

• Question

  How shortly tin I park a machine on my new paved driveway?

  

  Anthony "TC" Williams is a Professional Landscaper in Idaho. He is the President and Founder of Aqua Conservation Landscape & Irrigation, an Idaho Registered Landscape Business organization Entity. With over 21 years of landscaping experience, TC has worked on projects such as the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise, Idaho. He is a Idaho Registered Contractor and a previously Licensed Irrigator in the State of Texas.

  

  Experienced Landscaper

  Expert Answer

• Question

  How do you install pavers in an expanse that floods when it rains?

  

  It is the aforementioned process. The central is a little more dig out and so y'all tin identify 4" to half dozen" more than of base gravel, compacted heavily. Keep the pavers well sealed, all edging firmly in place with spiking and backfill, and if possible address faster drainage away from the pavers.

• Question

  I have marble slabs (1" ten 6" x 24") — can I do the aforementioned installation procedures every bit on my walk way?

  

  Yes, the prep piece of work and installation is the aforementioned. Be certain to extend the base gravel and compacting firmly on all sides of the walkway so that it is wide enough for good edging installation.

• Question

  How can I remove concrete that is already in my back thousand?

  

  Rent a jackhammer at Dwelling Depot and chip off the cement in pieces. A jackhammer is pretty easy to apply -- it'southward just heavy.

• Question

  Do I need to change the sand and gravel when installing new patio pavers?

  

  No. The sand and gravel is viable. Level information technology out, though.

• Question

  What practise I use if I'm placing outdoor interlocking patio paving over dirt?

  

  Yous demand to apply the process described in this article. If you install pavers directly over soil or dirt, over time they will shift and sink.

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• Exist certain that drainage from house, pelting gutters and/or patio roof is directed off the pavers to prevent launder out.

• Consider renting a ground compactor for this project, equally information technology is the easiest and most effective manner to create a stable paver patio.

• Some abode improvement stores sell paver patio kits. These kits will include all the supplies you need to make a set size and design of patio. While they may or may not be a adept deal price wise, as information technology depends on the kit, they volition make getting all the supplies and materials much easier.

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Article Summary 10

To install patio pavers, dig up the first half dozen to 8 inches of soil. Then, lay downward 4 to half dozen inches of gravel in that hole and compact information technology using a plate compactor. Add together a layer of fine sand over the gravel and compact it besides. Next, start at one corner of the projection and lay the pavers downwards equally shut together every bit possible. If one sticks up, tap it with a mallet to level it. Finally, use a broom to spread sand into the cracks of the pavers and compact it one last time. Go along reading for advice from our reviewer near what supplies you lot will need!

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