One of the beauties of pavers is that together they create a large, durable space, but individually they're lightweight and easy to install. This gives DIYers the permanence of concrete without the special tools, know-how and "hurry-upness" that concrete requires. Plus, pavers have color, shape, and pizzazz. 

There's no doubt about the durability of concrete pavers. They're often used in streets and industrial parking lots where heavy machinery cracks ordinary concrete slabs. Pavers - small and independant - withstand abuse by flexing, rather than cracking, under pressure. They're ideal for regions that go through freeze/thaw cycles, too; the individual pavers absorb heaving and movement without cracking. And it's a lot easier to repair small areas in a dry-laid patio than with a slab. 

Pavers can be used for driveways, sidewalks, patios, garden paths, even porch floors. As long as the underlying gravel and sand base is properly prepared, pavers can be used almost anywhere. In areas where vehicles will travel, the subbase must be increased to at least 6 in. 
 

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The Best Design for You and your Yard

Whether you're a novice or experienced DIYer, You'll find this project doable and satisfying. You'll be limited more by your energy level and free time than by skills required. 

A well designed patio must take into account the terrain, landscape and the needs and pocketbook of your family. Not all yards are candidates for a patio. In uneven terrain, a raised deck - which can span hill and dale - might be the best option for outdoor space. 

We need to tie our patio with existing trees, planting beds and decks. We measured everything and made a small scale drawing of our home and existing landscape on paper. We used a straight, 16-ft, 2x4 with a 4-ft. level on it and a tape measure to get a rough idea of how much our yard sloped (we noted that on our drawing, too). Then we laid tracing paper on top of our scale drawing and doodled a half dozen patio designs. A consultation with a landscape designer provided us with these helpful tips: 

Patios must have a slight slope (1 in. for every 4 to 8 ft.) for proper drainage. If you don't provide enough slope, rainwater will settle into low spots, eventually softening and washing out the sand and subbase materials beneath. A flat or poorly sloped patio could even direct water into your basement. Too much slope and you'll feel you're on a listing ship. Bear in mind you can build up low spots with an extra-thick layer of subbase. 

Ask yourself how you'll be using your patio. Our expert recommended a minimum of 25 sq. ft. of patio per house occupant. He also added that a patio at least 16 ft. long in one direction is often the most functional. Plan for at least a 6 x 6 ft. area out of any traffic path for a dining table and chairs. Do you need space for a grill? Lounge chairs? A wading pool? Planters? Sketch these on your tracing paper as you doodle. 

In small areas, use simple pavers and patterns. In large areas, you can break up the expanse with a variety of patterns or dividing bands. 

Curves add interest and grace to the patio - but also loads of cutting and extra work 

Pavers, Materials and Tools

When ordering pavers, estimate the square footage of your patio then add 5 percent. If you have a lot of curves, borders, or half pavers, order 10 percent extra. This allows for damaged pavers and provides extra ones for future repairs. 

You will need wood or platic edging to retain your patio or path and spikes to secure it. 

We used "class 2" crushed limestone for building the subbase. Class 2, a grade of material commonly used for road beds, is widely availible. It consists of 3/4-in. rock and smaller particles, which nest together firmly when compacted. When ordering, tell the quarry or trucking company you'll be using the material for a patio subbase. If they don't have class 2 limestone they should be able to offer crushed gravel or another suitable substitute. One cubic yard of class 2, when placed 4 in. deep, will cover 81 sq. ft. If you need to build up an area, order more. 

The first thing you should think about is where the last paver you lay will wind up. Will your yard accomodate the slope and size of your patio? Will a square patio end in nice, full pavers or skinny little slivers? With your graph paper in hand, lay down garden hose and 2x4s to form the outline of your patio.

Use your level and a straight 2x4 to double-check the lay of the land for proper slope. Then spray paint a line 8 in. outside of your patio to act as a line for excavating. Strip away the sod at this point, so grass doesn't get in the way of the guide strings you'll soon be setting up.

Excavating the Site and Building the Base

This part of the project is the key to a successful (and long lasting) patio. Use the bottom of a door or a set of stairs abutting the patio area as the starting point for establishing the final height and slope of your patio. Your entire slab should slope away from the house at a rate of 1 in. per 4 to 8 ft. This slope may be one long decline or a slight dome shape so water runs off in more than one direction. Place one end of a long 2x4 at the bottom of the stairway or an inche below the door threshold, then level across to stakes driven at the perimeter of the patio and make a mark.

