How To Lay Patio Blocks

S To Prepare The Ground And Install Your Paver Patio

• Tamara Thiel

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.

A Simple Diy Paver Patio Tutorial

Regardless of the type of stones, you decide to use when building your paver patio, the steps are usually the same ones. First, you prep the space, then you lay down the base which is usually a two-layer process, the first one involving small chunks of rock and the second one a bunch of sand. Once the base is in place, you start to place the paver stones, either one by one or using mats. Once these are in place too, add a layer of jointing sand and then hose down the patio. What we just described to you is a simplified version of the DIY paver patio tutorial from;thelifejolie.

Laying A Shallow Base

The second most common mistake is not digging a deep enough area for the base. When you read our recommendations for laying a base, you may think to yourself, Thats a lot of digging! The truth is, yes, it certainly is. However, gravel is cheap insurance to protect and preserve your pavers.

We recommend that you excavate enough dirt to lay a proper gravel base; 4 for common foot traffic areas and 610 for driveways and residential parking lots. The general rule is to add an extra 24 to your gravel base if you live in colder climates with continually wet or weak soils.

Don’t Miss: Wood Patio Squares

Mixing Mortar In A Cement Mixer

Pour about a quarter of a bucket of water into the mixer. Add half the sand, then the cement. Run the mixer, then add the rest of the sand and more water if necessary. Mix it thoroughly until you have a soft consistency.

Dont allow mortar to dry on your tools. Clean them with a stiff brush from time to time. If using a mixer, wash the drum thoroughly after use.

Things To Consider About Rubber Pavers

While there are very little disadvantages or downsides to the use of rubber pavers, there are a few things to keep in mind when planning your project.

• Before installation, rubber pavers cannot get wet. Because of their porous nature, they will absorb water and expand making installation very difficult.
• Do not allow your rubber pavers to absorb much sunlight. If your rubber pavers are left out in the sun for too long, it can result in thermal expansion or contraction. This will ultimately lead to the development of gaps within the structure of the pavers.
• If there is additional work nearby your project site, your rubber pavers should be covered with a protective material. They have an open surface that, aside from being absorbent to water, is also absorbent to dust and paint.

If you factor these few considerations into the prep and planning of your project, you should run into little to no issues during the process.

Read Also: How Many 80 Lb Bags Of Concrete In A Yard

Don’t Miss: How To Hang Lights On Aluminum Patio

A Simple Rectangle Paver Patio

Since you can basically build your backyard patio in any size or shape you want to, its easy to get distracted by all the different possibilities. However, the best option is most often the simplest and most obvious one. A simple rectangle might not seem very exciting but can end up looking amazing once all the pavers are in place. We really like how this design turned out and if you want to find out more about the process theres a video on that you can check out.

Also Check: Alumawood Patio Curtains

Learn How To Hardscape

We understand that no matter how beautiful hardscape is to look at, its intimidating to install. Thats why we publish DIY tips, tricks, and step-by-step tutorials at DIYwithWI.com and host a live DIY seminar every month during the summer at one of our manufacturing or distribution facilities.

If you have any questions, please visit our Paving Stone Display at our Manufacturing Facility in Rickreall, OR. Or, give our team of hardscape experts a call at 503-623-9084.

Don’t Miss: What Type Of Sand For Patio Pavers

How To Lay 24 By 24 Patio Stones

21 September, 2017

A stone patio provides an aesthetically pleasing, outdoor living area that is both sturdy and stable when built properly. Patio stones that are 24 inches by 24 inches are some of the largest outdoor pavers available for constructing a stone patio. However, building a stone or block patio follows the same process regardless of the size of the stones used. The key to remember is that 24-inch square blocks are relatively heavy and you should use team lifting practices when moving the blocks around.

Draw the outline for the patio on the ground with marking paint.

Dig the area to a depth of 4 inches with a slight slope down and away from the house. Holding a string tight flush with the ground near the house and leveled with a string level to show you how much of a drop occurs in the slope of the ground. The slope should fall approximately 1 inch for every 20 feet of length for drainage.

