Do you have a section of ground beside your house where you envision a paver stone patio—an inviting place where you can grill or relax on outdoor furniture? Is it possible to lay that paver patio yourself? Yes, it is, and here’s how.
Tools and materials needed for a paver patio
Your DIY project requires the following tools and materials:
- Ground-marking paint
- A landscaping spade
- A rake
- Round stakes or several 2-foot lengths of rebar
- Leveling string
- Leveling collars for the stakes or rebar
- A 3-foot-long level
- Enough gravel to spread over the entire shape of your project to a depth of 3 inches
- Enough sand to spread over the surface of your shape to a depth of 1 inch
- A compacting tamper
Defining the shape, size, and boundaries
Survey where you’d like to lay the patio, and then use bright ground-marking paint to draw the outside edges on the ground from one connecting point to the existing structure to the other point, giving you a complete outline of the patio.
Dig out the turf inside the shape to a depth of 4 inches, plus the thickness of your paver stones. If your pavers are an inch thick, your depth should be 5 inches. (Your excavated area will be filled with road base gravel to 3 inches, covered by sand for 1 inch, and then fitted with the pavers to complete the depth.)
A crucial step: paver base preparation
Using string leveling methods, set a stake next to the structure from which your patio will begin and out to the perimeter edges. If the land has a steep slope, you may have to build a stone block retaining wall along the lower outer edges or a tiered patio with steps down.
Fill the excavated area with 3 inches of gravel road base, using your string leveling to ensure it is even. Drag the 3-foot level across the gravel to level it. When you’re done, tamp down the gravel across the whole area.
Repeat this process with the sand. You should now have a smooth, level base with space left on top for the pavers that complete the 5-inch depth.
Ensure the patio has a slight slope away from the house so water does not pool after rain. Measure and build a slight slope of 1/8 inch for each foot of distance downward toward the outside for drainage.
Laying and setting the stones
Lay the paver stones in one corner, working your way outward in a triangular direction. Place each paver directly next to the other, never dragging them across the sand to fit them. Cut short-fitting stones on a table saw with a masonry blade.
When done laying stones, tamp the stones down. Never stomp on the stones.
Spread sand over the patio’s surface, then sweep it with a broom into the crevices between the stones. Tamp everything down one more time.
After the first rain, you may need to go back over the patio with sand and a broom to fill crevices where the filler has settled.
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