Paver-Patio Tips 6. When designing a paver-patio you will want to make sure and account for proper drainage across the structure. Building the patio at a 1-2" slope away from your house will ensure that water and precipitation drain away from your foundation and do not pool up under the brick pavers and soak into your basement or lower level. Grading the dirt with a slight slope toward your yard should give you the proper drainage. A gas-powered compactor can help tamp down and level the dirt and lower it more in the places you wish the water to drain toward.
7. When laying down sand to place the brick pavers, you can use 1" conduit pipes to create rails so that you can have a smooth and level surface to start laying the brick into. Place the 1" pipes just inside each of the edges where your patio will be and then get a 2'x4' that is long enough to reach across both pipes. Pour your sand as evenly as possible over the conduit, taking care not to bury them. Get someone to help you drag the 2'x4' across the top of the conduit pipes, smoothing and leveling the sand as you go. Do this for the length of your patio, picking up and moving the rails as you go to give you a 1" level sand base to work with.
8. You want to get your foundation stones (the ones on the very bottom) as level as possible to begin with by using a bubble level across the connecting stones. If you do not level the bottom stones any mistakes you have made will become more and more amplified and noticeable as you build your stacks. If you find some stones are higher than others (minimally) you can use a rubber mallet to pound the high points down a little bit until they become level. Low stones will have to be lifted and sand added beneath them to bring them up to level.
9. Once you have laid your first level of pavers and you are happy with the degree to which the stones are level with each other, it is time to fill them in with sand. Pour a thin layer of sand over the stone pavers and sweep the sand into the cracks with a broom. As the grains settle and moisture reaches it, the sand acts as a natural cement, locking the blocks into place and solidifying your work.
10. If you want a 90-degree angle at the corners of your paver-patio, you will need to cut the stones at 45-degree angles using a circular saw and a diamond blade. For the first level of stone you can simply cut your angles and fit the two corner pieces together and lock them in with sand, but it becomes trickier on the upper levels of your patio. You may need to cut more custom fit pieces of stone to give the pattern you want and keep from having gaps in your corners. You can glue these small pieces in with a block adhesive, which will prevent the smaller pieces of stone from popping out of place. Use the block adhesive generously in and around your corners, as these are the most vulnerable parts of the patio.
