Q&A for How to Install Pavers

To ensure your pavers are level, you really need to take out about 6 inches of dirt and haul it away, especially if you have clay-like soil. Then, put down a layer of road base topped by a layer of dense sand, and put your pavers on top of that.

Yes, always. If there is no edging on all edges of pavers they will not remain in place installing them with this gravel and sand base method.

Yes. As long as they are installed correctly with sand sweeping maintenance a couple of times per year at first. It's how the Romans built their roads.

Build up the outer perimeter for edging and fill with base material but make sure no paver is higher than the edging.

Estimate the overall amount of pavers plus add human body weight estimate and call city\county for weight load specs.

It may but not forever. I suggest using a good commercial grade weed fabric for better results.

Discuss your options with a paver supplier.

As long as they will be forever bonded to existing bricks so they won't move and cause a fall hazard.

Yes. However, ensure that you have placed them very carefully so that the castle stones can never move.

You can pull up a paver(s) along the edging but to just replace it or them with rocks will in time make the pavers loose row to row.

Expect to do lots of digging. You will need 6" of compacted base or more below your 1" of bedding sand, which must be placed down evenly below the pavers, before you can set them down.

You can, but how often do you want to replace the weed barrier? The best practice is to lay it down beneath the compact base. Besides, laying it directly under the pavers will create "hollows" above the compacted base and beneath the weed barrier you initially described, preventing new polymeric sand from being swept in due to storm water runoff or time (as the pavers continue to settle).

You can lay down a weed barrier under the bricks. It is a fabric material that comes in rolls, usually black or green, and you can find it easily at places like Lowe's.

Yes and no. You need to excavate the sand and lay gravel or crushed stone underneath to provide uniform support and drainage. The removed sand could be put over the base material, but it needs to be dry for raking. New sand would be better as it should be free of seeds and organic material that will cause settling or weed growth.

No. Plastic will stop water draining, whereas landscape fabric allows water to drain through.

Base rock is usually used and ranges in size from sand to 0.75". This can usually be purchased at the same place you buy the pavers.

You need to compact the base material, which is necessary. The sand does not get compacted until after pavers are installed.

It varies based on type and dampness of sand and weight/strength of the compactor. It could be 1/4" to 1/2" or more. If compacting next to another hard surface that you want to match, consider laying plywood over both surfaces as you compact to avoid pushing pavers lower than the adjacent surface.

It depends on the size of the pavers really. Pavers can range between 4 inches to 9 inches, in various sizes. The good news is you know the square footage. So pick out your pavers, the salesperson will order them for you, and you should add 5 to 10 percent more.

Yes, though some people claim to have drainage issues with stone dust. If it is sealed using polymeric sand, you shouldn't have any problems.

It depends, if your paver area is subjected to vehicular load, then it needs to be laid with geotech.

Yes. This is something we do around the perimeter where there is no solid surface.

Calculate the area, length x breadth, and add an extra 10% to it. Then divide it by the area one paver will be covering.

You can, but first consider the surface area of the pavers, the heaviest rain you will get, and the drainage capacity of the French drain. Are you certain the drain can handle heavy rain falling over the paver surface area?

The base becomes more important, along with adequate drainage. Ensure your slope is 1/8"/ft and I would recommend at least 6" of compacted base in this area.

Measure the same amount from the house at two points along your path and place stakes with a string between them.

Your local home improvement store sells bags of sand.

Contact the contractor who installed the project. Most reputable companies offer a warranty on paver installations.

It really depends on the size you're planning on using. A good spacing is twenty four inches between centers. However, that's for a twenty foot walkway using sixteen-inch square stepping stones.

Pavers are generally sold by the square foot,so allowing for waste you should probably buy 110 square feet.