Install The Geocell + Why We Used It
Why we usedGeocell
After researching the best way to do a paver patio with spaces between the pavers, I found that people had various ways of doing it.
Some people just stuck it straight on the dirt, others just laid it on gravel- but I didnt really see anyone use paver sand or paver base system. Upon researching, I came across geocell, which is basically a stabilizing system for dirt, grass, gravelwhatever. Plus it provides superior drainage for steep slopes. What do I mean by a stabilizer?
You know when you walk on gravel in a pair of heels and completely sink making it look like youve never put on a pair of heels in your life?! This product compacts the gravel so you can walk on it and even drive on it!
Geocell is typically used for driveways, walkways, and even in commercial uses like steep slopes on the sides of the highway. And since I was debating between gravel or grass in between the pavers at the time, this seemed like the best idea!
Our plan was to use this geocell as a layer to lay our pavers on and then fill the rest with gravel or grass.
In hindsight, I dont think we needed it, however it gave us a sturdy base to work off of and is perfect for how much rain we get. Not to mention a car can drive on it now! Were looking forward to re-doing our driveway with this stuff next.
As for installing the geocell, it was super simple and quick.
Finally something easy!
But in reality this was a blessing in disguise. Let me explain
Level & Compact The Dirt
Little by little, as we added in dirt, we started compacting it with a dirt tamper.
In hindsight, I wish we just rented a compactor, but we didnt know that we were going to have to add as much dirt as we needed to, to make it level!
Another problem we ran into was the weather. In typical Seattle fashion, it kept on raining during our project, which wasnt really a problem until we started compacting the dirt.
The dirt was getting too wet to pack down. It would just get stuck on the bottom of the tamper, collecting more mud with each pound to the ground and ended up a muddy mess.
Slowly but surely, we packed and tampered down thin layers of dirt and then took a 2×4 and slowly screeded the dirt to make sure it was as level as possible
S For Computing Bricks Needed
- 1First, measure the bricks youre going to be using. You will need to know the square inches in your paver brick. To calculate this, measure the length of the brick, then the width, and multiply these two numbers together.
- For example, if your brick is 8 inches long and 4 inches wide, you will multiply 8×4 to equal 32 inches squared.
- 2Next, understand that there are 144 square inches in a square foot. This is because a square foot measures 12 inches long by 12 inches wide, and 12×12 is 144.
- 3Divide 144 by the number of square inches in the paver youre working with. Write this number down and save it for later.
- For example, if you divide 144 by 32 , youll get 4.5. This means there are 4.5 bricks in one square foot of your patio.
- 4Measure the length and width of the patio space youre going to be working with. Youre going to need the square footage of this area, so the calculation is the same: length times width.
- If your patio is 10 feet by 10 feet, youre working with 100 square feet of space.
- 5Multiply the number of square feet in your patio by the number you got in step 3 . This shows you how many bricks per square foot you need to cover the total number of square feet in the patio.
- For our example, this means youll need 450 bricks to cover your 10×10 patio space.
Here is one more example:
- You are using bricks that are 8 inches long by 6 inches wide.
- 8 x 6 equals 48 square inches per brick.
- 16 x 8 equals 128 square feet.
- 128 x 3 = 384
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Paver Patio Cost Estimator
When estimating paver patio costs, the main factors are the pavers, materials, labor, and overhead. Also, location affects the price because of local labor costs, taxes, and other regulations. For example, installing pavers in California costs 45% more than in Arkansas.
| Total Materials Cost | $3.40 $6.20 |
- Class II Road Base is crushed rock with pieces ranging from fine dust to ¾ in size. This material is used as the bottom base. Heavy soil must also be compacted before the Road Base gravel is spread.
- Geotextile fabric increase drainage, soil stability, and prevents the Road Base from mixing with the native soils. Its installed underneath the base material.
- Bedding sand, also called ASTM C-33 sand, is coarse and compacts well between the Class II Road Base and paving stones.
- Paver edging secures the pavers in place, so they dont shift and create large gaps. Paver edge restraints cost $45 to $60 for kits that cover up to 48. A concrete bond beam costs $1.25 per linear foot and creates a perimeter about 7 deep and 7 wide.
- Paver sand costs $0.10 to $0.30 per square foot of coverage and fills the joints of the pavers. Polymeric sand is the best choice for paver joints as it hardens and doesnt let weeds take root. A second sand sweep may be necessary once the sand has settled.
Find Out The Area Of A Single Paver Or Paver Pattern
Well, this step couldnt be easier. Pavers come in many formats and can be installed in multiple patterns. In order to continue, you need to know what you want.
If your pattern is created by using multiple pavers of the same size, such as the ones just below, you only need to decide on the size, and calculate the area of a single paver.
- Checkerboard
- Basket Weave
- Brickwork Vertical Narrow
If your pattern is created using 2 or more pavers, such as the ones below, then you need to identify the repeating pattern and sum up its total area.
