How to Level Patio Blocks
Laying a new patio of loose pavers, bricks or blocks is an easy do-it-yourself project that's far less expensive than having a cement patio poured. One challenge to laying patio blocks is getting them level. It's a process that has to start before you actually lay the blocks. By leveling the ground when you dig out the sod, and then leveling out the construction gravel when you make the bed for the stones, the whole patio will end up level. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Six or eight wood stakes, a foot long
- Hammer
- shovel
- Thick string
- Long carpenter's level
- Finely crushed gravel (1 cubic foot per three square feet of ground)
- Garden hose
- Hand tamp (heavy flat metal tool for pressing down gravel)
Instructions
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1
Set wood stakes to mark out the perimeter of the area fot the patio, pounding them about halfway into the ground. Tie string between the stakes to delineate your border. Dig out the sod from within the border, taking the level of the ground down by about 6 inches from the surrounding area.
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2
Walk over the dug-out area with a long carpenter's level, setting it at various points around the ground. Shovel and move dirt around until every spot you check on the ground is level.
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3
Use your hand-tamp to flatten and compact the dirt. Spread about half the gravel over the surface. Check the level at various points as before, moving the gravel around with your shovel to get it level.
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4
Tamp down the gravel with your hand tamp. Wet down the surface with your garden hose, saturating it completely. Let the water drain and dry.
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5
Spread the rest of the gravel over the top of the previous gravel. Level it out, tamp it down, and re-wet it. Let the water drain and dry.
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6
Lay your patio stones over the packed gravel, starting at one side and working your way across.
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