You can use concrete pavers to build a beautiful patio, if you take the time to properly prepare for this project. These pre-cast pavers, a modern replacement for traditional bricks, offer uniform sizing for ease of installation, and excellent color choices for design variety. Follow these basic steps to patio paver success.
What about location?
Choose your new patio's location carefully. A level area near an exterior door simplifies your task. Avoid potentially damp lawn locations to avoid excessive settling and possible ice build-up in winter. Be careful not to exceed zoning restrictions like side lot setbacks.
How big?
Consider how you'll use this patio. Table and chairs? Shiny new stainless steel outdoor grill? Will you need space for a lounge chair, benches, a planter? You're better off going a little bit larger than you think you need, than ending up regretting your dimensions for years afterwards.
Choose your paver type and do the math. Most are priced by the piece, but offer conversion to the square-foot price. Remember to consider the cost of your sand base at the same time. Every square foot you add will increase both the cost and the amount of work you'll need to do.
What shape?
Rectangles and squares are easy. Some products are specifically designed to create circular patios. "L"-shapes are manageable. Free-form is the most difficult, but can also offer the best eye-appeal, depending upon your location.
How to prepare?
Move any plants that currently live in your proposed patio's "footprint." If you're going over an existing garden, take out everything: topsoil, perennials, and mulch. Shrubbery must be completely removed, roots and all. The same holds true for small trees.
If you're going around a more mature tree (a lovely effect!), be sure to provide a large area of mulch around the trunk. Never pave right up to a tree! Remove all existing sod and any loose topsoil underneath. Look around and see if you can use well-established sod somewhere else on your property.
How deep?
Your new patio should be level, uniformly sloped, or slightly crowned - depending on how much water you will need it to drain off. Level presents the fewest challenges. The biggest mistake you can make is to skimp on the depth of your prepared base. Expect to excavate to at least six inches below ground level. (Removing the sod takes care of about half of this.)
What base?
Professionals add a layer of gravel to promote drainage. You can, too. Order what you need by truckload if at all possible. Buying bags of gravel will really add up. If you do use gravel, tamp it down (or let a couple rain-showers do the work), add a layer of garden cloth over this, then move on to the sand-bed.
Use clean ordinary sand (usually about three inches deep minimum) to provide a nice, workable base for your new pavers. Sand compacts easily and helps discourage weed growth later on. Again, trucking sand in beats buying bags except for tiny projects. Don't bother tamping sand: just rake it, smooth it, and let it settle naturally. Be sure to set aside some sand for later.
When you've finished preparing your sand bed (by far the most important step), you should be only a couple inches below ground level. This way, your paver patio will be just above-ground and shed most rainfall naturally. Larger patios need slope or crown to avoid pooling. (This is where a laser-level comes in very handy - they're not too expensive these days.)
Ready for pavers?
You thought laying the pavers was the hard part, didn't you? Nope, it's the gravy. (You did arrange to have these heavy pieces delivered, right?) If you have kids, they can be very helpful with this job. It's fun! Fancy patterns start in the middle, while most rectangular designs simply require you to establish a long, straight edge and go from there. Add or remove sand and use a rubber mallet to settle each paver level with adjoining pavers.
For fine finishing touches you may need to use an edging paver or cut pavers. Your supplier can help you determine this, and offer a rental saw for any cutting. If you've cut into a higher-ground area, be sure to add a simple retaining wall to avoid lawn or garden erosion onto your new patio.
What's last?
Sand! Spread a few buckets of clean sand (saved from earlier) over your entire patio. Use a shop broom to "grout" your concrete pavers with dry sand. Don't even think about adding mortar! Let all the leftover sand fill in any spaces around the perimeter. You can cover that extra sand with mulch or decorative gravel later.
When your patio is complete, bring on the new table and chair set, a couple fancy urns or planters, that big grill or lounge chair - and enjoy! Have the neighbors over for a celebration. Plant some new flowers along an edge if you like. Take a picture so you can show off your hard work to friends. But do relax on your finished project for an hour or two. You've earned it!