Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner® and home expert for The Weather ChannelConcrete and Masonry, Decks and Patios, Lawn and Garden, Exterior, Landscaping & Design Published 10/11/2006 by Danny Lipford
Spring means spending time outdoors and for many of us that means our own little backyard paradise. However a suitable surface for the barbecue grill, table, and chairs is a must. Here are some tips for creating your own custom paver patio.
Pavers are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials so you can create almost any look you desire. Do some careful shopping at the home center or brick supplier to make your final decision. The pavers seen here are brick pavers designed specifically for the dry fit installation we’re describing (English Edge from Pine Hall Brick). What make them special are the small ribs on the edges that will allow sand to sift in between the bricks when the installation is complete.
Begin by clearing and leveling the area to be paved. You will want to remove all plant matter and you may even treat the area with weed killer before you begin paving. To ensure that water will run off the paved area (for example, away from the house) create a slight slope by grading the ground to drop about 1/4′ per foot in the direction you want the water to travel. Then pack the soil down firmly with a hand tamp or allow a good rain to do the job for you.
Next you’ll want to define the patio area with the material that will contain your pavers. 1×4 or 2×4 treated lumber (redwood, cedar, or cypress) works well for this or you can purchase flexible plastic edging (for creating curves) to do the job. The lumber or edging is staked in place to create a perimeter form around the area to be paved. Spread one to three inches of course sand inside the forms. Level the sand with a screed board made from a straight 2×4. To ensure that the sand is the same depth throughout the area, nail scraps of wood on both ends of the 2×4 at equal heights from the bottom. These scraps, or ears, will rest on the forms as you drag the screed across the space, keeping the sand at a uniform level. Leaving the thickness of a paver from the top of the form down to the sand level works well.
Now you’re ready to begin laying pavers. You can use any pattern you like (basket weave, herringbone, running bond, etc.) just be sure you keep them tight together. This is where the small ribs mentioned earlier come in handy. They allow you to push the bricks snuggly together and still leave space for the sand, which is the next step. When all the bricks are in, spread sand over the whole surface and work it into the spaces with a broom. You may have to reapply sand over the first week or so as traffic and water cause it to settle into the gaps. This kind of patio surface is easier for the do-it-yourselfer than pouring concrete and it can be much more attractive. Plus it drains well because it’s not solid and you can change the size and shape of the area as your needs change.
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May 6th, 2007 at 7:09 am
I have been trying to build my own patio for two years. I put sand in between the concrete blocks and brick pavers, but I still have weeds. I have been removing the weed roots and filling it with concrete with a chaulking gun and find the weeds have not returned. Where I want moss or phlox to grow, I just don’t concrete that area and put the plant starter in.
September 5th, 2007 at 2:22 am
Use polymeric sand on the joints, or sealcoat with Surebond 1100 applied librally with a foam roller. After it sets up, it will fill the sand and bond so it does not allow weeds to germinate.
September 6th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
I have the same problem with the weeds growing up between the pavers. You may want to try to pull up the weeds, spray weed killer in the opening (of course you have the sand out), and use the concrete that can be applied with a chaulking gun. You can smooth that in, it will look nice and NO MORE WEEDS!! Best of luck, it’s a big job!
October 30th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
two words for the weeds……ROUND-UP
December 21st, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I have a patio made out of concrete 12×12 pavers. A good deal of water stands on this when it rains. What is the best way to get this water to run off the patio? Should I slope the existing pavers, install drains under the pavers, or something else?
Thanjs for your help, Bob Way
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:11 pm
To answer Bob Way, you have a low spot in your patio due to the fact that you probably didn’t compact the soil underneath and install Geofabric and 4″ of CR6 under the sand before you placed the pavers. Sorry to say that Danny is not giving the correct way to install pavers. www.ICPI.com (Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute) is the only guidelines that need to be followed. Paul.
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:46 am
Sorry to say that Paul Ruggiero is not giving the correct website for the ICPI. It is www.icpi.org not .com.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Best way to cut blocks or bricks to a curve shape? I want to make curves instead of 90 degree sides.
April 13th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Best way to make curves is to use a chipper hammer and tap the shape in the brick/paver. You can also get curve pavers which works very well.
May 1st, 2008 at 3:59 pm
[…] If you want to create an attractive patio from scratch without the time and trouble of pouring concrete, consider laying patio pavers instead. […]
May 4th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Last year my wife and I put in an 1100 sq. ft. patio made with pavers. The patio is sloped away from the hous and very even. The problem is that the patio is under our deck and when it rains the joint compound wases out. We’ve had a land scaping company come and wash out the sand and they applied a compound that was not suppose to wash out, it did so they returned and washed that out and applied a different type of compound, it too washed out. What can we do to fill the joints and keep it in?
May 4th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Can pavers be laid over a concrete patio? If so, how do you do it?
Thanks,
Eleanor Jones