Paving stones make for a lasting, beautiful, and affordable alternative to concrete for any outdoor patio or walkway in your home.
Making a path with pavers can be a fun and inexpensive way to spruce up the exterior of your home — or if you work in landscaping, a great way to add some concrete value to your customer’s property before your team moves on to their next project.
How to build a path with pavers
Pavers are a great way to create a pathway or walkway. They’re durable and easy to install, and they can be used with other materials like stepping stones, slate tiles and cobblestones.
The first step in building a paver walkway is choosing the right pavers for your project. If you want to save money on your project, use large tiles that are available at home improvement stores instead of smaller ones that may not be as cost-effective.
You’ll also need to decide how wide your walkway will be. The wider it is, the more expensive it will be because you’ll need more material. This can be offset by using larger tiles that require less material per square foot than smaller ones do.
Another thing you’ll need to consider is whether or not you want to make the path level or sloping. Level paths are easier to build but look less natural than sloping ones do because they don’t follow the contours of the ground naturally like sloping paths do when built correctly.
If you’re building a level path, dig out all dirt from where you’re going to place each piece of pavers so there’s only hard soil left behind when finished.
If you’re thinking about putting in a walkway, but don’t have the cash for a concrete slab or a commercial-grade patio, consider making your own with pavers. Not only is it an economical way to go, it’s easy to install and maintain.
The most common mistake people make when laying out their paver walkways is to use too many small pieces of stone. To get the most out of your money, buy large pavers if possible. If you must use smaller stones because that’s all the store has, try to keep them at least 12 inches long by at least 6 inches wide so they cover more ground per piece.
You need to make sure that your yard is flat and level before you start building your walkway. You can do this with a laser level or by using stakes and string to create an accurate grid pattern over your yard.
The most popular way to lay a walkway is with pavers. They’re easy to install, and you can use them to create a wide range of patterns and designs.
The first step in laying pavers is to level the ground. You need an even surface on which to place the pavers, so if the ground is sloped or uneven, you’ll need to add some more soil or sand to make it level. Add about 3 inches (7.6 cm) of sand over the entire area where you’ll be laying your walkway, then tamp it down using a tamper or wheelbarrow.
If your ground isn’t level enough for your liking, you can also raise one side by adding more sand under it (while keeping the other side lower). If this is what you want to do, mark out where you want each paver’s edge to go using string and stakes (or cut out a piece of cardboard). Then dig down or pile up enough sand under one side of the string so that when it’s removed there will be a straight line connecting the two stakes.
To install pavers over concrete slabs or bricks, remove 2 inches (5 cm) of topsoil from around each slab before laying down
The easiest way to lay a walkway is with a paver base. You can buy pre-cut pavers or use concrete pavers. Either way, you’ll need to build a solid foundation and provide drainage for the edges.
1. Dig the path bed
Start by digging an even trench along your proposed path, about 4″ (10 cm) deep and slightly wider than your pavers. The depth depends on how many layers of pavers you’ll be using and whether you’re planning on adding edging (which adds stability).
2. Create drainage
If your site has clay soil, place perforated drain pipe along the bottom edge of the trench. This will allow water to pass through easily without getting trapped in your concrete pathway.
3. Install edging
If you’re using concrete pavers, install steel edging along the outside of the trench before filling it with sand or gravel for drainage purposes. If you’re using natural stone or concrete stepping stones instead, skip this step because there will be no need for edging material once you’ve laid down your pavers.
How to build a path with pavers
A wide range of pavers and stepping stones are available at home centers and landscape supply companies. The most common types have a patterned surface of diamond or square shapes that can be used alone or in combination with plainer materials. These products are designed to be laid together so they interlock, but they can also be used individually.
Directions:
1 Lay out the path where you want the walkway to go. Measure for length, width and grade changes. For example, if you want a level pathway that’s 2 feet wide, measure from one end to the other and make sure it’s straight before marking with stakes or tape. If there’s any slope in your yard (and there’s probably at least some), measure from high point to low point on each side of where you’re going to put your walkway. Make sure they match up evenly; if they don’t, add or remove gravel until they do.
2 Check local codes regarding setback requirements for building codes regarding setbacks; this may affect how far back you need to put your path from your property line or neighboring homes (or even houses).