BetterHomesAndGardensAustraliaDecember2015_

PAVE THAT SPACE
Gather your supplies
■800 x 400 x 50mm sawn-
cut sandstone pavers
■Road base
■Paving sand
■Brickie’s sand
■Off-white cement

You’ll also need
Ear and eye protection;
jackhammer (hired, optional);
shovel; mattock; rake; plate
compactor (hired); spirit level;
straightedge; screed rails;
float; rubber mallet; angle
grinder; hammer and bolster;
wheelbarrow; brickie’s
trowel; damp sponge; broom;
kiln-dried sand

Here’s how

STEP 1Wearing ear and eye

protection, use jackhammer

to break up and remove

concrete, if needed. Use

shovel and mattock to

remove existing turf or plants

and excavate topsoil to allow

for thickness of paver, plus

30mm of paving sand and

70mm bed of road base.

Roughly level site.

STEP 2Spread 80mm

of road base evenly over

area with rake. Where there

is slight slope, use road

base to build up areas to

ensure paving site is level,

with a fall to allow for

rainwater run-off. Wet and

compact down to 70mm with

plate compactor.

Projec t 1

STEP 3 Use rake to spread 30mm bed

of paving sand evenly over road base.

STEP 4 Create smooth tracks along

both sides of area by using

straightedge. Lay screed rails into

tracks you have just created. Using

straightedge, steadily drag along rails,

screeding off and packing sand to

create a firm, level-laying surface. Move

screed rails down paving bed as

needed. Remove rails and smooth

tracks with float.

Tip For large areas, consider

dividing into halves and screeding

1 half at a time.

STEP 5 Beginning in 1 corner, lay

pavers in desired pattern (here,

stretcher bond) allowing 2–3mm

gaps between each. Gently tap

tops of pavers with rubber mallet to

ensure they are flush. Check level.

Cut pavers to fit with angle grinder or

hammer and bolster as needed.

STEP 6 Add 4 parts brickie’s sand

and 1 part off-white cement to

wheelbarrow. Blend thoroughly and

slowly add water until mixture is stiff.

Haunch all sides with mortar mix,

spreading at 45° angle with brickie’s

trowel. Use damp sponge to clean

excess mix off pavers. Sweep kiln-dried

sand over entire area with broom,

ensuring all gaps are filled.

STEP 7 To lay steppers on access

side of paved area, measure and

mark approximately 200mm from

edge of paving. Spread a 50mm bed of

road base over area to cover size of 2

pavers. Lightly compact with feet.

Shovel a bed of mortar onto road base

and use brickie’s trowel to create

air gaps in mortar. Lay paver on top

of mortar and push down. Use rubber

mallet to tap into place, checking level

and adjusting as necessary. Repeat

to lay adjacent paver.

134 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, DECEMBER 2015 bhg.com.au

Turn pavers into

stepping stones

What we planted

Acacia ‘Limelight’ Conostylis ‘Silver Sunrise’ Dichondra

STEP 2

STEP 4

STEP 5

STEP 6

STEP 7

steps