These holidays, you can make a big difference to your home by laying some pavers. While it may seem difficult, with the right tools and preparation you can achieve incredible results. Here’s a step-by-step guide to laying pavers.
Gather your supplies
- Allow an extra 5% to your area to allow for cuts.
- Roadbase – Allow 1.7 tonne per cubic metre.
- Paving sand – Allow – 1.5 tonne per cubic metre.
- Sand and cement mix – Allow 1 bag per 2 metres of edging.
- Washed sand – Allow 1 bag per 5 square metres.
You’ll also need
Rake; wheelbarrow; plate compactor (hired); straightedge; spirit level; screed rails (long lengths of aluminium bar 30mm wide and 3mm thick) rubber mallet; brick saw (hired); trowel; broom.
Here’s how
STEP 1 Calculate the quantities of materials you need. Measure the number of square metres of pavers and add about 5% for any cuts.
STEP 2 Excavate the ground where you want to pave. Make the ground level 100mm plus the thickness of your paver from your finished paver height.
STEP 3 Spread an 80mm thick layer of roadbase over the area to be paved. Make the roadbase slightly larger that the finished area of paving.
STEP 4 Spread an 80mm thick layer of roadbase over the area to be paved. Make the roadbase slightly larger that the finished area of paving.
STEP 5 Spread a 35mm thick layer of paving sand over the area.
STEP 6 At one side of your area, smooth the paving sand so the paver will sit at the correct level. Starting from this height, use a straightedge to create smooth narrow tracks down the paved area. Make the distance between the tracks slightly less than the length of the straightedge. Use a spirit level on top of the straightedge to make these tracks slope away from the house as required.
STEP 7 Lay screed rails in the tracks and cover them with paving sand. Drag the straightedge along the screed rails to make the sand at paving level between the rails. Scrape back excess sand and fill as required to create a firm laying surface. On large areas, complete one pass down the screed rails and move one rail over to the area yet to be screeded and repeat. Remove screed rails.
STEP 8 Starting at one side, start laying pavers on the sand. Leave a 2mm gap between them. Tap the top of the pavers with a rubber mallet to bed them into sand and to make the pavers flush with each other.
STEP 9 Use a hired brick saw to cut pavers as required at edges then remove any excess paving sand and roadbase outside your paved area. Mix sand and cement and spread along edges of paving with a trowel to hold it in position. Make the sand and cement below the level of the pavers and angle it at a 45 degree angle away from the top. Leave to set.
STEP 10 Spread fine washed sand over the pavers and sweep into the gaps between them to lock pavers together. This will settle over time and will need to be repeated a few weeks later.
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