How to Build a Patio - DIY Paver Patio _ The Home Depot

A patio made out of concrete pavers is both functional and stylish and it's an easy way to transform your outdoor living space for this project .

We're going to add to an existing patio built over a concrete slab before beginning .

Make sure there are no buried lines or cables .

You'll be disrupting and installing your patio .

Concrete pavers come in many different styles and a few thicknesses and they can be combined into a variety of patterns .

If you're installing over a concrete slab , you may need a thinner 30 millimeter paver to fit your door's threshold .

The rest of our patio will be built on the ground with a crushed gravel base , the same height as the concrete .

So all pavers will be at an even level as a guide stretch out a level string running from the edge of the slap to a stake placed at the outside edge of your patio .

You may want to do this in a few places to ensure a consistent outcome .

If your patio will be exposed to the rain , lower the string by an inch or so every four ft to create a slope .

After marking off the dimensions of your new patio , remove all of the sod and dirt with a shovel down to a level of about seven inches below the surface .

You'll need to clear out any rocks or debris and compress the soil to create a stable surface for your patio .

For large areas like this , renting a plate compactor from the Home Depot will be a huge time saver .

At this point , you can lay down a weed barrier , but it's not required if you have a properly packed gravel base , fill the excavated area with a layer of crushed gravel , then spread it around evenly with a metal rake and wet it down thoroughly with a hose over the entire surface .

Now go over it with a plate compactor for small areas , you can use a hand tamper , continue the process throughout the whole patio area , adding to the gravel layer , wetting it and compressing it until you have a solid base built approximately two inches below your string guidelines .

Next , you'll create an even layer of fine paver sand for setting your pavers through a process called Reting .

For these next few steps , you'll want to work in small manageable sections , lay a couple of one inch pipes parallel to each other on top of the compact gravel , pour out just enough sand to cover them , then pull a two by four across the top to screed the sand .

The goal is a level even surface .

So backfill any gaps with additional sand and re screed the area until it's smooth without disturbing the screed layer , remove the pipes and lightly miss the sand to help hold it in place .

Now , you're ready to begin laying your pavers .

These often can be assembled in a variety of patterns .

So have a plan in mind before beginning , start in one corner against the house and work out placing pavers in rows and nudging them up against each other .

Check frequently with a level to make sure your pavers are installing evenly .

If necessary , you can add more sand below or tap down with a rubber mallet to bring them in line as you work carefully , fill in the valleys from the pipes with paver sand , then use a finishing towel to gently smooth the surface until the whole work area is nice and level between rows .

It's important to stagger the joints to provide maximum stability to the patio .

Here , we're creating a simple basket weave pattern with horizontal and vertical pavers in tight spaces .

You may need to cut pavers with a concrete saw to fit to hold the outside pavers in place , either install paver edging or create a trench along the perimeter with a brick trowel and fill it with cement .

This can be covered later with mulch or soil .

For the last step , the surface must be completely dry with no rain forecast for the next 24 hours .

Start by sweeping generous amounts of polymeric sand down into the joints between pavers , then carefully blow off any excess sand with a leaf blower .

Now spray the entire patio with a fine mist to activate the binding agents in the polymeric sand .

Allow 24 hours for the sand to fully cure and harden before using your new patio .

Then invite the neighbors over for a good old fashioned barbecue .