- Palazzo
- Hobscotch
For a complete resource on paver patterns, check out this page
Most pavers are rectangular so calculating their area is an easy job, however, to make it even easier here is a table with common paver sizes and areas.
| Size |
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How Do I Calculate How Much Paver Sand I Need
First, you must determine the dimensions of the surface youre planning to pave. For instance, if youre planning to create a parking place, you may use the average dimensions of 19 ft x 8.5 ft. Then continue with these steps:
- If the surface has a rectangular shape, then all you have to do is multiply these dimensions to get the surface area:
A = 19 ft x 8.5 ft = 161.5 ft2
V = 161.5 ft2 * 1 in = 13.458 ft3
When purchasing your paver sand, you may want to purchase an extra amount. The reason for this is that some sand is usually wasted during construction. Then you can use the remaining sand for the gaps between pavers.
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How To Lay Patio Pavers
Installing pavers takes about two days and requires proper prep work and base. Follow these general guidelines to get started and watch videos on YouTube to learn more.
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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.
Do It Yourself Patio Paver Kits
Paver patio kits cost $300 to $1,000 on average and come with instructions, layout templates, and precut pavers to construct a patio, fire pit area, or bar/kitchen area. Paver kits are more expensive than buying everything individually, and base materials are not included.
Another option is to forego buying pavers altogether and pour concrete into a patterned paver mold. Paver molds cost $15 to $100 each, depending on the size.
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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.
How Do You Calculate How Many Paving Bricks You Need
determinepaverspaveryou haveyou determinepaver
. Moreover, how many pavers do I need calculator?
The next step is to find the square footage of paver you want to use. Assuming the paver size is 12 x 12, multiply 12×12 and then divide 144 by the answer, ie. 144/ = 1.0. That means you need one paver per square foot, which makes sense since a 12 x 12paver is 1 square foot.
Also, how many bricks do I need for a 12×12 patio? Divide 144, the number of square inches in one square foot, by the square inches of the brick to determine the number of bricks needed to cover 1 square foot of patio surface. For the standard brick size of 32 square inches, 4.5 bricks are needed to cover 1 square foot of patio.
In this regard, how many bricks do I need per square Metre for paving?
There are 50 bricksper square metre. When you lay each side by side there are 9 bricks per lineal metre. If you lay them end to end there are 4.5 per lineal metre.
How much does a 12×12 paver patio cost?
Material Choices
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What Is The Best Size For A Patio
Size A good rule of thumb for your patio is such: Plan on 25 square feet of space for each person you want to have on the patio. If you plan to host 50 people, that would mean you should plan for about 1250 square feet. 15 people would be 375 square feet. For comfortable entertaining, shoot for a minimum of 550 sq.
How To Use The Paver Calculator
Follow these instructions to use the free paver calculator below. This calculator provides an estimate for basic pavers and the patterns mentioned. More intricate designs will need a professional estimate.
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Additional Patio Paver Options
- Rubber pavers cost $2 to $6 per square foot on average. They’re easy to install and dont need a completely flat surface. They’re durable against high traffic and slip-resistant. However, the color may fade over time, and they won’t increase your resale value.
- Plastic pavers cost $2 to $8 per square foot and are mostly used for looks. They’re hollow inside and dont hold up well to more than light pedestrian traffic. Installation is easy in soft soil but difficult in hard ground. Plastic paver grids cost $0.50 $2 per square foot and either hold gravel or give the grass a pattern to grow through.
- Patio paver blocks cost $2 to $8 per square foot on average. Block paving bricks are typically made from concrete, which looks like several bricks in one unit. Blocks save on installation time, and the cost is cheaper than stamped concrete.
- Interlocking paver blocks cost $2 to $8 per square foot on average and typically come pre-sealed. They are installed quickly, can be used immediately, are stronger than a concrete slab, require little maintenance, and last up to 30 years.
- Modular pavers cost $2 to $7 per square foot on average. Modular pavers concrete blocks are made to a specific mold designed to fit in a repeated pattern.
How Many Pavers Do I Need Per Square Foot
pavers per square footpaversquaresquaresquare footsquarepaver
The next step is to find the square footage of paver you want to use. Assuming the paver size is 12 x 12, multiply 12×12 and then divide 144 by the answer, ie. 144/ = 1.0. That means you need one paver per square foot, which makes sense since a 12 x 12paver is 1 square foot.
Subsequently, question is, how many bricks do I need for a 12×12 patio? Divide 144, the number of square inches in one square foot, by the square inches of the brick to determine the number of bricks needed to cover 1 square foot of patio surface. For the standard brick size of 32 square inches, 4.5 bricks are needed to cover 1 square foot of patio.
Hereof, how many pavers do I need for a 10×10 patio?
Multiply the number of pavers needed to cover one square foot of patio by the number of square feet of the patio. In this example, 5.14 pavers are required per square foot for a patio that is 375 square feet. 5.14 times 375 equals just over 1,927 brick pavers required to complete the patio.
How much does a 12×12 paver patio cost?
Material Choices
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