Concrete pavers are an attractive and affordable way to create a long-lasting walkway for your home. They’re manufactured to mimic brick or natural stone, giving you a high-quality look at a fraction of the cost. Plus, most homeowners can install them themselves.
When a pair of homeowners’ flagstone walkways started to wobble and shift, they knew the front entrance to their house needed an upgrade. Luckily, mason Mark McCullough has seen this before and helped the homeowners install a smooth, flat walkway from durable concrete pavers.
Benefits of Concrete Pavers
Concrete pavers are a go-to choice for many homeowners thanks to the following benefits:
- Durability: These pavers resist cracking and withstand a range of weather conditions.
- Low maintenance: They require minimal upkeep and can be easily replaced if damaged.
- Uniformity: Each paver is identical in size and shape, keeping a consistent look and making installation easier.
- Variety: They come in a variety of colors, shapes, and textures to fit different design preferences.
Types of Concrete Pavers
Choose a concrete paver that matches your landscaping. The following are popular styles:
- Cobblestone-style pavers: Provide a rustic, old-world charm
- Modern, sleek pavers: Perfect for contemporary designs
- Textured pavers: Better grip, making them safer for walkways
- Traditional brick-style pavers: Ideal for classic and colonial homes
Preparing for Concrete Paver Installation
Good prep work is key to a successful installation. This phase involves planning, gathering materials, and preparing the site.
Before breaking ground, consider the following:
- Color scheme and paver style: Select pavers that complement your home’s exterior colors.
- Desired pattern: Choose a pattern such as running bond, herringbone, or basketweave.
- Drainage requirements: Create good drainage to prevent water buildup.
- Walkway dimensions and layout: Determine the length, width, and path of your walkway.
How to Install a Concrete Paver Walkway
- If applicable, remove the existing walkway and any existing gravel that might also be in place.
- Outline the area of the new walkway with mason’s string and landscape spikes. It’s best to overdig and backfill later, so set the new walkway about 6 inches past the steps.
- Excavate the area within the string to roughly 5 inches deep. Use a pickaxe to loosen the dirt and a shovel to remove it.
- Tamp the existing soil with a hand tamper to compact the soil and create a stable base. The goal at this step is simply to compact the soil, not to get it perfectly level.
- Dump your compaction media (“crusher run” in the northeast, basalt base for the northwest) into the walkway area. Push the media around the walkway with a rake to fill the whole pad. Work in layers 2 inches thick, compact with the hand tamper, and add another layer. Spray with water and compact again.
- Pour and spread sand into the pad about an inch thick. Place two 1-inch pipes in the sand, spaced about 2 feet apart. Try to get them as level as possible, then use the 4-foot level to screed the sand evenly. Remove the pipes and backfill with sand.
- Place a paver at both ends of the walkway. Use the paver as a guide to set the mason’s string at the appropriate height.
- Install the pavers on the compacted sand base, ensuring they’re level and even and adding or removing sand as needed.
- Install edging pavers around the outside of the walkway and lock the walkway in place by installing aluminum edging. Drive 6-inch spikes through every hole in the edges to lock it in place.
- Pour polymeric sand over the walkway and brush it into the cracks with a broom.
- Backfill around the outside of the aluminum edge to blend it into the grade around it.
- Lightly water the pavers with a hose to lock the polymeric sand in place and add sand as needed.
Concrete Paver Walkway Maintenance and Care
Concrete paver walkways are durable, but regular maintenance keeps them in top condition. To keep your concrete paver walkway looking its best, follow these best practices:
- Address any shifting or settling quickly to prevent further issues
- Reapply polymeric sand every few years as needed
- Rinse occasionally with a garden hose
- Sweep regularly to remove debris
Materials
- Mason’s string
- Landscape spikes
- Rubber mallet
- 1-inch pipes
- Compaction media (crusher run or basalt)
- Sand
- Pavers
- Aluminum edging
- 6-inch spikes (for edging)
- Polymeric sand
