Do-it-Yourself Driveway Paving

Stake out the site for your driveway with garden stakes and string. Measure the area with a tape measure, spacing stakes 10 feet apart for one car and 16 to 24 feet apart to allow two cars to park. Add 4 inches to the width for edging restraints.

Dig out grass and soil from the staked-out site with a shovel. Continue digging until you have an expanse 12 inches deep, the base is flat and the walls are vertical. Tamp down loose dirt with a tamper to stabilize it.

Fill the expanse with 10 inches of 3/4-inch gravel and tamp it down. Once compacted, the gravel wedges together to offer a strong base to support the stones, while the gaps between stones allow water to seep through.

Position edge restraints against the inside walls of the area. Use wood, metal or another strong material to hold the pavers in position. Fasten the restraints in place with 9-inch nail spikes.

Pour an inch of grit sand over the gravel and rake it even.

Set the pavers on the sand bed in a herringbone design, basket weave or other pattern of your choice. Adjust them in the sand until they are even with adjacent sections. Set each paver flush against the next so the spaces between them are as narrow as possible.

Cover the surface with fine sand after the pavers are laid. Brush the sand into the joints with a shop broom to cushion each piece.

Apply paver sealant on the surface with a roller brush. Sealant slows fading, increases longevity and protects the sand joints.