Make another mark the appropriate distance down the stake to indicate the slope. In our case, after making a level mark on our stake with a level and 12 ft. 2x4, we made another mark 2 in. down to indicate a slope of 2 in. for that 12 ft. (1 in. for every 6 ft.)  Make a gridwork of stakes and guide strings to indicate the finished height and slope of your patio, then excavate 7 1/2 in. below these lines. This will provide enough room for a 4-in. subbase, the 1 in. sand base, and the 2 1/2 in pavers themselves. If the area is hilly, you'll need to go back and forth between excavating, leveling and setting strings to get things right.  Soil conditions vary greatly across the country. After digging, you'll find pockets of loose dirt or black soil, remove it or it will eventually settle, creating a wavy patio.

Next, bring in the subbase material. It should be 4 in. deep in all places. The subbase should extend 8 in. beyond the actual edge of the patio to provide room for the edging. Compact the class 2 using a flat-plate vibrator (also known as a compactor). Go over the entire area twice.

The Essential Edging

Edging is an absolute must for maintaining the integrity of your patio. Without solid edging, your sand base and pavers will separate and drift apart as rain, frost and foot traffic pound away.  We used Snap-Edge plastic edging. Left uncut, it remains straight and rigid, but when it's cut it can be bent to form curves. Secure the edging into the compacted subbase with 10-in. spikes.

We used landscape timbers for combination edging/steps in a sloped area of the yard.  Crisscross corners and use double timbers on the front of steps (even though the lower one will be buried).  This lower timber prevents the subbase and sand from washing out. The tops of the timbers should be at the same height at the surface of the finished patio.

Spreading Sand

Sand provides the final base for your pavers. If this surface is uneven, the pavers on top will be, too. Ideally, the sand should be 1 in. thick. What you want is a firm, flat surface for laying pavers. The sand also locks the pavers into place. When you vibrate the pavers, they'll bed slightly into the sand. If your patio is under 10 ft. wide, use a screed board with a 2 in. notch on the ends to ride along the edging to level the sand. On larger expanses, level long lengths of iron pipe in the sand 2 in. below your guide strings, then run your screed along the top of the pipes. (when you are done with the pipe, remove it, then fill in the groove it leaves with sand). In many cases you'll use a combination - a notched screed board

riding along the edging on one end and on the pipe on the other. Whichever screeding method you use, roughly dump and level the sand over the subbase, then fill in low spaces and rake away excess sand as you drag your 2x4. Shuffle the screed lightly from side to side as you work. You're not compacting the sand, just creating a firm solid bed.  Screed only as much sand as you can cover with pavers in one day. Screeded sand left any longer is gauranteed to be ruffled by wind, rain, kids or a stray cat thinking he's found the world's biggest litter box.

Pave Away

You should now be standing before an expanse of sand that's flat as a pancake (but slightly sloped). Take down the guide strings you used to determine height and slope and put up new stakes and strings to mark lines for the pattern of your pavers. Start along your house or other long straight edge and lay down the border pavers (A border isn't essential, but adds a crisp, finished look, especially along curves). Then lay the rest of your pavers in your selected pattern. Measure over to your string every few rows to make sure you are staying on track. You can leave a slight gap between pavers or tap them tighter together with a rubber mallet.  Don't walk or kneel on the edge of the patio until after you've vibrated it; otherwise these pavers can sink unevenly.

We let our pavers run "wild" near   the curved edges. Using a paver as a guide, we marked the inner pavers, removed and cut them with a masonry saw, then reinstalled the cut inner piece and the border piece.  On tight radius circles, we used half pavers for the border to avoid large, pie-shaped voids between them. When all of your pavers are cut and in place, vibrate the entire patio, starting at the outer edge and working inward in a circular motion. The vibrator will lock the pavers into the sand and help even up the surface. Don't let the vibrator sit in one place too long, or pavers could settle unevenly or crack.  If a paver sinks deeper than it's neigbors, use a screwdriver to pry it up, sprinkle a little extra sand in the void, then replace the paver.

Compact Sand & Sweeping  Spread coarse sand across the surface of your patio. After the sand dries,compact the sand into the joints withe the plate vibrator, then sweep it around the spaces between the pavers. Make sure that the sand is dry - wet sand will bridge rather than fill the gaps. It may take two sweepings with a push broom a few days apart to completly fill the gaps. The sand helps solidify the pavers and also fills any spaces where dirt might enter to provide a mini-planting bed for weeds.

Article is from the June 1992 issue of THE FAMILY HANDYMAN Magazine.  referral:  Decks & Patio's Magazine - Spring 1998