Paving Stones Installation

Contact the city or your local utility companies to mark any underground wiring or gas lines. Wear all proper safety equipment. Stake out the outside shape of your project and connect the stakes with twine at the desired stone height.

Cut around the outside perimeter with a flat shovel (and a spade for fine detail) to the depth recommended for your paving stones. Dig out all the dirt and sod within the perimeter.

Build up any earth required to allow for proper drainage, taking care to drain water away from the foundation of any structure. Adjust the twine height accordingly. Use a ground compactor to harden and secure the earth below the project. This is optional unless you have loose soil.

Install edge restraints per manufacturer guidelines along the edges of the project, if it is big enough to call for them. Spread the base sand evenly to the recommended depth for your paving stones. Use a scrap 2-by-4 to drag smooth the sand.

Lay the whole paving stones out in their proper places, leaving the recommended gap between each stone. Cut any custom stones required using a paver-splitter. Lay the custom-cut stones in their places. Inspect and adjust the entire path carefully until it is up to your standards.

Spread a thin layer of base sand over the entirety of the paving stones. Broom the sand back and forth until all cracks are filled. Run the ground compactor over all the stones, if available. Otherwise, wait a day and repeat the sand spreading process. Spread a final layer of sand and sweep it into any remaining cracks and edges.

Fill in outside edges with sod and dirt, and plant any desired plants. Spread more sand into any remaining cracks and sweep the surface clean over the next few weeks.