# Forum Home Renovation Paving  Garden edge paving - is it simple?

## PRKLCD

Hi all,  I usually spend a lot of time in the deck building area of this forum but I now find myself in the need of guidance in regards to laying pavers.
<o> Background:
<o> I have just finished building a deck and I am starting on the rest of the yard. The yard it self has been levelled off (lawn and most of the soil, leaving a fairly hard surface). I have purchased some concrete pavers which I hope to use my garden border – separating my garden beds and my lawn. The pavers are 400mm in length and are 40mm thick. I realise that I will have to bring in a lot of top soil in for the bed and the lawn base ( plus the height of the grass) so the pavers will have to sit a fair amount above the current ground level.
<o> I have marked out the site and it would be around 27 meters in length using just under 6s square meters of pavers. After getting some quotes I realise that I am going to have to attempt this myself. I have done some research and I believe that there are two ways I can tackle this project.
<o> a) Dig a trench; add compact road base then some bedding sand then the pavers.
<o> Now, how far will I have to dig the trench for this method to be effective? Keeping in mind that I want to keep the pavers relatively high off the current ground level. Also, Will this method hold the pavers in place? Will they move on the sides?
<o> B) Use a concreting method
<o> I haven’t been able to find as much information on this method but the advantages seem to be that the pavers will be able to hold better and it could be easier to get the hight that I am after.
<o> What are people’s views? Is it possible to use both methods? For example use method A and use some concrete along the sides to help it hold?
<o> Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
<o> PS any thoughts on what a good quote would be on this job – I was a little shocked at the quotes – that could just be me tho.  If people on here think it's a easy project, with a little help I am willing to have a crack at it   :Biggrin: </o></o></o></o></o></o></o></o></o></o>

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## Burnsy

Stick with the concrete method and make the concrete as deep as you can.  It provides amuch morse stable border for edging your lawn against and helps keep the lawn out of your garden.  The turf wll lift the pavers if you lay them on a sand bed.

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## dazzler

I have done a lot of these and over time have developed the following method that works for me. 
Run a string line at the level you want the bricks to finish.  You may need to dig down to get them the right height.  Lay a bed of brickies sand on the ground so that you can level out the ground.  Place each brick so they are in line and about 3/4" apart.  Tap them down so that they are level with the string line.  This may take some trial and error as to the amount of sand you need. 
Mix up a 6 to 1 sand cement mix and batter it against each brick side so that it comes about 3/4 of the way up each brick.  This locks them in and allows the grass to grow flush up against them.  Finally fill the gap between each and smooth off with a wet cloth when the cement has almost gone off. 
i prefer bricks to pavers.  Bricks have lovelly holes in them for the cement mix to burrow into.  I have never ever had a problem with this method. 
good luck.

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