ExcavatingtheSiteandBuildingtheBase
Thispart oftheprojectisthekeytoasuccessful(andlonglasting)patio.
Usethebottomofadoororasetofstairsabuttingthepatio areaasthestartingpointforestablishingthefinalheightand slopeofyourpatio.Yourentireslabshouldslopeawayfromthe houseatarateof1in.per4to8ft.Thisslopemaybeonelong declineoraslightdomeshapesowaterrunsoffinmorethanone direction.Placeoneendofalong2x4atthebottomofthestairway oraninchbelowthedoorthreshold,thenlevelacrosstostakes drivenattheperimeterofthepatioandmakeamark. 

Makeanothermarkthe appropriatedistancedownthestaketoindicatetheslope.Inour case,aftermakingalevelmarkonourstakewithaleveland12ft. 2x4,wemadeanothermark2in.downtoindicateaslopeof2in. forthat12ft.(1in.forevery6ft.) 

Makeagridworkof stakesandguidestringstoindicatethefinishedheightandslope ofyourpatio,thenexcavate71/2in.belowtheselines.Thiswill provideenoughroomfora4-in.subbase,the1in.sandbase,and the21/2inpaversthemselves.Iftheareaishilly,you'llneedto gobackandforthbetweenexcavating,levelingandsettingstrings togetthingsright. 

Soilconditionsvary greatlyacrossthecountry.Afterdigging,you'llfindpocketsof loosedirtorblacksoil,removeitoritwilleventuallysettle, creatingawavypatio.

Next,bringinthe subbasematerial.Itshouldbe4in.deepinallplaces.Thesubbase shouldextend8in.beyondtheactualedgeofthepatiotoprovide roomfortheedging.Compacttheclass2usingaflat-platevibrator (alsoknownasacompactor).Goovertheentireareatwice.              The EssentialEdging
Edgingisan absolutemustformaintainingtheintegrityofyourpatio.Without solidedging,yoursandbaseandpaverswillseparateanddrift apartasrain,frostandfoottrafficpoundaway. 

Weused Snap-Edgeplasticedging.Leftuncut,itremains straightandrigid,butwhenit'scutitcanbebenttoformcurves. Securetheedgingintothecompactedsubbasewith10-in.spikes.

Weusedlandscape timbersforcombinationedging/stepsinaslopedareaoftheyard. 
Crisscrosscornersandusedoubletimbersonthefrontofsteps (eventhoughtheloweronewillbeburied). Thislowertimber preventsthesubbaseandsandfromwashingout.Thetopsofthe timbersshouldbeatthesameheightatthesurfaceofthefinished patio.        SpreadingSand
Sandprovides thefinalbaseforyourpavers.Ifthissurfaceisuneven,the paversontopwillbe,too.Ideally,thesandshouldbe1in.thick. Whatyouwantisafirm,flatsurfaceforlayingpavers.Thesand alsolocksthepaversintoplace.Whenyouvibratethepavers, they'llbedslightlyintothesand.Ifyourpatioisunder10ft. wide,useascreedboardwitha2in.notchontheendstoride alongtheedgingtolevelthesand. Onlargerexpanses, levellonglengthsofironpipeinthesand2in.belowyourguide strings,thenrunyourscreedalongthetopofthepipes.(when youaredonewiththepipe,removeit,thenfillinthegrooveit leaveswithsand).Inmanycasesyou'lluseacombination-a notchedscreedboardridingalongtheedgingononeendandonthe pipeontheother.     Whichevermethodyou use,roughlydumpandlevelthesandoverthesubbase,thenfill inlowspacesandrakeawayexcesssandasyoudragyour2x4. Shufflethescreedlightlyfromsidetosideasyouwork.You're notcompactingthesand,justcreatingafirmsolidbed.  Screedonlyasmuch sandasyoucancoverwithpaversinoneday.Preparedsandleft anylongerislikleytoberuffledbywind,rain,kidsorastray catthinkinghe'sfoundtheworldsbiggestlitterbox. 

Pave Away
Youshould nowbestandingbeforeanexpanseofsandthat'sflatasapancake (butslightlysloped).Takedowntheguidestringsyouusedto determineheightandslopeandputupnewstakesandstringsto marklinesforthepatternofyourpavers.Startalongyourhouse orotherlongstraightedgeandlaydowntheborderpavers(A borderisn'tessential,butaddsacrisp,finishedlook, especiallyalongcurves).Thenlaytherestofyourpaversinyour selectedpattern.Measureovertoyourstringeveryfewrowsto makesureyouarestayingontrack.Youcanleaveaslightgap betweenpaversortapthemtightertogetherwitharubbermallet. 

Don'twalkor kneelontheedgeofthepatiountilafteryou'vevibratedit; otherwisethesepaverscansinkunevenly. 
      Weletourpaversrun "wild"near  thecurvededges.Usingapaverasaguide,wemarked theinnerpavers,removedandcutthemwithamasonrysaw,then reinstalledthecutinnerpieceandtheborderpiece. 

Ontightradius circles,weusedhalfpaversforthebordertoavoidlarge, pie-shapedvoidsbetweenthem.Whenallofyourpaversarecutand inplace,vibratetheentirepatio,startingattheouteredgeand workinginwardinacircularmotion.Thevibratorwilllockthe paversintothesandandhelpevenupthesurface.Don'tletthe vibratorsitinoneplacetoolong,orpaverscouldsettleunevenly orcrack. 

Ifapaversinks deeperthanit'sneighbors,useascrewdrivertopryitup,sprinkle alittleextrasandinthevoid,thenreplacethepaver.         Compact Sand& Sweeping 
Spreadcoarsesandacrossthesurfaceofyourpatio.Afterthesand dries,compactthesandintothejointswiththeplatevibrator, thensweepitaroundthespacesbetweenthepavers.Makesurethat thesandisdry-wetsandwillbridgeratherthanfillthegaps.It maytaketwosweepingswithapushbroomafewdaysapartto completelyfillthegaps.Thesandhelpssolidifythepaversand alsofillsanyspaceswheredirtmightentertoprovidea mini-plantingbedforweeds. 

Pleasecontact PaverDepotforfurtherquestionsyoumayhaveaboutinstallation