How to Build a Paver Patio With Plastic Edging

Drive wooden stakes into the ground or spray-paint the ground to mark the outline of the patio.

Excavate the ground inside the perimeter lines deep enough to hold the height of the pavers plus five inches.

Smooth the soil at the bottom of the hole with a rake, then cover it with landscaping fabric.

Add a 4-inch gravel base to the hole, 2 inches at a time. Rake each layer smooth and tamp it down.

Cover the gravel with a layer of sand an inch deep. Drag a 2-by-4 board across the surface of the sand to smooth it.

Install the plastic edging around the hole by placing the sections against the dirt edge and driving the provided pins or stakes into the ground through holes in the edging.

Set the pavers into the hole. Stagger the pavers in every other row to improve the appearance of the patio while strengthening it as well. You can do this by cutting pavers in half with a wet saw and using them on the ends of alternating rows.

Spread a layer of sand over the pavers to protect them, then compact them by running a mechanical plate compactor over the surface.

Sweep the sand into the gaps between the pavers; add more if needed to fill the gaps, being sure not to leave any on top. Cover the pavers with a sand-binding sealant.