Grey and Charcoal Holland Pavers                                        

Start by laying out the size and shape of your paving stone area. Excavate the area approximately 6 “ beyond your paving area to allow for edge restraints. There should be a slope built into the paver area to take any water away from buildings as necessary. (1” of slope per 8ft.).

Compact the sub surface with a vibrating plate compacter (available at most rental outlets) making several passes to ensure a solid base. It is important to take the time and ensure that the crushed stone base and sand base are prepared properly. It is the subsurface that will determine the quality of the finished product. If there are dips and hollows in the subsurface, the pavers will follow those dips and hollows.

Edge restraints should be used around the perimeter of the paver area to stop the stones from moving caused by vehicle traffic and normal use. Edge restraints can be treated lumber, plastic or metal. Measure the distance between the edge restraints according to the spacing of the pavers (or install the opposite side once you are closer to it).

Loose bedding sand is placed on the compacted surface and screeded level. The layer of bedding sand should be a minimum of ½” and a maximum 1½” thick.

One way to achieve this is to use two long pieces of pipe. Build a pile of bedding sand under each end until the top of both pipes are level with the sands desired height and slope. Then you can place the remaining bedding sand between the pipes and use a straight 2x4 to screed across the surface of the two pipes. When the area is screeded level, remove the pipes and fill in the area left by the pipes with sand. Do a 6x6 or 8x8 area and lay the pavers before leveling more sand. Avoid walking on the screeded sand.

The pavers are then placed on the loose sand in the pattern and color combination you have chosen, starting with the longest straight line. You can use a row of pavers as an edge to define the borders. This also allows you to place any cuts necessary between the center pattern and the edge pavers; as a result, the cuts won’t appear as visible. Cuts can be made with a guillotine splitter or a masonry saw. When taking paving stones from the pallets, be sure to pick from all of the pallets equally and take pavers from vertical rows within each pallet to get an even color blend.

Sweep clean, dry, fine sand over the pavers, and then go over the surface with the plate compacter. This will set the paving stones in place by vibrating the course sand up from below and the fine joint sand down from above, locking the pavers together. Once it has been compacted, sweep away any sand on the surface of the pavers.

MAINTENANCE

Concrete pavers are extremely durable and should require little to no maintenance. They will get dirty with regular use, just like any other surface, and can usually be cleaned up with a little liquid detergent and water. Sealers can be used to protect the pavers and enhance the colour, but it should be done a minimum of 60 days after installation and most sealers require a dry surface. Sealers do need to be reapplied every one to five years depending on the product used. Choose a sealer based upon suitability, warranty, and quality.

If you get stains on the pavers from leaking vehicles, they can usually be cleaned with paver cleaners. Paving stones can also be removed if necessary by using two screwdrivers, one on each side, and pry the paver up.

Your interlocking paver deck or driveway should give you years of enjoyment with very little maintenance, plus the satisfaction of doing the job yourself.

Enjoy.