DIY Patio Stone Installation

Browse online or download pdf Installation for Patio Furniture DIY Patio Stone. DIY Patio Stone 2 pages.

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Call 811, Common Ground Alliance, to have utilities marked before starting your project.

Read all instructions prior to installation.

1. Stake Out Project and Excavate. Lay out project by marking

Fig. 1

area with tape measure, string line and stakes. With a shovel,

excavate the area 6 inches larger on all sides than the finished

project size (Fig. 1). Excavate 6 or 8 inches deep: 6 inches for

well-draining soil conditions and 8 inches for poorly-draining

soil conditions.

2. Create Leveling Pad. Base material can be paver base or an

Fig. 2

equivalent to

base in 2-inch increments to excavated area and thoroughly

compact with a plate compactor (Fig. 2). Repeat as needed. To

achieve the desired finished patio height, finished compacted

base should leave enough room above for patio stone height and

leveling sand. The final grade should slope away from the house

or structure, dropping

Fig. 3

3. Screed Sand. Temporarily lay two 1-inch diameter pipes parallel

on base, several feet apart. Spread 1 inch of paver sand over

compacted base between pipes. Level sand by pulling a straight

2x4 across the pipes several times until sand is smooth (Fig. 3).

Remove pipes and fill voids with sand, using a trowel to level

sand. Repeat until project area is covered with sand.

Fig. 4

4. Lay Patio Stones. Lay patio stones in the desired installation

pattern (Fig. 4), preferably starting at a 90-degree corner (nearest

house or structure, if applicable). If the desired installation pattern

requires cutting, cut the patio stones with a circular saw or tub

saw using a diamond blade designed for cutting concrete pavers.

Always wear eye protection when sawing blocks.

Read and understand the operating manual before using a saw.

Fig. 5

5. Install Edge Restraint and Fill Joints. Place edge restraint around

entire project on top of base (Fig. 5). Use trowel to remove

sand from edge of patio stones. Push edge restraint up tight

to the patio stones and install according to the manufacturer's

instructions. Sweep paver sand into joints until all joints are filled.

Do not use plate compactor on patio stones. Simply sweep sand into

joints until all joints are full.

6. Backfill Around Project. Finish project by backfilling and firmly

compacting dirt in the area outside edge restraint.

DIY Patio Stone Installation for Stepping Stones

1. Lay Out Project. Figure out quantity of patio stones needed. Place patio stones onto existing surface (grass, mulch or rock). Consider your path,

direction and distance covered when placing the patio stones. Once you have them laid out, walk through the stepping stone path to make sure

you're happy with the location of the patio stones.

2. Install.

• If installing on grass, cut around outside edge of the patio stones with a knife. Remove stepping stone and with a shovel, excavate grass.

Some soil may need to be removed and contoured to fit desired height of patio stone; paver sand can also be used to adjust height. Replace

patio stone and tamp with a rubber mallet to adjust into desired position. Continue process until all patio stones are installed.

• If installing on mulch or rock, mark around outside edge of the patio stones with a trowel. Remove stepping stone and excavate mulch or rock

with a shovel. Some soil may need to be removed and contoured to fit desired height of patio stone; paver sand can also be used to adjust

height. Replace patio stone and tamp with a rubber mallet to adjust into desired position. Continue process until all patio stones are installed.

-inch minus (with fines) aggregate. Add paver

-inch per foot, for drainage.

Installation materials and tools needed (reference images on page 2):



Gloves



Tape measure



String line



Stakes



Shovel



Paver base or an equivalent to

aggregate



Plate compactor



Two 1-inch outside diameter pipes



2x4 board



Paver sand



Trowel



Edge restraint



Circular saw or tub saw



Diamond blade designed for cutting concrete pavers



Safety glasses



Carpenter's level

-inch minus (with fines)