BUILD A PAVER PATIO

Paver pattern and patio shape will determine how many bricks need to be cut. A curved patio will need to have pavers cut to follow the curve of the border. A rectangular patio can avoid those cuts. A basket-weave pattern is ideal because full pavers can be used throughout a square or rectangular shaped patio. Using a running-bond or 90-degree herringbone in rectangular areas will only require half-cuts. A wet saw (or a brick set) can be used to cut the pavers.

The paver surface should be compacted when complete. The rental store should include a rubber footplate with the compactor which will help prevent any damage to the pavers.

Final Phases

The bottom of the pavers should be recessed below grade with their surface just above ground level. The patio edges should be anchored in place to resist movement and retain the interior pavers.

To create edging that will secure the outer patio pavers, we compacted the ground around the patio and then created a berm of fiberreinforced concrete that ramped against the exposed sides at a 30-degree angle. The berm would eventually get buried and concealed beneath the lawn.

Patio edges that remain above ground (to overcome sloped grades) are built over a short, mortared wall (block or stone with the first course below grade). In such a case, the edge pavers are mortared to the wall as a final course to retain the inner pavers.

Joint sand will interlock the pavers and provide cushion between them to prevent paver-to-paver contact and chipping. The joints need to be filled completely with sand to function properly and interlock the system. We recommend using polymeric sand, which is a mixture of polymers and calibrated sand that becomes a firm, but flexible, paver joint. Some professionals recommend troweling the sand into the paver joints for the a paver to sink out of alignment. However, the modular natural of the construction makes a paver patio relatively easy to maintain, requiring little more than lifting out the bricks and adding sand to level out the spot. H best results. Polymeric sand prevents erosion and washout, and resists weeds and ants and burrowing insects.

These same basic building procedures can be used to construct paver sidewalks and even driveways (built with deeper base material). Note that walkways should be slightly crowned to allow for settling.

Even with proper excavation, sand will often settle in some places, causing

Repairing a leaky bathroom faucet is a quick and inexpensive fix that even first-time DIY’ers can accomplish. This article will show how to replace a common two-handle compression faucet, but the steps are similar for other faucet types.