How to install driveway pavers

Sand Bedding

Before laying the pavers, a layer of bedding sand is placed over the compacted base material. This layer provides a bed into which the pavers are set. The sand bedding also helps to protect the sand joints from being eroded away.

Typically, it is not recommended to directly lay down pavers over dirt. For pavers to look and perform well in a permanent installation setting, the ground/dirt floor must be excavated, leveled, and hard compacted.

The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute recommends washed concrete sand as the best base sand for pavers. Concrete sand, also known as bedding sand, is coarse and doesn’t trap excess moisture beneath the paver surface.

Installation – Over Grass

Porcelain pavers can be laid directly over existing grass or lawn as ‘stepping stones’ or to create a pathway, but for better stability of the pavers, the grass beneath the pavers should first be removed, together with a shallow layer of the topsoil.

Lay “no–dig” paver edging at the edges of your desired paver area. The installation for this material is different for every brand, but typically, you’ll only need to lay down the edging, slide spikes through the holes in the edging, and then use a hammer or mallet to drive the spikes into the ground.

Do I need sand under pavers? Installing driveway or patio pavers without sand is not a good idea because the sand base serves as the main stabilizing material for your pavers. Without sand, the pavers are likely to shift and sink over time, resulting in an uneven and messy surface.

Laying Pavers Without Sand

While some people install pavers without sand, they do so at their peril. Laying pavers without a gravel base or without other small stabilizing materials means the bricks will sink and shift over time. When the bricks shift or sink, they create an uneven surface that poses a tripping hazard.

Quick answer: no, landscape fabric will not prevent weeds in your stone patio–but there may be other reasons to consider using landscape fabric beneath your stone patio. Usually, you’re fine without it, except for some special cases.

As far as installation costs and concrete costs go, poured concrete is technically the most affordable per square foot. However, even though the upfront cost of pavers is higher, concrete pavers offer greater value and durability than poured concrete and stamped concrete.

A 20×20 brick paver patio costs $3,800 to $6,800. The average cost of pavers and base materials is $4 to $6 per square foot, while labor runs $6 to $11 per square foot.