walkways patios and driveways they can add beauty and architectural style to any home maybe you've thought about adding a classic brick driveway a stunning stone patio or staircase today with the help of Chicopee Mason supplies do-it-yourself paver installation has never been easier in a short time you can create the patio of your dreams adding both beauty and lasting value to your home today we are going to learn about landscape pavers and how easy it is to install a beautiful patio or walkway a proper patio project starts with a great idea but it takes careful preparation to ensure your design becomes the lasting object of your vision in this seminar we are going to learn about planning preparation of your site excavation preparing a base for your pavers and screening then we'll have fun bringing that plan to life by laying the pavers edge in your pavers compacting and then finishing in 9se steps this how-to series from Chicopee Mason supplies will have you laying pavers like a pro in no time at all however Chicopee Mason supplies can also recommend a professional to install your patio if you would rather not take on the project okay ready let's take a look at planning planning involves taking a look at your planned location for your walkway or patio whether it's a simple plan or one designed by a landscape designer you need to design a plan with measurements and grade elevations the pros at Chicopee Mason supplies can then calculate the correct amount of materials and estimate the cost of the project Chicopee Mason supplies we'll also have product displays product colors and samples to choose from once we have a plan in hand we're ready to set a delivery date for our materials from Chicopee Mason supplies and get this project rolling now I'm sure you would love to grab the shovel and start taking an area to lay these pavers but let's consider four very important steps before laying the pavers site prep proper excavation proper base material and screening your patio walkway or driveway will last longer we correct site preparation and base material to start we're going to mark out the area of the patio with stakes string a level and tape measure Plus before we do any digging we are going to check with our local utilities to ensure we are not going to strike any buried cables or pipes always check with your local building inspector since codes vary from region to region now that we have checked with dig safe and local regulations we want to mark off the area for our project use a level to set your string and use a triangle to keep the design square once we know we are not going to dig into any utilities we are ready for excavation a standard shovel is ideal for excavation even though most contractors may use a mini excavator excavate to a minimum 6 to 12 inches and remove all the loose soil always excavate a minimum of 3 inches wider on each side than you're actually paving for a driveway excavate 6 inches wider we're really close to starting to lay those pavers but before we start we need a good solid base a good base material is important because it will help prevent frost heaves and plants growing into your patio the pros of Chicopee Mason supplies can advise you on the right base material and supply it directly to your worksite we like a coarse gravel because it will drain properly begin placing gravel and compact it with a gas-powered plate compactor you can also use a hand tamper grade the base as closely as possible to the contour of your finished patio and keep compacting and adding base material until you reach the desired height keep adding and compacting material in 2 inch intervals until you are three inches below your desired finished height don't forget to slope away the base from the house even a slight slope will help keep water away from your house our next important step is screeding which is laying pipes across our finished base material before the coarse sand is introduced a good level surface of sand is important since this is what your pavers are going to be laid into after we add the sand you'll be able to expertly level the sand by pulling a board across the pipes after screeding will take out the pipes and head to the papers pavers come in all shapes sizes and quality Chicopee Mason supplies carries a wide variety of paver sizes colors and material with our pavers in hand we are going to start laying them in a desired pattern directly on the screen of bed of sand start laying along the longest straight side pay attention to which side of the pavers are face up since not every side is consistent you can use a string line to help you plan circles and patterns in creating a circle or other pattern you are going to need to cut your pavers a good Mason resolve will make the work move fast and they are available at most rental outlets once you've finished laying the pavers we are going to need to keep the pattern tight with edging Chicopee Mason supplies also has plastic and metal edging take your edging and with non galvanized long nails a fix the edging to the side of the pavers don't skimp make sure the entire edge is covered and make sure you use nails that will rust the rust will help keep the nail secure to the ground once our pavers are in and our edging is placed we are very close to our new patio finished beauty is close at hand we still need to settle our pavers into the sand and we are going to achieve that by bringing back the compactor sweep the pavers clean then bring on the compactor remember you will need to protect the tops of your pavers from the compactor so use a protective pad to prevent scuffing make at least three passes with the compactor to ensure the pavers are settled and locked alternate directions each time a properly settled patio or driveway is solid enough for any vehicle Wow this patio is exceeding my expectations for ease of installation we are going to add some specially graded finishing sand this locks together the pavers to create a very durable surface you can also add special coatings to bring out the luster of your pavers and provide additional protection now that your patio is complete it's time to add some furniture and start up the grill your do-it-yourself project can start with the help of the pros of Chicopee Mason supplies walkways patios and driveways add value to your home and years of lasting enjoyment and beauty good luck