How to lay a patio: a step-by-step guide to building a patio I could carry only one at a time, so this made the project more time consuming. You will need to leave at least a small gap between your concrete pavers to allow for expansion and contraction, but you have the option to go wider. With concrete paving stones are a minimum of 1½” thick and can be laid with large or narrow gaps.
Proper Drainage
By aligning the edge of the end stones with this string, you'll ensure that your installation starts square. Once you’ve designed your paver patio, mark the area using stakes and string or a garden hose to outline the shape. Be sure to consider any slope for water drainage, as you don’t want water pooling on your new patio.
Most will fit through a hole in a table, shading diners.Proactive repairs guarantee safety, improve attractiveness, and stop more problems.After your base is in place, add a second layer of support with 1 to 2 inches of builder's sand.Typically this is landscape fabric, but we actually used a giant painting tarp that cost about $15.Once you’ve got your stone set in the trenches, you’re ready to finish the patio!
Continue laying bricks until one section is complete. Then work out from this section to complete the patio. Level the stones that aren’t directly under the string with a 4-ft. Level held at a right angle to the original center string line. Tamp high stones down with a rubber-coated hammer handle.
Create a plan of the patio on paper
Finally, saw the stakes so that they are flush with the top edges of the form. This will be necessary for the screeding process later on. If that’s not possible, you may want to jump-start the project by hiring an excavator with a skid loader and dump truck to dig the hole and haul away the dirt. I would opt for professional installation if I’m paying for more expensive patio material, like stone, pavers, or engineered wood/ composite materials. Now that you know how to build a patio, you’ll need to decide if this is the right project for you. Working with heavy building materials isn’t for everyone—and does pose safety risks. Before putting down the concrete pavers, plan how you are going to place the paver stones. Typically you want to start from an outside edge or corner. In my area, the base layer material is known as crusher run. A crusher run has granite dust and coarse and fine angular aggregate and the gravel is about ½-4” in size. For instance, if you live in an area that Additional resources has a high amount of clay in the soil, plan on using extra gravel in your base layer. Clay has draining issues and larger gravel will help with this. A strong base is essential for the longevity of your paver patio. Start by adding a layer of gravel (also called crushed stone or road base) about 4 to 6 inches deep. Spread it evenly across the entire area and compact it using a hand tamper or plate compactor to create a stable surface. The easiest DIY brick patio uses the sandset method.
