Transforming an underutilised area of your backyard into an outdoor entertaining zone begins with laying a good foundation, and paving is one budget and DIY-friendly ground-cover option to consider.
The first step to laying pavers, however, isn’t rushing out to pick the trendiest outdoor paving stones or crazy pavers, but to properly prepare the ground using road base and paving sand.
That’s because every good paving job begins with a good base. There are only two layers, but it’s important to compact and level them in the correct way.
Can you lay pavers directly on dirt?
Laying pavers on unprepared soil is not recommended. While laying pavers on bare ground might look fine in the short term, over time the ground will shift, resulting in sunken and cracked pavers and, ultimately, an uneven surface. Preparing the ground properly will also prevent the growth of weeds between the pavers.
Gather your supplies
- Road base
- Paving sand
- Set-out paint
- Wheelbarrow
- Shovel
- Levelling rake
- Tape measure
- Hose
- Plate compactor (hired)
- Screed rails
- Spirit level
How to prepare a good base for laying outdoor pavers
Step 1 Measure area to be paved, then mark edges using set-out paint to give you a guide.
Step 2 Use wheelbarrow to lay out road base in a series of mounds (this makes it easier to spread evenly over the whole area).
Step 3 Spread out road base roughly with shovel, then level with levelling rake. Use tape measure to gauge a depth of about 70mm
Step 4 Damp down road base using hose then, using plate compactor, compact base to reduce its depth by about 10mm
Step 5 Lay out paving sand over road base, again in a series of mounds to facilitate even spreading.
Step 6 Level sand with rake to leave a layer 20-30mm thick.
Step 7 Lay screed rails on eitherside of sand bed, so their surface sits at finished level you are after. Tip, poly tubing and lengths of timber make ideal screed rails
Step 8 Level sand layer using screed and spirit level. Be sure to work backwards so you don’t disturb the finished surface.
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