A patio made out of concrete pavers is both functional and stylish, and it's an
easy way to transform your outdoor living space. For this project, we're
going to add to an existing patio built over a concrete slab. Before beginning,
make sure there are no buried lines or cables you'll be disrupting when
installing your patio. Concrete pavers come in many different styles and a few
thicknesses, and they can be combined into a variety of patterns. If you're
installing over a concrete slab, you may need a thinner 30-millimeter paver to
fit your door's threshold. The rest of our patio will be built on the ground, with a
crushed-gravel base the same height as the concrete, so all pavers will be at an
even level. As a guide, stretch out a level string running from the edge of
the slab to a stake, placed at the outside edge of your patio. You may want
to do this in a few places to ensure consistent outcome. If your patio will be
exposed to the rain, lower the string by an inch or so every four feet to create
a slope. After marking off the dimensions of your new patio, remove all of the sod
and dirt with a shovel, down to a level of about 7 inches below the surface.
You'll need to clear out any rocks or debris and compress the soil to create a
stable surface for your patio. For large areas like this,
renting a plate compactor from The Home Depot will be a huge time-saver. At this
point, you can lay down a weed barrier but it's not required if you have a
properly packed gravel base. Fill the excavated area with a layer of crushed
gravel, then spread it around evenly with a metal rake
and wet it down thoroughly with a hose over the entire surface. Now, go over it
with a plate compactor. For small areas, you can use a hand tamper. Continue the
process throughout the whole patio area, adding to the gravel layer, wetting it,
and compressing it until you have a solid base, built approximately two
inches below your string guidelines. Next, you'll create an even layer of fine
paver sand for setting your pavers through a process called screeding.
For these next few steps, you'll want to work in small, manageable sections. Lay a
couple of one-inch pipes parallel to each other, on top of the compacted
gravel. Pour out just enough sand to cover them, then pull a 2x4 across the
top to screed the sand. The goal is a level, even surface, so backfill any gaps
with additional sand and re-screed the area until it's smooth. Without
disturbing the screeded layer, remove the pipes and lightly mist the sand to help
hold it in place. Now you're ready to begin laying your pavers. These often can
be assembled in a variety of patterns, so have a plan in mind before beginning.
Start in one corner against the house and work out, placing pavers in rows and
nudging them up against each other. Check frequently with a level to make
sure your pavers are installing evenly. If necessary, you can add more sand below,
or tap down with a rubber mallet to bring them in line. As you work, carefully
fill in the valleys from the pipes with paver sand. Then use a finishing trowel
to gently smooth the surface until the whole work area is nice and level.
Between rows, it's important to stagger the joints to provide maximum stability
to the patio. Here, we're creating a simple basket weave pattern with
horizontal and vertical pavers. In tight spaces, you may need to cut pavers with a
concrete saw to fit. To hold the outside pavers in place, either install paver
edging or create a trench along the perimeter with a brick trowel and fill
it with cement. This can be covered later with mulch or soil. For the last step, the
surface must be completely dry with no rain forecast for the next 24 hours.
Start by sweeping generous amounts of polymeric sand down into the joints
between pavers, then carefully blow off any excess sand with a leaf blower. Now
spray the entire patio with a fine mist to activate the binding agents in the
polymeric sand. Allow 24 hours for the sand to fully cure and harden before
using your new patio. Invite the neighbors over for a good
old-fashioned barbecue.