Easy Steps in Setting Paving Slabs in Your Patio

So you want to try paving your patio on your own? Good for you! It is actually not as difficult to do as many people think; you just need to have the tools and the patience to pave the patio yourself. Here are the steps in setting the patio paving slabs.

First, clear out the site to be paved and make sure there is no vegetation in the area. Use a scaled plan in order to mark out the positions using pegs and a string.
Next, set the patio about 6” below the damp proof course. This means you should dig the soil to a depth of 150 mm or about 6” below the level where the finished patio would be. This will ensure that the soil will become compacted.

After that, you can now begin to excavate and compact the hardcore base. Spread a layer of at least 100 mm or about 4” thick of hardcore over the entire excavated area. Make sure you leave room for the thickness of the paving slab size that you will be using and an additional 30 – 50 mm or about 2” for the mortar. Get a plate compactor and compact the layer of hardcore as thoroughly as you can.

Next comes the fun part. Start laying out the patio paving slabs one by one. For reference, you can use your house wall or your fence, plus the pegs and strings that you used at the start. Tap each paving slab down using a rubber mallet and make sure they’re level. You can also use wooden spacers to make sure there are equal gaps in between each slab.

Continue with this until all of the paving slabs in your patio are laid. Make sure you follow the slope level. In case there are slabs that need to be cut, use an angle grinder if you have this. If not, a chisel and hammer can do the job, but you need to be careful.

When you’ve finished setting out the slabs, wait a couple of days for the mortar to set. Fill the joints with a dry mortar mix, gently drizzling water over it. Leave for a few more days then enjoy your newly paved patio.

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