How to Make Paver Stairs

Planning and Preparation

• 1

  Dig a 3-inch hole around the basic outline for the stairs. Compact the ground with a hand tamper, a long pole with a flat, heavy base and two handles on the side, or a mechanical tamper which is available for rent from most hardware stores.

• 2

  Build a tower of concrete blocks against the wall of the structure so that the top of the tower sits just below the base of the structure. Measure the distance from the top of the tower to the base. The distance must equal or be slightly more than the height of the pavers plus 1/4 inch for mortar and 1 inch for a gravel base. Adjust the depth of the hole as needed to obtain the proper height.

• 3

  Pour a 1-inch bed of crushed gravel into the hole. Compact the gravel with a tamper until the surface is smooth and flat. Check the level of the gravel side to side and front to back. Add or remove rock as needed to obtain the proper level. Rebuild the concrete block tower to verify that the height is still accurate.

• 4

  Erect the concrete blocks into the basic structure starting with a bottom row spanning the entire hole. Build up each row to create the additional steps up to the base of the structure. Double-check the distance from the top of the steps to the base of the structure. The distance should be the height of the paver plus at least 1/4 inch.

• 5

  Cut several pavers to the height of the cement block steps to be affixed to the face of each step. Press the pavers into place temporarily to verify the cuts are accurate. Leave the pavers in place on the face of the steps.

• 6

  Place pavers on top of each step starting from the top and working down. Position the pavers so that there is a 1-inch overhang on the front of the step and an overhang equal to the height of the paver plus 1 inch on each side. The pavers will rest on top of the vertical-face pavers with a 1-inch overhang beyond the vertical pavers. Cut pavers as necessary to obtain the proper dimensions.

• 7

  Remove all pavers carefully, keeping the pavers separated by their position on the step.

Installing the Pavers

• 8

  Mix mortar with water in a bucket. Spread the mortar to a depth of 1/4 inch onto the back of the cut pavers for the face of the stairs.

• 9

  Press each paver into place onto the face of each step. Tap the pavers into position with a rubber mallet to ensure that the face of each paver is flush with adjoining pavers.

• 10

  Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the tops of the stairs, working from the top stair down. Place cut pavers along the back edges of each step to mask the cut.

• 11

  Spread mortar onto the backs of full pavers to cover the sides of the steps. Start pressing pavers along the bottom edges of the sides working up the structure. Cut pavers as necessary to fit the structure until the sides are covered. The side pavers should sit just beneath the overhang of the steps on each side leaving a 1-inch lip.