Compact the subsurface with a hand tamper, which is a long metal pole with a wide, square base and two handles on the side, by slamming the tamper into the ground around the surface of the hole. Mechanical tampers are available for rent from hardware stores and can accomplish the task quickly.

Pour out 1 inch of crushed gravel along the surface of the ground. Tamp the gravel flat with the tamper. Repeat with 1 inch of cement sand on top of the crushed gravel. The gravel and sand help to promote proper drainage of the area.

Related Articles

Working With A Larger Space

The bigger the patio is, the more time-consuming and costly the project gets. Theres a detailed description of all the steps and requirements which you can find on younghouselove. It teaches you how to create your own DIY paver patio from scratch and it reveals some of the less-known things related to such a big project. Sure, its all pretty easy when you simplify everything but that leaves you with plenty of details to figure out on the way.

Don’t Miss: How To Identify Vintage Wrought Iron Patio Furniture

Prep The Patio Paver Area

The prep involved will depend on your area, but basically, you will need to use a shovel to dig down at least 6 into the soil.;

If you find a lot of larger rocks as youre digging, I recommend digging several inches deeper in order to remove them.

Youll also want to make sure you get rid of any tree roots that are impeding into the space you have planned for your patio.

Ready To Order Supplies

7. Setting the Pavers:;

After all the prep work is done start placing your pavers in the sand, using your straight edge as a guide. Butt the pavers close together. There should still be a thin joint line between the pavers that will be filled with sand later. Use a straight edge to ensure Paver are level. Use a rubber mallet to knock down any high pavers. Add more Diamond Sand and reset any low pavers. If you were diligent leveling the sand, you should only have a minimal amount of leveling at this stage.

8. Laying pavers over an existing slab:

First mortar your soldier pavers around the edge, keeping a consistent ½ joint. Then, lay a ½ of Diamond Sand in the field. It is imperative to lay a sand bed down to create a buffer between the pavers and the concrete slab. Pavers rubbing against concrete will eventually wear down and/or crack. This will also smooth out any imperfections the slab may have had. Laying pavers over an existing driveway is not recommended, no matter the size.

9. Brick Distribution:

If you are installing more than 1 pallet it is a good practice to pull Brick from several different pallets as you work through your project. If there are slight color variations, this practice will help to minimize any noticeable difference.

10. Cutting pavers:

11. Concrete Restraining Edge:

12. Laying pavers over an existing slab:

Sealing:

Read Also: How To Build A Deck Over A Concrete Patio

Manufactured Concrete Cobbles That Come In Mats

Paver patios are definitely practical but laying each paver by hand, one by one gets really annoying quickly. You can make things easier by opting for the more time-saving and practical alternative: manufactured concrete cobbles that come in the form of mats, very much like mosaic backsplash tiles. Theyre super easy to install. Once youve arranged all the mats and filled all the gaps, you just pour grout over everything and you spread it evenly. Youll probably need a few more details so be sure to check out thisoldhouse.

Measure Slope To Allow For Patio Drainage

So that your concrete paver patio drains away from your house, youll need to account for the slope of the space.

If your patio is on a hill or against a retaining wall, for instance, you will slope in two directions: away from the house and also away from the wall or the hill.

The angle of slope that allows for proper drainage for your patio is 1 per every 4 feet. For instance, my patio was 9 deep, so I created a slope of 2¼.

The way to mark the slope is to start at stakes that will be your low end. Take the strings youve tied onto those stakes and lower them by the number of inches required to meet the correct slope for your patio base on its depth.;

Next, use a marker to mark a line where you pulled the strings to .;

The new string locations now mark the height of the 4 base layer with the slope included.

I also found it helpful to mark the top of where the paver will be. Its important to note that depending on what your top base layer is made of, it may not actually add any height to your total.;

The paver dust I had compacted down to maybe about ¼. You may want to test yours to see because if yours doesnt compact like that, you may want to add it into your calculations.

