How to Set Patio Pavers
- 1). Mark off the border of the area you'll be excavating. Measure your patio with a tape measure and set a wood marker at each of the four corners. Run a string or rope around the outside of the wood markers to denote your excavation area.
- 2). Excavate the soil within the area you marked off, approximately 6 inches deep, using a shovel.
- 3). Run a plate compactor over the soil to help stabilize the surface.
- 4). Measure and cut the screening material with scissors so it covers the entire ground of the building area. This screen prevents weeds and grass from growing up through the cracks.
- 5). Install the flexible edge material, which holds the pavers in place. Line up the flexible edge along the entire inside border of your excavation area. Secure the edging by pounding stakes through the slots in the edging and down into the ground.
- 6). Add a 4-inch layer of crushed gravel on top of the screen you set down. Use a rake to spread the gravel around until the top layer is even all the way across.
- 7). Compact the gravel tightly with the plate compactor.
- 8). Add a 1-inch layer of sand on top of the gravel layer. Drag a flat piece of wood (like a two-by-four) across the surface of the sand to create a smooth, even layer.
- 9). Set your pavers down one at a time, starting in one of the corners. Tap each paver into place with a rubber mallet, and leave about 1/8 inch between each of the pavers.
- 10
Dump sand on top of the pavers, and use the broom to spread the sand around and into the cracks between the pavers. Fill all of these cracks. - 11
Spray a fine mist of water onto the sand and allow the water to dry completely before walking on the patio.
