How to Install Unilock Rivenstone

Design and draw a plan of the Rivenstone paving slab pattern. Use the measuring tape and measure the landscaping space, and order the slabs you need. Contact all utility service providers to check the location of any underground pipes before preparing the groundwork.

Mark the external boundary of the design on the ground using string tied to stakes and push them into the ground, or mark the ground with paint. Remove grass and topsoil to the depth of the subsoil using a shovel. Unilock recommends 6 inches of drainage gravel plus the depth of the paving slab, so adjust the excavation to meet these requirements.

Flatten the subsoil with a jumping jack, compact the surface and remove air pockets that cause subsidence. Spread 6 inches of gravel over the subsoil, and compact the area with the jumping jack. Use a spirit level and check that you have a slight slope in one direction that allows rain to run off. Check that there are no holes in the gravel level that are deeper than 1/4 inch.

Lay the metal pipes 4 feet apart, and infill with coarse concrete-grade sand. Use a 2x4-inch straight wooden plank to tamp the sand level flat, and screed the sand to the level of the pipes. Pull the pipes out of the sand by sliding them along the gravel base, and reposition the pipes for the next section. Fill in the pipe grooves with sand and compact it with a hand tamp, and smooth the surface with a flat hand trowel.

Mark out the level of the Rivenstone patio with string and stakes allowing for 3/4 inch of final compaction.

Lay each slab following the string lines for direction and height. Stand on the slab to lay the next one, and don't stand on the sand as this will cause leveling problems.

Use a paver alignment tool to check the gaps between the Rivenstone are equal, and adjust as necessary. Secure the outer paving slab boundary with an edge protector, and use a to hammer it in place with galvanized 12-inch spiral nails. Fill any wide gaps in between the paving with sand to avoid slab movement when compacting.

Use a brush and sweep the Rivenstone patio, clearing all sand and debris from the surface. Attach a protective pad to the bottom of the compactor. Move the compactor over the surface of the slabs to settle the paving into the sand bed. Use three passes altogether, one in each direction and one diagonal pass to complete the compaction.

Sweep joining sand into the gaps between the paving slabs with a brush to finish off the installation. If the sand is wet, you can trowel in the sand instead, using a pointing trowel.