# Forum Home Renovation Paving  Help for a first time paver

## ricey250

G'day All, 
Just wondering if anyone can offer some advice on a paving project I'm planning.
The area is about 6x6 metres and will be used as a parking bay.
I plan on using 200x200x50mm pavers set on 100mm of roadbase and 50mm of sand.
The pavers will be butting up against an excisting concrete driveway and footpath on 2 sides.
Just wondering the best way to go about getting levels right, how to prep for the pavers and the best way to retain the pavers on the exposed sides?
Do I use the the compacter before the pavers go down, after they go down with some carpet or rubber underneath or both?
I know these are fairly basic questions, it's just that I've had some conflicting advice.
Any help would be greatly appreciated :2thumbsup:  
Cheers, 
Ricey.

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## namtrak

Different guys have different practices. 
For me, I would do something like this. 
1) Excavate area to 200mm deep. 
2) Wet area, fill with roadbase to about 150mm. Run a screed over the area. Pack down to 100mm with packer. 
3) Lay a few markers down that are 50mm below the height of the driveway and footpath. 
4) Layer packed roadbase with good slightly wet packing sand.  So it holds its form when you screed it off.  Screed it off across the top of the markers - particularly the area where you are going to start your paving.  You need to make sure that the area between the footpath and driveway is paralell or otherwise start making compensation for placing in cut pavers. 
5) Tap each paver into place with a rubber mallet - nothing to severe. 
6) Barge up the ends of the paving with concrete upto about halfway up the height of the pavers. Make sure the concrete sits down into some solid subsoil if possible. 
7) Sweep paveLoc into the pavers, wack down with a wacker with carpet on it.  Repeat 3 or 4 times.  Hose down once all the paveLock is swept off - it sticks to the surface. 
Enjoy paving

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## ricey250

Thanks for the advice namtrak, much appreciated!
You'd obviously wait for the concrete around the perimeter to set before using the wacker on the pavers?
Thanks again!

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## rrobor

I go along with that till the sand at 4, Id go across it with the whacker  then dust it with some sand and screed it again.

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## namtrak

Do the concrete barging after youve wacked the pavers down.

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## Bleedin Thumb

Namtrac has nailed it, I would never mechanically vibrate your sand before you screed. Infact try to keep your sand bed to 35mm if you can. 
With the concrete edging - hobbing. I would compact the pavers once the concrete starts to go stiff( but not set), then go back around and push the hob back onto the pavers.

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## ricey250

O.K, little confused. Am I compacting sand before the pavers go down and after, or do I compact roadbase only, put sand down, screed, lay pavers and compact? 
Sorry, amatuer questions I know, want to get it right though :2thumbsup:

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## Terrian

> O.K, little confused. Am I compacting sand before the pavers go down and after, or do I compact roadbase only, put sand down, screed, lay pavers and compact? 
> Sorry, amatuer questions I know, want to get it right though

  lay road base, 
compact road base.
lay sand
screed sand
lay pavers (level pavers as you go using a rubber mallet where needed)
timber border for edge to hold pavers
sweep fine sand / gap sand / pave loc into gaps between pavers
strap carpet to bottom of whacker (duct tape, not rope), run whacker over pavers, keep a bit replace timber with concrete after final whacker work.

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## tomato_brine

Hi all,  
I'm in the process of doing some paving myself and wonder if I can get some advice along the lines of what ricey was asking please.  
My area is a side path about 16m2. It is for foot traffic only (no cars parked on it). What materials and quantities do you recommend?  
Roadbase - I've been advised 1.5 ton, 3.5t and 3t (at a pinch). If I am going to go as per namtraks advice (150mm of roadbase) that works out at around 3.6 tons? is this right?  
Paving sand - do I need it? will 3/4 ton cover it?  
Blue metal - do I need this?  My guess is no as foot traffic only but I'm interested to hear your thoughts 
River sand - 1/2 ton ???  
I'm also hoping you can suggest a method for getting the levels right but I'll take some photos and post again tonight. Right now I've got a little bit of concrete to load into the skip.  
I'm going to post under structural a question with photos about supporting my patio which might be a bit dodgy since I took all the concrete away from the base (if you're interested and able to help there ot would be much appreciated)  
Cheers

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## cherub65

You need approx 2.5t road base, and 1t river\paving sand
1. excavate area
2. Spread road base sprinkle in straight cement approx 2 20kg bags, rake cement in to road base. water down (quit a bit) compact
3.Spread sand, COMPACT, screed sand to levels
4. lay pavers, no mallet required. Lay edge pavers on mortar bed, with joints, This stops sand escaping and weeds entering joints, (plus looks more professional)
5.Spread dried washed sand over area, Compact pavers with carpet attached 
Laid many thousand sqm pavers using this method with great results.

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## tomato_brine

Thanks Cherub,  
So its only one kind of sand needed? Paving sand/river sand essentially the same thing? I'm assuming you don'r recommend Blue metal for this job?  
Thanks for the tip about the cement, sounds like a good idea.  
Cheers

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## namtrak

Depends a bit on the supplier.  But generally packing sand is finer than river sand.  The packing sand will bind together when damp, which assists when screeding the area level.

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## cherub65

Being in sydney ask for nepean river sand easy to work with

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