# Forum Home Renovation Paving  Homemade Pavers

## stan250

Shocked and horrified at the cost of shop bought pavers I decided that I would investigate
the possibility of making them myself. Its not quite as crazy as it may sound.
For the area I want to pave, I reckon it would cost $5500 in pavers alone.
The equivalent made at home would cost about $600. 
Has anyone done this themselves?? 
I wanted a creamy limestone colour which I think means I will have to try to find bags of off-white cement rather than grey and then put in a cream pigment.
Is this doable (300 pavers) in a single lifetime. 
They will be made in hinged timber frames- 20 at a time.
thanks

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## Bloss

Pretty much everything is 'doable', the question is can you do it yourself and save sufficient amount of money to offset the time and effort you are willing to put in, the cost of the materials, and the capacity to meet your quality standard (which shouldn't be too far away with from the commercial product). 
So - from what you say the pavers you have priced are about $18 each (300 of them for $5500). So all you need to do is to work out the volume of concrete needed, the costs then of the various components (cement mixer, white cement, cement colour, fines & aggregates, the mold etc) and see what it turns out to be. I can't believe the difference would be so great, but maybe it is when labour, other manufacturing costs and delivery are included (and the profit of course). 
The process is no different to making cement blocks (do site search here as I have already given a lengthy answer on this). They are not structural so need not be as strong, but you will need to make sure they are not mixed too wet, are well tamped/ compressed (commercial makers use hydraulic pressure to get a well formed paver) and that you take good care to get the finished surface and edges to the standard you want. Measurement is critical when using colouring in cement - small variations can mean quite noticeable colour differences. They will need to be cured at least a week or you run the risk of cracks and breaks - longer the better. Ideally you need a large flat concrete slab sit the mold on and remember that some moisture and concrete 'juice' will come out of the pavers as they dry so there will be marks left that might not come off easily (you could use builders plastic to help prevent that.) 
So - very doable - and once set up in quite quick time. Just needs some quantity estimates and some planning - and your time (don't forget to value that properly . . . most don't).  :2thumbsup:

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## stan250

> Pretty much everything is 'doable', the question is can you do it yourself and save sufficient amount of money to offset the time and effort you are willing to put in, the cost of the materials, and the capacity to meet your quality standard (which shouldn't be too far away with from the commercial product). 
> So - from what you say the pavers you have priced are about $18 each (300 of them for $5500). So all you need to do is to work out the volume of concrete needed, the costs then of the various components (cement mixer, white cement, cement colour, fines & aggregates, the mold etc) and see what it turns out to be. I can't believe the difference would be so great, but maybe it is when labour, other manufacturing costs and delivery are included (and the profit of course). 
> The process is no different to making cement blocks (do site search here as I have already given a lengthy answer on this). They are not structural so need not be as strong, but you will need to make sure they are not mixed too wet, are well tamped/ compressed (commercial makers use hydraulic pressure to get a well formed paver) and that you take good care to get the finished surface and edges to the standard you want. Measurement is critical when using colouring in cement - small variations can mean quite noticeable colour differences. They will need to be cured at least a week or you run the risk of cracks and breaks - longer the better. Ideally you need a large flat concrete slab sit the mold on and remember that some moisture and concrete 'juice' will come out of the pavers as they dry so there will be marks left that might not come off easily (you could use builders plastic to help prevent that.) 
> So - very doable - and once set up in quite quick time. Just needs some quantity estimates and some planning - and your time (don't forget to value that properly . . . most don't).

  
Thanks for that.
I was wondering if there is a way of getting an effect of pavers using pumped concrete and some sort of thin formwork to give some space between the pavers that could be pulled out after setting. They would obviously  have to be quite a bit larger than pavers- say at least a square metre each. I am guessing that it would be difficult to make a poured concrete floor (pool surround) look like it isnt a car park?
PS: the local concrete pumper is a whizz at levelling and smoothing so that part isnt a problem.

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## Bloss

> Thanks for that.
> I was wondering if there is a way of getting an effect of pavers using pumped concrete and some sort of thin formwork to give some space between the pavers that could be pulled out after setting. They would obviously  have to be quite a bit larger than pavers- say at least a square metre each. I am guessing that it would be difficult to make a poured concrete floor (pool surround) look like it isnt a car park?
> PS: the local concrete pumper is a whizz at levelling and smoothing so that part isnt a problem.

