Laying Pavers for a Walkway

By Murray Anderson

Installing pavers for a walkway, patio or even a driveway isn't an easy job, but it is something that an ambitious DIY'er can take on , hopefully with the help of a few willing friends. It's heavy work but the end result is something that looks gorgeous, provides a real enhancement to any home, and will last for years.

Getting Ready

Figure out where you want your walkway to run. A relatively level area is the easiest area to work with, but you will want your finished walkway to have a slight slope away from your house to direct rain water away (1/4" should be enough). It's a good idea to decide what size paver you are going to use before determining the final dimensions of your walkway - pavers do vary in size so you want to chose a paver size (and a pattern) that minimizes the number of cuts you'll need to make.

With the paver size finalized, you can lay out your walkway. Use a garden hose or string and stakes to make your outline, and then spray paint to mark the edges. Keep in mind that the more curves you build into your design, the more pavers you will need to cut. You'll have to decide if the aesthetics make up for the extra work.

Preparing the Base

Now the hard work begins. You'll need to dig out the area you've marked for your walkway. If you're just building a walkway, you should excavate about 6 or 7 inches, but if you are going be running equipment like a lawn tractor over the walkway, you should go a little deeper - 8 to 9 inches would be good. You want your excavation to be deep enough to accommodate the compacted gravel, a 1 1/2 inch layer of compacted sand or stone dust, and the height of the pavers themselves. Once you are down deep enough, remove any loose rocks and roots and roughly level the bottom of your excavation.

Pour in 3 to 4 inches of small aggregate gravel or crushed rock and pack it down using a rented compactor. If you are building your walkway to accommodate the lawn tractor, add the gravel in two stages. Compact the first 4 inches and then add the next layer and compact it. Use a screed board to level your gravel layers before compacting them.

Before you go any further, you need to install an edging to contain the pavers. Plastic edging is the least conspicuous and is easy to install - just nail it in place using 12" galvanized nails directly into the ground - but you could pressure treated boards or 4 x 4's as well.

Once the edging is in place, add the sand or stone dust, then compact and level it. Now's the time to make the slight grade running away form your house onto the sand base. Make one side of your screed board 1/4" higher than the other and you will be able to smooth the sand surface, while leaving the necessary slope.

Installing the Walkway

Finally you get to start setting the pavers in, following your pattern. Just lay the pavers onto the surface with the edges touching; don't press them down or they won't be level. Use strings criss-crossed over the pathway to help you align the pavers. Once all the pavers have been laid in, spread sand or stone dust over the surface and sweep it into the seams. Run the compactor over the entire surface to firm up the walkway, then add some more sand to totally fill the seams.

That's it. You've installed your new walkway. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but you've added significantly to value of your home. However, the really good news is the walkway should last longer than you, so you won't ever have to do it again.

Murray Anderson is an experienced freelance writer with articles published in both the United States and Canada. He has written on a wide range of topics, but specializes in home maintenance and how to's.

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