Guide to Paver Installation

Functional and stylish, pavers are used for landscape edging, walkways, driveways and patios. The more weight and traffic the paver surface will be exposed to, the thicker the paver you will need. Pavers are carved or poured from concrete, stone or brick and come in uniform shapes or interlocking patterns. Installing pavers using the dry method, over a base of gravel and sand, makes it easy to repair, adjust or replace pavers as needed.

Landscape paint
Shovel
Compactor machine
Highway gravel
Rake
Edge restraints
12-inch nail spikes
Sand bedding
Stone dust

Instructions

- 1
  Mark the perimeter of your site with landscape paint. If you're laying a walkway, the width should be about four feet so two people can pass each other.
- 2
  Dig out a foundation for the pavers with a flat shovel, following along your outlined perimeter. If you are laying a patio or walkway, the foundation should be 8 inches deep. Dig down to a depth of 10 inches for a driveway. Run a compactor machine over the floor of the foundation three times or until the soil resists force.
- 3
  Dump 6 to 8 inches of 3/4-inch highway gravel into the foundation and rake it out for an even spread. The crushed gravel fits together when compressed to provide a strong, dense base that allows moisture to pass through.
- 4
  Arrange edge restraints around the interior boarders of the site. Lock the restraints together according to the manufacturer's instructions and secure them in the foundation with 12-inch nail spikes.
- 5
  Pour one inch of sand bedding over the gravel base to level the surface.
- 6
  Set your pavers from one corner to the next in your chosen pattern. Butt the pavers against the edging and each other. If they are uneven, remove or add bedding sand to adjust the levels.
- 7
  Spread stone dust over the paver surface and compact it into the crevices between each paver. The stone dust cushions the pavers as they settle and blocks debris.

How to Make Concrete Parking Pavers

Materials Used for Driveways

Paving