Introduction
Before you attempt to build a paver patio or any form of hardscaping on your property, you should be aware of its complexity. It isn’t an easy thing to do if you don’t have the right tools and years of experience under your belt. That’s why you should leave it to the professionals by searching for “paving companies near me”. When building a paver patio, you also need to avoid mistakes and make the most optimal choice to save both time and money. Let’s check out tips for building a paver patio neighbors will envy:
Tips & Tricks
- Keep extra pavers in the garage – Pavers are very durable. They are much stronger and resilient compared to poured concrete or tarmac. However, after extensive use or some unfortunate event, they may get damaged. You can even damage them during installation. A small mistake during the cutting process may form structural vulnerabilities that weaken the paver and break it within a short time. That’s why it’s always recommended to keep extra pavers on you. It allows you to replace the damaged pavers quickly and restore your patio to brand new condition.
Replacing the pavers won’t require the help of contractors or professionals either. You can use a pry bar to remove the damaged paver and switch it with a new paver. If you don’t have a pry bar in your home, you can use two long flat head screwdrivers and wedge each one on either seam. With the screwdriver acting as the lever, push down on the handle to free the damaged tile from its place.
- Get a wet saw – Irrespective of the design of your patio, you would need to make plenty of complex cuts. While those complex cuts can be made with a chisel, wrong placement and inaccurate amount of force on the chisel head can damage the paver and make you spend more money. That’s why it’s best to get a wet saw for this job. It saves you plenty of time and hassle and you don’t need to be a skilled craftsman to use it. A wet saw will also come in handy in other home renovation projects. If you think the wet saw is too big of an investment for building your paver patio, you can rent it for a nominal fee. The small investment helps you get perfect edges and gives your patio a professional finish.
- Compact the sand base – While installing patio pavers, sand is the final layer that acts as the base for the tiles. Sand is used in this scenario since it is inexpensive, and the granules can easily shift and rearrange themselves in the gaps to hold the pavers in position. However, make sure that you compact the sand sufficiently before you put the tiles in. The sand layer should be compacted repeatedly until it can’t be washed away by water. Apart from ensuring stability, this step also helps to maintain proper drainage. Compacted and dense sand is also a great deterrent to weed growth between the stones, tiles, or pavers.
- Be creative with color – Concrete pavers can give you a uniform color for your patio. However, everything from concrete to natural stone and brick pavers will have some variations in texture and color shade even if you choose a uniform style. So, when you use a uniform color and appearance, it makes your patio look like a checkerboard with alternating shades of the same color. There’s nothing wrong with it. However, it won’t make your patio the envy of the neighborhood. That’s why you should be creative with the color choices you get at the local home improvement store. Try to imagine the patio with a mix of different colors and textures to create a fluid and interesting design.
- Compact everything – As mentioned above, the sand layer should be thoroughly compacted and it should be dense enough to make your patio stable, keep it free from weed, and allow proper surface drainage. However, the sand layer isn’t the only layer that needs to be compacted. All the layers need to be compacted adequately to avoid any problems in the future. While hand tampering may be sufficient for some, renting a wacker plate is the ideal choice since it eliminates all forms of unfavorable probabilities. With a wacker plate, you’ll always get a stable and level compacted base for the patio.
- Dig a deep foundation – A perfect patio needs a deep foundation. A deep foundation needs to go beyond the root levels of shrubs and other kinds of vegetation. It needs to go at least half a foot deeper than the root level so that there is no opportunity for weeds to grow in the future and destabilize or damage your patio. However, before you start digging make sure to request a “Dig Safe” assessment of your property from local cable and utility companies. They will check your property and spray paint areas with lines running underground. This helps you to avoid digging into a power, communication, or sewer line and avoid paying for those damages.
- Pay attention to drainage – Your patio may look amazing and may serve all your recreational needs. However, it’s useless if it floods your home during a heavy downpour. That’s why you need to pay close attention to the drainage of your patio. You need to plan way ahead from the first layer so that it is leveled at an angle away from your home. The patio needs to slope away from your home to direct rainwater away from your home.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned tips should help you build a stellar paver patio that makes your property an inspiration and a thing of envy. While you can attempt to build a paver patio on your own, you may not be able to achieve the professional finish that makes your property stand out. That’s why you should hire pros by searching for “paving companies near me”.
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