HOW TO LAY PAVING STONES – Give your driveways, paths and patios that ultimate look with paving stones. They come in a variety of shapes and colours and are extremely durable and will last a very long time. So are they difficult to lay? Not at all providing you take your time when installing. It’s a good idea to enlist the help of friends. In this guide we provide step-by-step instructions that will allow you to install great looking paving stones easily.
Step 1
Measure the area you want to pave and plot this out on some graph paper. Once you have the design and measurements order the paving stones, sand and cement.
Step 2
Dig out the area you want to pave and ensure that any corners are square. Depending on what you are using the area for, such as a patio or driveway, will determine how deep you should dig your foundations. When ordering your supplies ask the builder’s merchant for advice.
Step 3
Once you have dug out the foundation compact the soil using a compactor – you can rent one of these from a DIY tool rental company. Take a look in the Yellow Pages or online for a hire company near you.
Step 4
Fill the entire area with aggregate to the required depth and compact it.
Step 5
Lay the edging stones first and work your way around the entire area.
Step 6
Lay a bed of sand to the required depth and level.
Step 7
String some lines so that you have a guide to work from, this will help keep your paving stones straight.
Step 8
Lay each paving stone to the line and level using a spirit level.
Step 9
Any stones that need to be cut should be done so using a Diamond Cutter Wet Saw – you can hire one of these instead of buying it.
Step 10
Once the entire area is paved sweep it clean. Now mix cement and sand dry and sweep this into the spaces between each paving stone.
Step 11
Work your way over the area with a compactor to bed down the stones.
