Picture-perfect Paths & Patios

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Shovel small amounts of sand between the plastic edging strips, level it with several passes of your notched screed, then add and smooth again until you’ve got a level layer. For best results, moisten this sand with a fine spray from a garden hose, then tamp it down with a wide, flat object (for an example, see photo of the author’s wooden tamping tool in the Image Gallery). This will lower the level of sand, so add more, smoothing and tamping again. For installations wider than about 10 feet, the maximum practical length of your screed, you’ll need to install a run of plastic edging temporarily, midway across the width. This creates a place to slide your leveling tool in two passes — one on each side of the central edging. When you’re done, remove the extra edging and fill in.

Finally, Paving

Installation of the pavers will go quickly compared to the prep work you’ve done so far. Set 5 or 6 feet of bricks along both sides of the installation, tight to the plastic edging, then tamp them in place with a few whacks from a rubber mallet. Fill the space in between with more pavers, then add more along the edges and repeat. As you work, you may find the plastic edging slightly too tight or too loose. That’s OK, because you can fine-tune its location as you add the 12-inch anchoring spikes you left out earlier. The plastic edging should end up tight to all the paving bricks.

If you’ve laid out your installation correctly, there will be little need to cut bricks. But you probably will need to cut a few as you reach the end or meet obstacles. That’s where a gas-powered masonry saw with a diamond cutting wheel really helps. Wear safety glasses, hearing protection, and heavy workboots and gloves. The best saws accept a garden hose that shoots a trickle of water directly into the cut, eliminating airborne dust. If you’re running a dry saw, a dust mask is essential. Either way, use a carpenter’s pencil to mark the cut line, start the saw, then gently lower the spinning wheel onto the brick. Let the tool do the work. Don’t force the cut. The wheel will chew through at its own rate.

Complete your work by covering the edging and the areas flanking the paving with topsoil, right up to the top face of the pavers. You may need to add more topsoil over the next few weeks as settling occurs. As soon as you’ve backfilled around the pavers, fill the narrow gaps between the paving bricks with sand. The drier the sand is, the better it will flow down into the cracks. Sprinkle sand all over the installation, then work it into the gaps between bricks using a stiff-bristled broom. Brush the sand at various angles to the seams; sweeping “with the grain” tends to clear out the seams. Next, use the compactor again and take several passes over the whole installation. This firms the pavers by nestling them further down into the bedding sand, while also jiggling the loose sand down into the cracks. You’ll probably need to apply more sand within a few days.

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