Installing Decorative Brick and Stone Pavers

Installing the edger

Some people like to use a steel edger to establish the outside border of their pavers and other people like to use a plastic edger. Either product will work well and depending on the pavers you purchase there may be an edger that is specifically designed to work with your paver system.

Usually you can purchase stakes along with your edger that will hold it securely in place.

You should install the edger before shoveling in your gravel.

Preparing the Paver Bed

Now you might think that digging down 6 inches to prepare for your pavers is a little overkill but this will make the difference between a walkway or driveway that can take 30 years of high traffic and just a simple path you have in the backyard out to your shed.

Basically if you are going to be dropping a few thousand dollars in pavers for your driveway you want to make sure you only have to do it once.

To start off you should lay-down a landscapers fabric. This comes in rolls and will reduce the likelyhood of grasses and weeds getting to or getting out of the soil under your pavers. It also establishes a barrier between the stone and the dirt. It is a good idea to use on pathways and patios but not everyone does. On driveways it is probably not necessary.

Establish the Final Paver Height 

Now before you start shoveling in stone you need to establish the height of your finished pavers.

Place 2 stakes on the outside of your pathway and string a line across the top of the width.

Now hold a paver in place under the string and measure the distance between the bottom of your paver and the bottom of your hole you dug. It should be about 2 to 3 inches.

You should also take into account any slope that you may want to make. On a pathway that leads to a doorway or on a patio or driveway you always want to slope the pavers down and away from the home that way water will shed away from the house. Even if you make everything flat and level water will still find its way to your door so always slope paths away from the home even if it means adding more height in this in this 4 to 6 foot area next to your house.

If for some reason you can not provide a slope then you must install a drain in this area.