How to Build a Parking Pad With Pavers

Pavers with sand-filled joints make excellent parking pads.

To build a parking pad with paver stones or brick requires not only advance planning, but a good idea for how you want the finished product to appear. It's necessary to properly measure the area that is to be paved, then level it and give the area the proper substrate. All these steps combine to produce an attractive parking pad that will be resistant to cracking or settling.

Things You'll Need

• Spray paint
• Measuring tape
• Shovel or skid loader
• Mechanical soil compactor
• Paver base gravel
• Paver base sand
• Framing level
• Fine-grain play sand
• Push broom

Instructions

1. Measure the area to be paved using a tape measure, then mark the boundaries of the parking pad with spray paint.

2. Excavate the dirt from the parking pad using a skid loader or shovel. You must dig to a depth of at least 18 inches for a solid base. Eight inches of the base will be paver base gravel, and another 7 inches will consist of paver base sand. The remaining amount consists of the paver itself. Adjust this depth according to the thickness of your pavers.

3. Unload the paver base gravel into the excavation and spread the gravel out to evenly cover the hole. Use a framing level or a long board to ensure that there are no high or low spots.

4. Tamp down the gravel firmly using a mechanical soil compactor. Make several passes to ensure that the gravel is firmly in place.

5. Unload the paver base sand into the excavation on top of the gravel. Using the same method as with the gravel, evenly distribute the sand over the gravel base, then use the soil compactor to firmly tamp down the sand in place. At this stage, take a measurement from the top of the sand base to the ground level. If the measurement is so low that the pavers will be below ground level, add additional sand to the excavation and repeat the tamping process. The pavers should be at ground level or marginally higher when they are placed.

6. Install the pavers on the sand base in whatever pattern you wish. When the pavers have been placed, empty a bag of fine sand such as play sand onto the pavers and sweep it with a push broom between any existing cracks between the pavers to lock them in place.

Tips & Warnings

• Use brick or concrete pavers rather than stone to ensure proper fit of the pavers as well as provide for a durable surface on which to park.

References

• "The Art & Craft of Stonework: Dry-Stacking, Mortaring, Paving, Carving, Gardenscaping"; David Reed; 2003
• "Driveways, Paths and Patios: A Complete Guide to Design, Management and Construction"; Tony McCormack; 2006
• "Patios, Driveways, and Plazas: The Pattern Language of Concrete Pavers"; David Smith; 2002