Laying Pavers for a Backyard Patio

Backyard pavers will give your landscaping a polished look while also providing you with a strong, durable surface area upon which you can relax and do some entertaining too.  There are a variety of colors and shapes available to choose from whenever you are ready to do this do-it-yourself project.

Things You'll Need

• A tape measure


• Landscaping paint


• Gravel


• A rake


• A compactor tool


• Some landscape fabric


• Sand


• Pavers


• A rubber mallet


• A carpenter's level


• Metal edging

1. Measure the area where you plan to lay down the pavers.


2. Excavate the site so that it is 8 inches beneath ground level.


3. Spread 6 inches of gravel over the site’s surface.


4. Use a compactor tool to compress the entire foundation’s surface.  This can be rented from your local home improvement store.


5. Put landscape fabric over the gravel surface in order to keep weeds from growing while also improving the area’s drainage.


6. Pour 2 inches of sand over the foundation.  Use a rake to smooth it out evenly.


7. Lay down the first paver at one corner of the site.  Use a rubber mallet to tap it gently into the sand.  Lay a second paver one inch away from the first one. 


8. Use a carpenter’s level to ensure that they are even.  Continue setting pavers in straight, level rows, tapping them with a rubber mallet in order to make sure that they are even. 


9. Spread sand over the top of the pavers.  Work the sand into the crevices between the pavers with a broom before sweeping off any excess.


10. Insert metal edging along the edges of the outermost pavers in order to keep them from shifting.  This edging can be hidden with grass or a border of low-growing flowers (i.e. geraniums).