Planning starts with a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. A detailed, measurement inclusive sketch of the overall area is necessary to determine product quantities and project budget. This can range from a simple, drawn sketch or one completed by a landscape professional. With this sketch we are able to determine the quantity of materials required for your project.

Begin by marking out the area to be excavated. Excavating removes loose top soil or fill and allows for the placement of a compacted granular base. Small areas are easy to excavate by hand, but for larger areas you may wish to hire an excavating contractor.

You need to call local utility companies (eg: phone, gas and electric) to ensure the area in which you plan to dig is clear of underground cables or pipes. Technicians will come and mark these areas, usually at no charge. We have seen television cable buried less than 8".

Always excavate the area to be paved slightly wider to give you some breathing room. For a backyard patio or walkway, remove only the loose topsoil and sod.  For a driveway a much thicker base is required. An attractive alternative to excavating for a patio is creating a raised patio using a retaining wall edge. This eliminates having to get rid of the removed soil if you can afford the extra height.

Try not to disturb the packed topsoil where possible. This will help in the compaction of the new granular fill and will help reduce the amount of settling afterwards. Use a flat ended shovel to keep the base flat and smooth.

Fill the area with the correct amount of granular material. Grade your base material as closely as possible to the final contour of the patio surface. Remember to slope all installations away from the house for drainage purposes. At least 1/4" per foot slope. Different grades of granular screenings are used depending on the depth of material required. (see Bedding Chart)
Save time and money, use High Performance Paver Bedding for your base.

The base preparation is the most important part of the entire process. Appropriate base material, thickness, and compaction are essential to ensure your installation will last a lifetime. Use a plate compactor and firmly compact the gravel base material. For best results compact no more than 3" of granular at one time. Most compactors like the one shown here are not capable of compacting more than 3" at a time. A hand tamper can be used in tight areas or when building steps.

Pavers are laid on a bed of coarse sand or fine screenings. This bed should be 1" to 1-1/2" thick, no more, and is placed directly on the compacted granular base.

Level  the sand or screenings evenly by pulling a straight board along the guides. You can check the final level of the pavers by placing a paver on a guide. Remember to maintain drainage slope (1/4" per foot). Once you have completed an area remove the pipe guides, fill in the grooves, and continue screeding.

Begin by placing the pavers directly on the screeded bed, leaving a small space, approximately 1/8" (3mm) between each paver. Start laying along the longest straight side of the area to keep lines straight. This will minimize the amount of cutting required.

It is important that the lines of your pavers are square, 90 degrees to each other, to fit properly. If you are installing circles, fans or a soldier course (a border of pavers around the perimeter of the the area) you will want to place these first before installing the rest of the pattern. Pattern designs are available for most paving brick.

You may need to cut pavers that don't fit along edges or around objects. Mark the pavers and cut with a Guillotine cutter or masonry saw. A guillotine cutter is the easiest method of cutting but for an exact cut a masonry saw works best. 

Edge restraints are a critical element to the durability of a paver installation. They prevent the pavers from moving and shifting over time. Especially in the early spring when the ground is soggy. Various edge restraints are available and can be used in both straight, inside and outside curves. 

After the installation is complete, including edge restraints, the pavers must be swept clean and then compacted with a plate compactor. This helps settle the pavers into the bedding course and creates a smooth flat finish. The compactor will not harm the paving stone.

Sweeping specially graded jointing sand into the joints of the pavers further locks the pavers together. The use of a Polymeric Jointing sand can help prevent the sand from running out of the joints as well as reduce or eliminate any future weed growth. It is important to keep the joints filled to the top.  (End)