Pavers are notoriously tricky to get right. Sure, you may be able to make it look right on installation, but what will it look like down the road in a year, in five years, or even longer? We know choosing pavers over concrete or asphalt is a tough choice too, as there are aesthetic and financial strategies with both. If you’re looking for information on installing pavers or even building simple retaining walls yourself, here are 8 general steps you can follow for success.

  1. Remove all unstable/organic material. Compact soil if needed.
  2. Install a heavy duty fabric like Geotextile to keep weeds from growing up between pavers.
  3. Install and compact a base material.ت “Class 5″ is ideal. It has 3/4” rock down to dust and compacts as hard as concrete.تت
  4. Install and compact 3/4 to 1″ of sand.ت It is important not to exceed that to ensure that the pavers have a firm base to lay flat on. Never walk on sand once compacted.
  5. Measure area and determine layout for pavers.تت
  6. Lay pavers while being extra careful not to disturb the sand.تت
  7. Install paver edging around perimeter of pavers on any exposed edge.ت Use specific galvanized nails for this. This keeps the perimeter pavers in place.
  8. Use a broom to brush sand into the joints between the pavers.ت Repeat this step until joints are filled with sand.ت This will help lock the pavers together.تت

From: Sunset Landscapes, Orland, California