The time is upon us to fix up our yards for the summer season. Extending our living environment to the outdoors has become very popular in recent years. This trend has provided great demand for a variety of quality outdoor living products.

Paving brick is a proven material for projects ranging from streets, airport runways and larger commercial projects to driveways, patios and walkways.

Pavers are attractive. There are many design possibilities when planning a paving project. Clay and concrete pavers are available in many shapes, colors, textures and patterns.

Pavers are durable. Although pavers are designed to withstand the harsh environment that they are asked to overcome, it is a good idea to ask for a paver designed to handle any requirements specific to the project. For instance, our Unilock brand of pavers are produced on special paving brick machines. These machines produce brick under pressure which are approximately 8,000 PSI and only about 4% porous. These high ratings allow the product to resist the cracking and spalling that are very typical in other products.

Pavers add value. Given its beauty and durability, pavers will add to the property’s value.

Installation procedure

1. Calculate desired depth to be excavated by adding aggregate base + sand base + paver thickness.
2. Excavate soil. Try not to disturb the sub-grade. If the sub-grade is disturbed, it will need to be compacted.
3. Install crushed stone base. Crushed stone 3/4" to fine should be used. Compact every 2". Some large compactors can handle 4" at a time. Make sure the base is graded accurately!
4. Install edging; plastic, steel, concrete or wood. Personally, I prefer the plastic edging. It is available in flexible or rigid styles, and holds up well in soil. After backfilling, the plastic edging will not be visible.
5. Spread and level 1" sand bed over compacted crushed stone base. Torpedo or mason sand are both acceptable sand material.
6. Place pavers on sand bed. Utilize the edging so pavers are held tightly together.
7. Tamp down pavers. When using a compactor, it may be necessary to spread a small amount of sand on top of the pavers to help protect against scratching. Other safety solutions include using a piece of wood or carpet under the metal plate of the compactor (this is only necessary on certain pavers).
8. Sweep sand into the joints. It may be necessary to repeat Steps 7 and 8 to ensure pavers are sufficiently compacted and joints are full of sand. It is important to tamp first, then fill joints with sand. If joints are filled with sand prior to tamping, the pavers may not properly settle into sand.
9. The paving brick system can be used as soon as installation is complete.

Note: These are standard installation instructions. For specific installation requirements such as base depth, etc., see a registered professional engineer or call me at the number below. I am very comfortable with the design and installation of paving products and can contact manufacturer engineers for technical information.