How to Lay Stepping Pavers
- 1). Decide what look and function you're going for. If you're creating a whimsical path through a garden, you might choose unsymmetrical stones. If you want a more organized look, you may choose geometrical concrete squares or rectangle shaped pavers.
- 2
Figure out how large an area you want to cover.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
Measure your space. Knowing how long and wide you want your path to be will help you determine how many pavers you'll need. And if you have a small path, you don't want to get pavers that are too big to fit in the space allotted. - 3). Choose your pavers. Home improvement stores and landscaping companies usually have experienced sales representatives on hand to help you find the type that will best suit your needs.
- 4). Test your design by laying your pavers down in the preferred pattern. Move them around until you get the style you're looking for. Once you get the pattern in place, walk on the pavers to ensure they're spaced properly to fit your normal stride.
- 5). Outline your pavers. Mark the exact spots in which they'll sit and the shape of the pavers before you start digging to ensure proper placement and fit. Use sand or cut into the top layer of grass with a shovel or utility knife. Once you've outlined the pavers, you can move them aside to prepare the ground for installation.
- 6). Figure out how deep you need to dig. Measure the height of your paver and add between 2 and 4 inches for your foundation, which will help keep the pavers in place. You want your pavers to sit about an inch above the ground's surface, so subtract one inch from your total. For example, if your paver is 3 inches thick, you'll need 3 inches in depth for it, plus 2 inches for foundation minus 1 inch for the surface height -- so you'd need to dig 5 inches.
- 7). Lay your pavers' foundation. If you choose concrete as your foundation, mix it according to the directions. Start adding your base slowly, keeping the surface level to ensure a flat surface for the paver. If you use sand, pack it down so sinking doesn't occur once the paver is set into place.
- 8). Place your paver in the hole. When you do this, you want to get a secure fit, so use your rubber mallet to tap the stone firmly into place. Once done, test to see if it's level using your leveler and tap the paver accordingly until level.
- 9). Fill in the gaps around the edges. Use the soil that you've dug up to fill in spaces around the edges of the paver to create a snug fit.
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