Planning:

Plan out where you want your pathway or patio to be. Mark the area off using spray paint or try using stakes and strings. The area should be slightly larger than your intended pathway or patio to allow for the irregular shapes of the pavers. It maybe necessary to layout a few pavers to figure out the exact width.

Excavation:

The pavers must be placed into a sand bed to make sure they are supported properly. The depth of your excavation should be at least 4” down from where you want the pavers to be level with, such as an adjoining path or lawn area. The 4” depth is comprised of 1 ½” of sand and 2 ½” for the thickness of the pavers. (If the soil is not firm, see section on Soft Soil)

Use a spade of flat hoe to cut the edge of your pathway. Use a flat shovel to peal away the grass or remove the dirt from the area. The sand bed will adjust for any variances but try leaving the area flat as possible.

Preparation:

Fill in your excavated area with a load of river sand. Make sure you leave 2 ½” to accommodate for the height of the pavers.

Roughly level this area off using a yardstick, trowel or large enough straight edge which will stretch across the area so you can keep the depth equal.

Compact the sand using a heavy flat object or metal plate stomper you can get from your local rental dealer.

Add more sand and level again as necessary.

Soft Soil:

With the hard soil content in the Northwest, it is not necessary to have a gravel bed, but if the soil is soft and pools with water then a more solid surface is recommended. A first layer of gravel is required in addition to the sand bed. The total depth of your excavation should be at least 6” to allow for the additional gravel and sand.

Fist Layer: At least 1 ½” gravel.

Second Layer: 2” of river sand.

Third layer: Allow 2 ½” for the paver.

I suggest increasing the sand depth to 2” since the gravel may get mixed into the sand when leveling off.

Use ½” and larger crushed rock for your gravel bed. Avoid using round river rock, the crushed rock compacts better.

Lay down at least 1 ½” of crushed rock. Firmly pack it as you would the sand bed then continue on with the Excavation section.

Installation:

Start installing just a few pavers at first to get a feel for the layout and what the pattern will look like. Keep in mind how you want to handle the edging. (See section on Edging)

Insert pavers by interlocking the patterns. This section should go fairly quickly and should be fun to do. You will see the most results from your job and it’s like putting a puzzle together.

Caution should be observed when handling the pavers. Even though they are strong when set properly, the extensions are fragile and you would not want to mar up the surface details.

Place them down one at a time and make sure the surface of each is level with the adjoining paver. Lift the paver gently if you need to add or remove sand to make them level. Remember, once in place it will be difficult to pull out when already surrounded by other pavers.

Place slight pressure on each paver as you go to make sure they are set properly. This will make the finish work easier.

Always start installing the pavers from one side and keep progressing from there. Do not start in multiple locations expecting them to meet. They wont.

Slopes:

Since the pavers interlock it is impossible for them to slope any great degree. They are intended for only gently sloping ground. There is some flexibility to the pavers, but you do not want to have any binding when placing the paver together. This will cause their extremities to break or become fragile. Also any binding may cause a void underneath the paver thus weakening its strength when pressure is applied to the surface.

Finish:

Once the pavers are seated into place, walk gently over the area to make sure the pavers are level. If there is some adjustments to do, now is the time. Once the joints are filled with sand, it will be very difficult to lift out the pavers.

Though not necessary, it is also a good time to clean off the pavers and reseal them if you wish. You want to do this now before you fill the joints with sand. Spraying the sealer with the sand in the joints will cause the sand to be blown around and adhere to the surface of you pavers.

The pavers come pre-sealed with a crystal clear acrylic spray paint. Do not use the water-based sealers found at most hardware stores. These have a tendency to pool in the paver details and turn them white.

Once you are satisfied with your job and the sealer is totally dry, it is time to fill the joints with sand to lock them all into place. Spread some left over DRY river sand onto the pavers and sweep the sand with a broom into the open joints.

Edging:

To make your new path flow nicely with your yard it is best to edge with similar material. Reseed with grass if path is next to a lawn or use bark dust if next to a flowerbed. Remember to when planning out your path to allow for the edging. It maybe best to start on one edge to make the path flows correctly. For straight edges there are several choices.

The frog rock patterns can be molded in half pieces to allow for a straight edge.

If the pavers are just placed next to the driveway or home the voids left by the extremities of the pavers can be filled in with gravel or a small mixture of concrete.

Some customers have used concrete saws actually cut a straight edge into the pavers. This works best if you have access to one.

Maintenance:

Clean the surface with a broom or wash off with a garden hose. Routine cleaning of your new path or patio will keep it looking great for years to come.

Your pavers are pre sealed with an acrylic sealer to help keep them water repellant and clean. The pavers can be left alone to weather naturally or you can periodically reseal them. Use a crystal clear or gloss acrylic spray paint. Do not use the water-based sealers found at most hardware stores. These have a tendency to pool in the paver details and turn them white. Make sure area is clean and dry before applying sealer.

Efflorescence is a white powdery lime mineral that appears on concrete surfaces as a result of water evaporation. It is more noticeable on colored surfaces making them look faded or lighter in color when not cleaned off. Remove with detergent or mild-acid cleaners. Wear rubber gloves and eye protection if necessary.