Installing Brick Pavers over Concrete

When you have a concrete slab, covering it with brick pavers could be a viable option for you. Most people that have a simple concrete patio, eventually want something different in the space. With brick pavers, you can lay the pavers right on top of the concrete without having to take a jackhammer to it. It is a pretty simple process that can be done rather quickly if you know what you are doing. Here are the basics of how to install brick pavers over concrete. 

Step 1- Measure the Concrete Slab

Take your tape measure and determine the dimensions of the slab. Take the length times the width and this will tell you exactly how many square feet of pavers that you need to purchase. You should buy about 5 to 10 percent for waste as well.

Step 2- Prepare the Slab

Make sure that you have the concrete slab clean and ready for installation. You should sweep the slab and remove any dirt or dust. When you attach the bricks around the border of the slab, you will need the concrete to be clean. 

Step 3- Install Border

Go around the edge of the concrete slab and install a border of brick pavers. Use liquid nails or another suitable adhesive to make sure that they stick. Allow the adhesive to dry before you do anything else around the pavers. This outside layer will provide a level of stability for the entire project. Since the other pavers will be installed in the sand, it will help keep everything solid once it is installed. 

Step 4- Put in the Sand

Using paving sand or mason's sand, you need to fill the space in the middle of the border. Cover the entire concrete space in a thin layer of this sand. It should be thick enough that the brick pavers can fit down in without being submerged. Use your shovel to get the sand into the concrete area and then smooth it out. The sand needs to be very smooth and level before you put the pavers in.

Step 5- Install the Pavers

Take the brick pavers and push them into the sand one by one. There are many different patterns that you could potentially do at this point. Since you are installing them into sand, you can always move them back around if you do not like the first pattern that you come up with. Once you put a paver into place, put your level on top of it to make sure that it is level. 

Step 6- Cut the Pavers 

When you get to the edge of the concrete slab, you will have to cut the pavers to fit into place. Use a concrete saw blade to cut through the pavers. Take the cut pieces and put them into place. 

Step 7- Fill in the Gaps

Once you get all of the pavers into place, fill in the gaps with some more sand. Make sure that everything is packed down tight into place and you should be ready to go.