Laying pavers or a garden path is a smart choice for any outdoor space. It connects the garden to your home, providing a practical way to navigate the space as well as adding a stylish and attractive design feature.
Wondering how to install pavers on your patio or how to lay pavers for a walkway? Green Oasis Landscaping has you covered. In this article, you’ll learn how to install pavers as well as the different types of paving materials and patterns you can use for your outdoor space.
Types of Paving Materials and Patterns
First off, let’s discuss the most popular types of paving materials found in beautiful Australian homes. It’s up to you to decide which one’s best in boosting your home’s curb appeal:
Brick
Brick paving is naturally slip-resistant, helping reduce the risk of accidents in your outdoor space. It’s strong and sturdy enough to be used for walkways and driveways. It’s an environment-friendly option too as it’s mostly made of clay. Common types of paving patterns for bricks include herringbone, pinwheel, grid, and basketweave.
Limestone
Limestone is a beautiful stone that comes in various colours such as dark green and light beige. Due to their non-slip surface and resistance to frost, they’re a popular choice for patios and swimming pools. Popular types of paving patterns for limestone include running bond, herringbone, and basketweave.
Concrete
Concrete is one of the most used types of pavers for driveways as they are weather-resistant and require little to no maintenance. They also come in different shapes and colours, making them extremely flexible to design. For an interesting way to spruce up concrete, try various types of paving patterns such as stacked bonds and herringbone.
Granite
Granite is deemed as the most durable type of pavers for driveways, patios, and walkways. Its anti-skid surface is extremely durable and easy to maintain. Among the most common types of paving patterns for granite include herringbone, basketweave, and running bond.
The four listed above are just some of the most popular types of paving materials among paving installers in Perth.
How to Install Pavers on Your Patio or Walkway
On the face of it, learning how to install pavers on your patio or walkway looks like a fairly simple task. It just seems arduous and labour intensive.
Read on for a guide on how to install pavers so you can turn your garden space into a green oasis.
1. Prepare the site
After you’ve decided where to install pavers, prepare the site by laying down pegs and string to mark out the area where you plan on building your patio or walkway. Dig an area to around 15cm deep. After digging, check for weak spots in the soil (footprints left in the soil). To ensure you don’t have a sinking patio, you can lay down more soil to compact in and level the area.
Afterwards, lay some sub-material which will serve as your patio’s foundation. Level the hardcore to around 5-8cm.
2. Prepare the slabs
Depending on your patio’s design, the styles or shapes of your paving materials will vary in difficulty to cut and lay out. You can design and cut them with a hammer and chisel or a disc grinder.
3. Lay the bed mortar
When figuring out how to install pavers in your patio or walkway, remember that you need to put down a layer of bedding mortar before laying the paving materials. The bedding mortar acts as a land stabiliser which also hinders weed growth.
4. Pave the way
Pour in the sub-base with your concrete mix (3/4 part sand and 1/4 cement with a doughy consistency). Afterwards, it’s time to add your pavers. Lay these one at a time by pressing them 15mm into your concrete mix. Using a rubber mallet, tap them gently into place. Leave a 10mm gap between each one.
Do not step on the pavers for at least 24 hours.
How to install pavers on a slope?
We know not all lawns provide a completely smooth and flat area for you to install walkway or patio. In that case, you will just need two additional steps before laying the bed mortar:
1. Ready the ground
Look for roots, rocks, and other debris on and in the soil. Remove them to leave the ground as level as possible.
2. Rake the surface
Rake the surface to remove any depressions on the ground. You will get out debris and leave the ground even, giving you a stable foundation for the pavers.
Green Oasis Landscaping: Your Local Paving Expert in Perth
We’ve discussed the types of paving materials, paving patterns, and how to install pavers on your own. By following the steps above, you’ll be able to DIY the walkway or patio of your dreams.
However, does the thought of learning how to install pavers on your patio or walkway seem too much of a hassle? We’ve got you covered! We offer various paving services in Perth to keep your outdoor area beautiful, functional and safe for everyone. We specialise in paving design, paving repair, installation and maintenance.
Sometimes, learning how to install pavers on your patio is as simple as reaching for your phone. Contact us today!