Pave That Patio

One good thing about the COVID lock-down of 2020 was DIY projects! This was our first one and let me just say I'm freaking proud of US! We are NOT handy. At all. Or I guess I should say we were not handy pre-COVID. We've managed to figure a few things out over the last year so now we are almost handy, thanks to Pinterest and YouTube.

Step 1:
Identify the Problem and the Solution
For us, we were trying to solve the mud problem caused by our dogs jumping off of the deck and destroying our grass. We needed a landing zone for their massive weight and momentum. Bonus, turns out it also serves to keep their nails filed down!

Step 2:
Find some pics.
​Pinterest took care of that for us in just a few minutes. Here are some of our top picks (haha do you get the pun?)

This one, according to belgard.com, is called a Solider Course Border, and is made out of bricks laid side-by-side in clean, neat rows. ​

This looked way too hard for beginners like us, but it's pretty cool! We found this at coolwebfun.com.

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This is a combination of rocks and concrete steppers, from plantcaretoday.com.

We decided flagstone was going to meet our needs to best and be the most manageable for us as a DIY project.

Step 3:
Measure Your Space

​We drew a rough sketch of the space we needed to cover and took measurements across varying points of the diameter, as well as the full length across. With this in hand, we were able to talk to the supplier and get a good estimate on how much we needed for our project.

Step 4:
Get a Grass Cutter

We rented ours from Home Depot for a half a day. No matter how big you think your SUV is, it won't fit. We had to come back with a pickup. We also ran into some issues because the grass was pretty wet and muddy, but once we got the hang of it, it went rather quickly. Ask the Home Depot staff to give you a run down on how to use it - how to lower the blade, start it and stop it, etc. Also make sure you know what is required to turn it back in - clean, full gas tank, etc. We ended up having to clean it in the Home Depot parking lot to avoid a cleaning fee.

We used spray paint to "sketch" out the area we wanted to cut in the grass, and then just followed the lines. It worked like a charm.

​You will get some good sod pieces, so if you have a place to repurpose that grass, it's something to keep in mind.  You will want to have the area prepped to lay the sod before it dries out.

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Step 5:
Find Your Materials

We used a local Landscape Supply company (Ewing Landscape). They were extremely helpful and gave us quantity estimates based on our drawing and measurements. They only had two options for flagstone pavers, but we liked one of them and were thrilled with the price. They offered delivery but the timeline was pretty far out. We had access to some pickup trucks and were able to make the haul ourselves.  Remember to bring a cover if you want to protect your truck - it's a messy endeavor! 

There are some pretty big and heavy pieces - you will want gloves, a wheelbarrow and some serious strength to get the pavers to your project area. This was by far the hardest part of the project and will likely require some helping hands of some sort. For us, that's what sons are for!

Here's what you will need at the landscaping place:

1. Landscape Fabric
2. Rubber Edging with Stakes
3. Fabric Stakes
4. Gravel
5. Sand
6. Pavers
7. Stone Dust Bond (for up to 6 inches)

Here are the tools you will need:

1. Wheelbarrow
2. Rubber Mallet
3. Large and Small Lever
4. Gloves
5. Rakes
6. Broom or Outdoor Squeegee
7. Chisel

FriStep 6
Start Getting Things Level

Our research told us this is the most important step. Our yard is on a slope so we just followed the natural slope of the yard. We squeegee'd and swept until it was level. Then we followed up with the landscaping gravel to assure there would be proper drainage and allow for shifting.

Step 7
Lay The Paper and Edging

​Next comes the landscaping fabric, which is easily secured with metal U-shaped stakes. Follow the line of the paper with the rubber edging and secure with rubber stakes.

Step 8
Sand Baby

The was the most satisfying part! I have no idea why the sand came in two different colors. We used this step to finalize the grading and make sure it was as level as possible. We were going for an inch thick, preparing for the need to shimmy the stones into place.