  Possible but tricky - hard to remove formwork without damaging the edges. But with care could work OK. 
Another option is the stamped concrete and the 'printed' concrete. Stamped use a patterned roller or sometimes just a former to make impressions onto a poured (and usually coloured) concrete slab. The other is a pattern formed by tape which is then covered with oxides (usually sprayed on) and the tape removed. 
Depending on the look you are can also use exposed aggregate - which requires ordering the mix for that result (simply is hosed off when almost set so the aggregate (usually river stones, but can be anything really). Or you can do a screeded mix of fine aggregates on top of the slab - or use one of the aggregate finishes that have fines stones in an adhesive mixture that comes in all sorts of colours that are trowelled on after the slab is poured and set (and usually cured for some weeks too). 
None especially cheap, but less than other options involving actual paving.

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## Blocklayer

Here's an old post about making pavers  http://www.renovateforum.com/showthread.php?t=53909 
The bottom post (mine) shows an old plastic paving mould 
.

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## autogenous

Pavers are made with a dry( low moisture ) mix and pressed under extreme pressure.  
Id be more inclined to purchase limestone roadbase 19mm and under then mix the road base at 7 buckets of road base to 1 bucket of creme/offwhite cement. 
When the mix is starting to skin/harden scrape back with a square edged trowel. 
Set up formwork boards and pour in say 4m2 square lots, then when you have completed the area, chalk line the desired paver direction and cut with diamond blade angle grinder. 
You can order limestone concrete but having a concrete truck roll up with 5 cubes of concrete is not for the light hearted more so the limestone concretes properties. :Smilie:

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## memphis

> Thanks for that.
> I was wondering if there is a way of getting an effect of pavers using pumped concrete and some sort of thin formwork to give some space between the pavers that could be pulled out after setting. They would obviously have to be quite a bit larger than pavers- say at least a square metre each. I am guessing that it would be difficult to make a poured concrete floor (pool surround) look like it isnt a car park?
> PS: the local concrete pumper is a whizz at levelling and smoothing so that part isnt a problem.

  So why not do this idea; Get the (limestone) concrete poured then the next day mark out a pattern, hire a quick-cut (demo saw) with a diamond blade and go nuts. 
Thats how the limestone guys here in WA do it, they pour down the solid slab; then the next day they come around and mark out and cut all the joints in; looks quite effective.

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## memphis

Id also like to mention hanging onto the back of one of those wet saws is like holding onto the back wheel of a harley; try get someone who does it professionally; else use the smallest model possible (12inch blade i think).

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## memphis

> Pavers are made with a dry( low moisture ) mix and pressed under extreme pressure.  
> Id be more inclined to purchase limestone roadbase 19mm and under then mix the road base at 7 buckets of road base to 1 bucket of creme/offwhite cement. 
> When the mix is starting to skin/harden scrape back with a square edged trowel. 
> Set up formwork boards and pour in say 4m2 square lots, then when you have completed the area, chalk line the desired paver direction and cut with diamond blade angle grinder. 
> You can order limestone concrete but having a concrete truck roll up with 5 cubes of concrete is not for the light hearted more so the limestone concretes properties.

  
I should have read the whole thread...this is the same idea.

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## autogenous

_Id also like to mention hanging onto the back of one of those wet saws is like holding onto the back wheel of a harley; try get someone who does it professionally; else use the smallest model possible (12inch blade i think). _ RYOBI make a specific concrete circular saw with 125mm diamond blade and water source. I had one but it was stolen recently out of my car.
Ozito make cheap circular saws which you can get a diamond blade for.
I have one of these too. 
place straight edge off set to your pencil/chalk lines. place circular saw on ground and off you go.
Cut 10-15mm deep and place deeper cuts at appropriate control points. 
Ive done 60m2 limestone concrete with two cement mixers 8 aggregate: 1 part offwhite cement. Brighton lite Creme GP. 
Thing is you can do smaller areas with a mixer on your own and create control joints as you go. 
no weeds, less ants

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## autogenous

Ryobi C125A 125mm Wet cutting saw

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## Dan574

found this on ebay, it may be worth a look  http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Plain-Concret...QQcmdZViewItem

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## stan250

> So why not do this idea; Get the (limestone) concrete poured then the next day mark out a pattern, hire a quick-cut (demo saw) with a diamond blade and go nuts. 
> Thats how the limestone guys here in WA do it, they pour down the solid slab; then the next day they come around and mark out and cut all the joints in; looks quite effective.

  Reckon that looks even better than pavers but I guess its not easy to cut them that well

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