Unilock Installation

Unilock is a type of concrete paving stone you can use to create a patio surface or build a retaining wall. Paving stones allow you to change the look and style of your backyard by adding visual flair. Unilock first introduced concrete paving stones to the market in 1972. They typically come in standard sizes which makes installation straightforward. However, to create a patio surface you need to lay the paving stones on a prepared layer of sand.

Tape measure
Stakes
Hammer
Shovel
Plate compactor
Crushed gravel
Coarse sand
1-inch pipe
2-by-4 board
Jointing sand
Broom
Garden hose

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the length and width of the area for the patio with the tape measure. Multiply the width by the length to calculate the square footage.
- 2
  Drive stakes to mark the outline of the patio with the hammer. Excavate at least 8 inches of dirt within the outline with a shovel.
- 3
  Compact the dirt by using a plate compactor, which you can rent from your local home improvement store. Place 6 inches of crushed gravel over the dirt for a base. Compact the gravel with the plate compactor.
- 4
  Lay two pieces of 1-inch pipe side-by-side on the gravel. Pour the coarse gravel along the length of the pipe. Place a 2-by-4 board at one end of the pipe. Drag the board to flatten the sand. Repeat this step to create a flat surface for the paving stone.
- 5
  Lay the first paving stone one end of the sand. Lay the remaining paving stones in the pattern that you want to use and verify that you have a 1/8-inch gap between each stone.
- 6
  Sweep jointing and into the gaps between the paving stones with a push broom. One bag of jointing sand is enough to cover up to 120 square feet.
- 7
  Spray a mist of water over the paving stones with a garden hose to wet the jointing sand. When the sand dries, it will be like concrete mortar keeping the stones in place.

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