Paver Installation

One of the best ways to give your outdoors a fresh look is to install pavers. Pavers are small compact blocks that are made of concrete, brick, stone, clay tiles and glass. They can be installed in any pattern of your choice to give you the kind of outdoor living space decor you want. There are many different types of pavers that are available in the market that comes with different textures, colors and finish. For outdoor paver installation, it is always best to choose a fairly rough paver that has a matte finish. This is because of safety reasons as too glossy and shiny pavers can result in a person slipping over it. If you are keen on improving the exterior of your house, then installing paver is the best option. Installation prices vary according to the material of the pavers you choose and the square foot area of the space you want to do the installation in.

Installing Pavers in the Patio

One of the best places that you can install pavers is in your patio. Instead of a regular patio, you can make it more eye catching and interesting by installing patio pavers and coming up with patio paver ideas. The first thing that you need to do is to choose the kind of pavers that you want in your patio. While choosing pavers keep the texture of the material and the cost in mind. Also make sure that the style, material and design of pavers match the exterior of your house. Stone pavers like travertine, brick pavers, flagstone pavers, slate and clay tiles are good choice for installing in the patio. Once you have decided on the kind of pavers you want for your patio, you can order them directly from the manufacturer or purchase them from a home improvement store.

Once you have purchased the pavers of your choice, it is time to prepare the area for installation. For patios, you will need to clear the area of shrubs, weeds and other small plants. Make sure that you pull them out from the root level. Rake the soil with a garden spade and excavate the loose top soil by about 5-6 inches of soil. This will give you enough room to lay the pavers over the ground. After you remove the top soil, tap the ground with a tamper to get an even and firm surface. Next place a landscape fabric over the even area making sure that the dimensions of the fabric is such that it covers the entire area. Laying a landscape fabric over the patio area is very important as it helps to inhibit any weed growth and at the same time it allows drainage of water.

Next you need to add a layer of crushed gravel over the landscape fabric to build a paver patio. A 2 inch deep layer is sufficient for paver patio installation. Make sure that the crushed gravel that you have just put in is firm and compact with no air pockets in between. One way to ensure this is to tap it with the tamper. Now add another 2 inch layer of crushed gravel and tap it once more. This whole process of tapping laying gravel and tapping might seem like a tedious process, but it is very important that you do not skip it. Spread 1-1 ½ of sand over the crushed gravel and drag a horizontal board over the area. This is done so that the area is totally level and you have a patio that is perfectly even and not slopping. Now it is time lay the pavers in place. Place a paver on the edge of the patio and continue installing pavers in a straight line. Keep a spacing of 1/8 inches in between each paver. Tap individual pavers in place so that with a rubber mallet.

Once you are done paver stone installation, install aluminum or steel edge restraints on the boundary of the patio so that the pavers do not shift. Next spread a layer of sand over the pavers and use a push broom to sweep the sand over the crevices of the pavers. When you have done this to the entire patio, hose down the sand and allow the patio to dry.

Before I conclude I would like you to also know that the Paver installation cost is around $10-$30 per square foot. The installation cost will of course go up if you choose an expensive paver tile.