Installing Decorative Brick and Stone Pavers

Adding the gravel bed

You can now start to shovel in the gravel bed. Start by filling the hole evenly across the bottom and then use a rented plate compactor or a hand compactor to compress the stone into the bed. You want to make about 3 passes with the plate compactor. Running a plate compactor is kinda like using a vacuum cleaner move it in even strokes about 3 foot long and never stop in one spot. More then likely you will need to add more stone as you work the compactor and then re-check the finished height of your pavers.

Stone Dust is the trick

Once you have your gravel bed compacted to the correct height to start placing your pavers you want to take one more step before you begin. A layer of stone dust (powdered stone waste from mining) or sand should be added to your base. You want to add about a half inch evenly across the gravel bed which will push your finished height up 1/2 inch above what you want.

The reason for adding the stone dust or sand is to allow you to have a final compaction pass with your Plate Compactor after you have set all your pavers. The final pass will lock the pavers in place and will even out any irregularities where the pavers meet the gravel surface.

The difference between using Stone Dust or Sand for this layer depends mostly on its availabilty and price in your area. Both are good because they will provide a good base for the paver. Ask your Material supplier what they suggest.

Laying the Pavers

Now that all the hard work is done you can begin to start setting your pavers. Interlocking concrete pavers will have a special pattern that you need to follow. When you purchase your materials they should provide you with a tare sheet that shows you the basic pattern.

If you are using a standard Brick or Brick Like pavers you will want to begin with your outside borders first. You want to lay down about 6 feet of border to begin working and then begin laying the pattern that you have chosen. Leave all the outside half or cut pavers for later.

Cutting the Outside Pavers

It is really probably best to rent a brick / mason saw for cutting your outside pavers. They come in 3 different types one is a sliding bed with water which is nice to cut down on dust but they are still very messy. The other is a type of chop saw or radial arm cutter that works dry. Using a dry cutter is pretty much like being in the middle of a desert dust storm. The final type is a guillotine type cutter that uses a blade to just chop through the paver and break it. The final cutter is pretty basic in its abilities and don’t expect to be able to make angular or short cuts with it. You will have to bring in a sample to your local tool rental place and ask them what type they rent and what they suggest for you.

Another method is using a 4 inch grinder with a diamond dry cutting blade. This works great when you only have to make 50 – 100 cuts in concrete pavers. When using this type of cutter you need to be very careful. What you want  to do is score into the paver across its face about an inch and around the other sides about 1/4 an inch and then break away the waste part with a hammer. This method usually works pretty well but it is not perfect and its dusty. If you already own a 4 inch grinder then a good dry cut blade will only cost you about $15 which is a lot less then a days rental of a professional wet saw.