1. Sketch Out Your Design
Sketch out your design and determine the area in square feet. Think about color schemes of your house and yard. Don’t be afraid to get creative, using varying levels and curves. Just
remember that more curves means more cutting, but the
finished product will be worth it. |
2. Come to Marvel
Come to Marvel to look at the displays and pick out the shape, type and color of paver you want. Ask a Marvel Representative to help you with all the additional supplies you will need including, ABC base material, sand to lay the pavers in, a restraining method, joint sand and sealant if you would like to seal in your pavers.
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3. Time To Do The Heavy Work
First, you will need to excavate the area where your pavers are going to be laid (3a). To determine how deep to excavate, take your paver thickness and add 1” of sand and 2”- 4” of ABC base material to the pavers’ original thickness. Patios require 2” of base material; anything you drive one requires at least 4” of base material. If you are planning on matching the height of a patio, this will be the point from which you measure down from (3b).
3a
3b |
4. Fill In the Flat Hole
Spread around the ABC base material, being careful to keep it as level as possible. A landscape rake works well here. Once you have spread out the correct amount of base material, dampen the material if it is completely dry. Next, use a tamp to pack the base material (4a). When you are done, it should be hard to the touch and leave almost no foot print if you walk on it. Use a level to keep everything in perspective and ensure it is level.
4a
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5. Building A Solid Foundation
The next step is to lay the sand in the hole you just excavated. The sand should be 1” thick. The best way to do this is to use a 1” thick OD pipe from a hardware store. Place two pieces of pipe 3’ apart from each other (5a). Pour the sand in between the pipes and screed or level them with a 2” x 4”. Any other straight piece of wood will work as well (5b). When you have filled in the area, move the pipes over and continue to fill in each area. You don’t have to do the entire patio at one time, but do enough that you have a good area to work in.
5a
5b |
6. Time To Lay Pavers!
Start laying the pavers where you want them to be truest
without having to cut them. An example would be along
an existing walkway, patio or building. Lock them in as you go by butting the paver you are laying against the previous one (6a). Stand back periodically while you are laying your pavers to make sure the job remains square. If you have to cut a paver, use a saw with a blade or for a more rough look you can use a chisel (6b).
6a
6b
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7. Restraining the Pavers
Now that you have the entire patio laid, the next step is to sand in the pavers. Be careful with the edges because there is nothing holding them up but sand. To restrain the edges, there are three options: 1) Use a paver edger (7a); 2) Use a plastic edger (7b); 3) Make a footer underneath the paver (7c). The last step is the most common in Arizona. It involves lifting up the edge course and excavating a 4” x 4” trench. Next, you fill the trench with concrete and “float” the edge paver in the wet concrete.
7a
7b
7c
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8. Sand in The Lavers
To lock the pavers in, you can use regular sand or a “locking” sand which forms a bond. Spread the sand over the pavers with a brush to ensure it gets in all the small gaps (8a). To get the sand to settle use a tamp again over the pavers (8b). Fix any broken pavers by wedging them out and replacing them. Now decide it you are going to seal the pavers. Then enjoy your new pavers!
8a
8b |
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