How to Install Patio Blocks Around a Fiberglass Pool
After you install a fiberglass pool, you'll want to add an attractive and safe surface around it. Draw a design of the area you want to tile, and check with your local utilities companies to make sure there are no underground systems where you want to install your patio blocks. Then choose from the wide array of patio blocks available at your local home improvement store.
Things You'll Need
- Plate compactor
- Edge restraints
- Concrete
- Sand
- Trowel
- 1-inch strips of wood
- 2-by-4-inch board
- Hammer
- Brush
- Masonry sand
Instructions
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1
Roll a plate compactor over the soil for the patio base. Fill the area with crushed stone, wet the area, and then go over the wet, crushed stone with the plate compactor.
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2
Install edge restraints to give a border to your patio, and to keep the patio blocks from moving. Use aluminum, PVC, or pre-formed concrete curbs. Mix concrete, sand and water to make a mortar mix, and use a trowel to apply a 1- to 2-inch layer of mortar along the boundary of your patio. Lay the edge restraints on top of the mortar, and allow them to set and dry for 24 hours.
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3
Lay 1-inch strips of wood 6 to 8 inches apart across the area of the patio to create a frame for the sand bed the blocks will be set into. Hand-pack the sand into the frame, and then drag a 2-by-4-inch board across the sand to smooth it. Remove the 1-inch strips of wood from the sand bed.
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4
Lay the patio blocks on the sand bed, beginning in one corner and working your way outward. Place the blocks in whatever design or pattern you like, and leave 1/8 inch between each block. Use a hammer to tap the blocks into alignment.
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Clean dirt and sand off the surface of the patio blocks with a brush. Toss masonry sand over the surface of the patio blocks, spreading it thickly in the spaces between the blocks. Roll over the area with the plate compactor to press the sand down into the joints. Spread more sand and go over it with the plate compactor two or three times to make sure all the joints are completely filled with compacted sand. Sweep the excess sand off the patio blocks.
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Tips & Warnings
When choosing patio blocks, consider buying blocks with a rough rather than a smooth surface, to avoid a slippery patio next to your pool.
Keep children and small animals away from your work area when operating equipment like a plate compactor.
