Deck Paver Installation
Deck pavers come in a variety of sizes, shapes and materials, ranging from clay to concrete. Your personal preference for color and design will affect the overall layout, but regardless of which type of paver you choose to work with the installation methods are the same. Since pavers are set on a bed of sand and gravel, very little in the way of tools is required, which means any do-it-yourselfer with the resources and a little bit of spare time can spruce up their backyard and increase the beauty and value of their home. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Pea gravel
- Sand
- Shovel
- Rubber mallet
- Wooden stakes
- String line
- Tape measure
- Dirt compactor
- Hammer
- Chisel
- Safety glasses
- Work gloves
Instructions
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Purchase 15 to 20 percent extra pavers to cover cuts and to have extra pavers left over for potential repairs down the road. For sand and gravel, have a supplier do the conversions for you; as a general rule a cubic yard of sand covers 108 square feet at a depth of 3 inches.
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Measure out your area for the deck and outline the perimeter with wooden stakes to prepare the deck area. Attach the string line between the stakes to help guide your excavation process. Dig down with the shovel at least 4 inches, but go as deep as 6 if you are using thicker paving stones. The idea is to have at least 2 inches of gravel, 2 inches of sand and then your pavers on top.
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Cover the bottom of your excavated deck area with at least 2 inches of pea gravel, and put an additional 2 inches of sand on top of that. Run the compactor over the entire base layer to compact it down into the subsoil, and add additional sand if you think it is necessary to build up the layer for an appropriate finish height for your pavers.
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Lay the deck pavers down on your base of sand. Set them in your preferred pattern. Run the pavers tight to each other (deck pavers do not require joints between them) and tap each individual brick into the bed of sand with your rubber mallet. Make any necessary cuts by striking the paver with a hammer and chisel.
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Cover the entire surface of your deck with at least 1 inch of sand. Sweep it around so that it fills any voids in between the pavers. Run the compactor over the entire surface of your deck, which will help lock the entire installation into place with the sand on top working its way down into any voids between the bricks. Sweep the surface clean when you are finished.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear work gloves to protect your hands, and use protective gear when operating the compactor as well as cutting the bricks.
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
