A paver patio that lasts is mostly about what is under it. Here are the steps and the equipment for each one.
1. Lay it out and call 811
Mark the patio with paint or stakes and string, and plan a slight slope away from the house so water drains. Call MISS DIG 811 at least three business days before you dig.
2. Remove the sod
A gas sod cutter slices the grass off in clean strips you can roll up and reuse elsewhere. For a small patch, the manual sod cutter works.
3. Dig out for the base
Excavate deep enough for your gravel base, sand and pavers. For backyards with a gate, the Bobcat MT100 digs and carries the dirt out. On a bigger job, a mini excavator digs and a dump trailer hauls the spoil away.
4. Build and compact the base
This is the step that makes or breaks a patio. Spread crushed gravel in layers a few inches at a time and compact each layer with a plate compactor before adding the next. One thick layer compacted once will settle later. Use the MT100 or a power buggy to move the gravel instead of wheelbarrows.
5. Sand and lay pavers
Screed a smooth layer of bedding sand, then lay the pavers in your pattern without walking on the screeded sand.
6. Make your cuts
Edges and curves need cut pavers. The DeWalt 10″ brick and paver saw cuts wet for clean edges and less dust. For curves and lots of cuts in place, the STIHL cut-off saw is faster.
7. Compact and finish
Run the plate compactor over the finished pavers (ask for a pad so it does not scuff them) to set them into the sand. Sweep in joint sand and compact again.
Rent it as a package
- A typical patio weekend: sod cutter, MT100, plate compactor and paver saw.
- Weekend projects often run three days or more. Our week rate covers 3 to 7 days, so it can cost the same as a few single days.
- We deliver 7 days a week, from $85 round trip within 45 minutes of our Hamburg yard. See delivery rates.
Not sure which one fits your job? Call the counter at (810) 231-7368. We are open 7 days and happy to talk it through.