How to Lay Your Patio Pavers

Prepare the Patio Area. Laying pavers is a DIY project that takes about one weekend to complete. ...
Clear Out Grass and Soil. ...
Add Paver Base. ...
Add and Level the Paver Sand. ...
Place the Paver Stones. ...
Cut Pavers. ...
Add Edging Stones or Paver Edging. ...
Finish the Patio.

What to put down before laying pavers?
Can you lay pavers directly on dirt?
What is the best base for pavers?
How much does a 20x20 paver patio cost?
Do you compact sand before laying pavers?
Can I use sand and cement to lay pavers?
How do you lay a patio for beginners?
How many inches of gravel do you need for pavers?
What's best to put under paving slabs?

What to put down before laying pavers?

Sand Bedding

Before laying the pavers, a layer of bedding sand is placed over the compacted base material. This layer provides a bed into which the pavers are set. The sand bedding also helps to protect the sand joints from being eroded away. Lay down one inch diameter PVC pipe across the bass material.

Can you lay pavers directly on dirt?

While a permanent installation requires excavating soil and a compacted base of gravel and sand to ensure a long-lasting, level patio, you may only need the space for a season or two. A temporary installation of patio pavers on dirt may suffice until you're ready to install the hardscape in a long-range landscape plan.

What is the best base for pavers?

The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute recommends washed concrete sand as the best base sand for pavers. Concrete sand, also known as bedding sand, is coarse and doesn't trap excess moisture beneath the paver surface.

How much does a 20x20 paver patio cost?

A 20x20 brick paver patio costs $3,800 to $6,800. The average cost of pavers and base materials is $4 to $6 per square foot, while labor runs $6 to $11 per square foot. Get free estimates from masonry contractors near you or view our cost guide below.

Do you compact sand before laying pavers?

Never compact your bedding sand prior to laying the pavers. Don't even let a guy walk through it. After the pavers are down, sand the joints and compact. Sweep in the joint sand again to really fill the joints.

Can I use sand and cement to lay pavers?

Many people lay pavers on sand only or sand and cement, however for a truly professional job that will stand the test of time all paving should be laid on mortar. In a cement mixer or wheelbarrow mix sand and cement together at a ratio of 4 sand to 1 cement.

How do you lay a patio for beginners?

Here's how to lay a patio for beginners in 6 easy steps.

Dig 150mm into your patio area.
Lay a compacted sub-base of 100mm.
Cover the area with 40mm of concrete mix.
Lay paving slabs 15mm into the concrete with a 10-15mm gap.
Leave to set for at least 24 hours.
Fill the gaps between the paving slabs with concrete mix.

How many inches of gravel do you need for pavers?

Normally you want a base layer of gravel about 4-inches deep. Four inches is one-third of a foot, so multiply the square footage by one-third to find the cubic feet of gravel you need.

What's best to put under paving slabs?

Paving slabs are bedded in a mortar mix with four parts sharp sand to one part cement. Measure your quantities using a shovel or a bucket - for example, four buckets of sand for every one bucket of cement.