Place a stake at the corners of the area for the patio and tie mason string to mark off the area. Let's get together. For a typical 10 x 12-foot patio, that means carting away about 2-1/2 tons of soil, and hauling in the same amount of gravel. Take a look at our favorite 25 stunning and very different examples of patio pavers. Extend your Outdoor Space with a DIY Paver Patio Spring is creeping upon us, and there is no better time to install a DIY paver patio. Measure diagonally across the stakes from opposite corners to make sure the patio area is square. Drive steel stakes into the edging to keep it secure. After measuring and marking off the patio area, lay in a bed of sand. 6. All rights reserved. Patio Paver DIY Patio Paver DIY | This patio paver job is being done by a 65-year-old man. Once you have ordered the materials for your patio, do a dry layout of your design to make sure it fits your space. Now it's time to add the base material. But there’s an easier way. Start in the corner, setting each paver in the sand by tapping it lightly with a rubber mallet. Take outdoor entertaining to new heights by building a backyard tiki bar with bamboo accents and a thatched roof. The corners tend to be sharp, so heavy-duty work gloves are a must for safety. For this project, we are using 2-1/2-inch thick tumbled concrete pavers that look like stone. Utility companies usually provide this service at no charge, and the marked indicators will make it easy to know where not to dig. Not only is this new patio a great outdoor living area, it's an easy-to-install, compacted-rock project that doesn't use even a dribble of cement. Our pavers are 2-1/2" thick and we want them to be level with the ground. The previous owner had used recycled rubber tire mulch as a ground cover, which our … Rush to put pavers down on a faulty base, and it might take only a few seasons for the stones to shift and become a tripping hazard. Glue down the last border patio blocks. The final base material is a one-inch layer of sand. The large-format pavers can be heavy so only buy what you can hold and place with relative ease. Paver Patio Circle Kit Designs. Fill the entire area with a 4" layer of crushed gravel. We need six inches of base material plus 2-1/2" for the paver height, so we are digging 8-½" deep. Manufactured brick pavers are a durable and inexpensive material choice when installing a patio. To give the patio a nice framed feel, place the outer row perpendicular to the inner rows. A dry-stack stone retaining wall not only holds back the earth, it adds beauty to a landscape. Lay out the edging along the perimeter and cut to length with metal shears. Pavers are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and materials. Here's a full step-by-step photo tutorial, as well as a fun time-lapse video of the whole process (available on my blog). Screed the sand with a 2x4 using a pair of 1-inch PVC pipe and a depth guide (image 3). Ground your outdoor entertainment area with a solid stone patio. Let the glue dry for a few hours before you tamp the field pavers and sweep sand across the patio to fill the joints. This patio is easy to install — just keep it on the level. 18 DIY Patio Ideas and Pathway Improvement Projects 1. The right paver patio design may just be the solution you need if you feel that your patio is lacking something you cannot point your finger on. To give the patio a nice framed feel, place the outer row perpendicular to the inner rows. As you lay the pavers in place, tap them down firmly with a rubber mallet. Play sand or mason sand work very well. DIY PAVER PATIO PAVER PATIO SUPPLIES: (Affiliate links included below) Gravel (4 inches for entire space) Sand (1 inch for entire space) Stone or brick pavers (We used Pavestone RumbleStone (color: Greystone) from Home Depot in three different sizes...10.5 x 7, 3.5 x 7, and 7 x 7, all 2 inches thick.) Browse a full list of topics found on the site, from accessories to mudrooms to wreaths. Inexpensive patio shade ideas, Easy patio ideas and Pergula patio. The rule of thumb is to dig to the thickness of the paver, plus another six inches for a solid base. To pack the sand into the joints, spray the patio with water from a garden hose. Grade the Patio Area The pavers won't sit directly on the ground – they require a subsurface layer of rock, gravel and sand for proper drainage. How to Build a Paver Patio with Pavestone & QUIKRETE: This video shows you how to build a paver patio. Remember, you want a slight slope for drainage. After laying in the edging and stones, you can trim it off. If a teacher like me – with modest DIY skills – can build his own paver patio in a matter of days, you can, too. The thickness of your base depends upon the soil: low-lying, wet soils need a thicker base than well-drained soils. 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