How to Make a 90 Degree Turn With Landscape Blocks

Molded or cut into uniform rectangles, landscape blocks lend themselves to an array of patterns. If you're paving a walkway, driveway or patio with a 90 degree turn, blocks provide an exact corner fit without breaking up the continuity of a traditional pattern. With a little planning, installing blocks over a 90 degree turn is simple and gives your pavement a seamless flow.

Garden stakes
String
Shovel
Tamping tool
3/4-inch aggregate
Sharp grit sand
Straight board
Edge restraints
Hammer
9-inch nail spikes
Carpenter's square
Stone powder or fine sand
Stiff broom

Instructions

- 1
  Outline the site with wooden garden stakes and construction string. Sink the stakes into the corners every few feet, then wrap the string around the stakes, adding 2 extra inches to every side for the edging.
- 2
  Dig out growth and soil with a shovel. The foundation should be 6- to 12-inches deep plus half the depth of the blocks, depending on whether the site is for foot traffic or vehicles. Press down the subsoil with a tamping tool so it's stable.
- 3
  Fill the expanse with 6 to 12 inches of 3/4-inch aggregate and spread it evenly with a shovel. Tamp the aggregate until the rocks wedge together, forming a nearly solid base. Rake a 1-inch layer of sharp grit sand over the rocks and smooth it by dragging a straight board across the surface.
- 4
  Line the inner borders with edge restraints to keep the blocks from rotating under pressure. Hammer them down with 9-inch nail spikes. Use a carpenter's square to check that the corners form precise 90 degree angles.
- 5
  Lay the blocks on the site beginning at one end. Drop them directly in place, flush with adjacent blocks. For a basket-weave pattern, lay the blocks in pairs alternating the direction so each pair sits perpendicular to the next. Continue the pattern to the end of the first leg of the site, fitting the last row snug against the 90 degree corner.
- 6
  Continue laying the blocks in the same pattern for the second leg, alternating directions of the previous row.
- 7
  Place a board across each section and walk over it to push the blocks down even.
- 8
  Fill the joints with stone powder or fine sand with a stiff broom to lock each block in place.

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