How to Install Patio Paver Blocks

Patio paver blocks (also called "paver bricks" or simply "pavers") are carved stone or poured concrete bricks that interlock to form an artfully designed surface. With just a few simple tools, you can create a professional looking patio or pathway without having to pay for professional installation. Paver bricks are available at most garden centers or home improvement stores.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Work plan
• Measuring tape
• Wooden stakes
• Twine
• Level
• Shovel
• Tamper
• Metal rake
• Landscaping fabric
• Gravel
• Sand
• Edging
• Paver bricks
• Broom

1. Draw up a work plan. How big would you like your brick patio? Do you just want room for a table and some chairs, or will there be a grill or fireplace, too? What about hammock or planters? Measure out how much space you'll need, and create a diagram to work from. Rectangular shapes are easier for a do-it-yourselfer to install than ovals or curvilinear designs.

2. Choose your paver bricks. Patio pavers come in a wide variety of shapes and colors to fit any landscaping scheme. Ask the employees at the home improvement store or garden center for help in determining how many bricks you'll need for your patio.

3. Before you dig, call your local utility company and ask them to mark out any buried wires in your yard. Doing so could save your life.

4. Stake out the site for your patio. Measure carefully to make sure that opposite sides are of equal length and that the corners are at right angles. Make sure you measure out enough space for both the paver bricks and whatever edging you are using.

5. Begin excavating. It is recommended that paver brick patios have a base of 4 to 6 inches of gravel underneath them, to aid in drainage, provide stability, and prevent damage during freeze/thaw cycles. Therefore, you must dig a hole 7 to 9 inches deep. If your patio is next to your house or garage, you will need to slope the patio away from the building by 1/4 inch per foot. This will improve drainage.

6. Measure the patio site to make sure the excavation is the proper depth and is level in all areas. To measure in the middle of the site, hold a length of twine taut against the earth on either side of the excavation, then measure from the twine to the bottom of the pit. Tamp the dirt down to compact the soil and level it.

7. Lay landscaping fabric down on the bottom of the excavation. This will help prevent weeds.

8. Pour in gravel. Rake it flat and tamp it down.

9. Cover the gravel with 1 inch of sand, then rake it flat and tamp it down.

10. Install the edging. Edging can be plastic, metal or wood, and this will help hold the paver bricks in place and will also prevent weeds and grass from creeping into the edges of your patio.

11. Lay down the paver bricks. Begin in a corner and work your way across the patio site, measuring frequently to make sure that your work fits the pattern you drew up earlier and that the bricks are laid flat and level. Leave 1/8 inch space between each brick.

12. When all the bricks are laid, dust the patio with sand and sweep it across the bricks to fill in the spaces between the bricks. The sand will help cushion the bricks during settling and normal wear and tear. You will need to make two or three passes with sand and a broom on installation day, and you may need to repeat the process a few times over the course of the next week, as the sand settles into place.