If you are using the same pavers I used, these are just over 1½ thick. If your paver dust/sand compacts to almost nothing, you will want to make your last mark 1½ above the base layer mark just made.;

Recommended Reading: Restoring Cast Iron Furniture

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.

How To Design And Install A Paver Patio

• Email

Patios are a valuable asset to any home’s property. Nothing can be better than enjoying;the fresh air and;a beautifully landscaped yard in the company of family and guests or simply finding quiet time to yourself with a book and a glass of wine.

But you need a good, hardscaped place for all of this magic to happen. Dirt and grass are a poor surface for chairs and tables. Landscaping rock and pea gravel are economical and simple to install, but they tend to scatter. Concrete slabs are labor-intensive and expensive. But there is a compromise: patio pavers installed in conjunction with a remarkably handy product called polymeric sand.

Also Check: Patio Direct Replacement Slings

How To Level The Ground For Pavers

This article was co-authored by Scott Johnson. Scott Johnson is the Owner and Lead Design Consultant for Concrete Creations, Inc., an award-winning landscape and design company based in the San Diego, California metro area. He has over 30 years of experience in the pool and landscape construction industry and specializes in large estate outdoor environment construction projects. His work has been featured in San Diego Home & Garden Magazine and on Pool Kings TV Show. He earned a BS degree in Construction Management with an emphasis in Architecture and CAD design from Northern Arizona University.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 226,436 times.

Available at most home improvement and supply stores, pavers are small, specialty stones that can transform any yard or garden into a work of art. Like all outdoor decor, pavers require some preparation to install properly, especially when it comes to making sure your ground is level. Though it may seem daunting at first, knowing the ins-and-outs of the process will help you tackle your paver project with poise.

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.

Now finish filling in the gaps with your decorative top layer. I used marble chips.

Spread these evenly throughout, but be sure to leave them recessed about ¼ from the top so you dont end up with a big mess of overflowing joint filler.

Those are all the steps! Now youll be ready to entertain on your new concrete paver patio!

Also Check: How To Clean Patio Umbrella In Washing Machine

Build A Patio Like A Pro So It Will Last For Years To Come

Its important to be prepared for all the hard work and effort required to build a paver patio but to not allow it to overwhelm you. If you follow all the steps and do everything right, this can be a very satisfying project, and what better time to do it than now? With that in mind, we think youre really going to enjoy this tutorial on which explains everything you need to know to be able to install pavers like a pro so you can build a patio that will last for years to come.

Get Your Tools Prepared In Advance

View in gallery

When it comes to building your DIY paver patio, we recommend assessing the tools and materials youll need well ahead of time. Theres nothing worse than starting a project, only to realize you dont have something crucial. This could make or break the whole project and leave you in a very tricky situation this summer. Paver Search shares this very detailed tool guide to building a DIY paver patio. Youll find a comprehensive list of everything you need for your project, so you wont miss anything during your preparation phase. They also share tips on how you can make this project more budget-friendly. You dont have to spend a fortune to make your own paver patio. To save money, stick to a simple design and use high-quality yet affordable materials.

You May Like: Fixing Patio Chairs

Lay The Concrete Pavers

Cut your spacer down to the size you have planned for your joint width.

In the photo above, my metal bars are diagonal because I needed to slope my patio in two directions. I thought it would make it easier this way, but I ended up pulling them out and keeping them straight. It was easy enough to follow the slope lines with the strings.

Lay one the first spacer down, and use a squaring tool to lay down a crossing spacer. Then carefully place your first concrete paver against the two spacers.;

Repeat, using the spacers to lay more concrete pavers. Remember, you can walk on these as you lay them.

My metal bars are lying diagonally in the photo above because I needed to slope my patio in two directions.;

I thought it would make it easier this way, but I ended up pulling them out and keeping them straight. It was easy enough to follow the slope lines with the strings.

Lay one the first spacer down, and use a squaring tool to lay down a crossing spacer. Then go ahead and carefully place your first concrete paver against the two spacers.;

Repeat using the spacers to lay more pavers. Remember, you can walk on these as you lay them.