Tag Archives: paver installation

Prevent weed growth

How to Prevent Weed Growth Between Pavers

If you ave installed paving stones on your driveway, walkway or patio, your pavers already look more magnificent than anyone else’s. Interlocking paving stones have a significant elegance about them, and you will want to keep them looking that way. That’s why it is so important to prevent weed growth between your pavers to ensure they stay flush and appealing.

Preventive Maintenance Against Weed Growth

There is no question that weeds will destroy the appearance of your pavement. You’ve spent the time and money to make your paving stones look better than asphalt and concrete, and the last thing you want is for that to be destroyed by weeds. But this is also a matter of convenience. Removing weeds once they’ve grown is an extremely mind-numbing time-consuming task, so make sure to prevent weed growth from occurring in the first place.

Why Do Weeds Grow Between Pavers?

First, you must understand how this can occur. Weeds are extremely tricky to prevent because they do not grow as most flora do. Wherever there is available soil, seedlings will drop and replicate at an exponential rate. Even if your paving stones were installed by the best paving service available, there will still be crevices that weeds will find to grow.

How to Prevent Weed Growth

When it comes to preventing weed growth between your pavers, the best defense is a good offense. Rid your pavers of weed seedlings before they get a chance to grow by:

  • Regularly taking the time to sweep your pavers (at least once a week), making sure the bristles are deep enough to get between the pavers and in the crevices.
  • Making sure your pavers have a sufficiently declining slope (about 4′ away from your home for every 1″ decline), which will also prevent roof leakage and wet basements.

Dealing With Weed Growth

If you have failed to prevent weed growth between your pavers, fear not — all hope is not lost! Follow these steps to remedy the problem ASAP:

  1. Weed by weed, use your hands to pull and dispose of the larger weeds. Make sure you pull by the roots so they do not grow back.
  2. You can use a pressure washer for the remaining weeds. It is okay to wash away the joint sand as you pressure wash your pavers, but do not erode their bedding layer.
  3. You can use something as commonplace as boiling water or vinegar to destroy the roots and seedlings. However, vinegar may be corrosive, so check your bedding layer material and make sure the solution you are using is okay.
  4. Finally, allow the pavers to dry and refill the joints with sand.
Installing paving stones on concrete

How to Install Paving Stones on Concrete

How to Install Paving Stones on Concrete

There is no doubt that, when it comes to custom paving in South Florida, paving stones reign supreme over both asphalt and concrete. However, you don’t have to rule out either of these materials completely. You can install paving stones on concrete, and here’s your guide on how to do it.

Why You Should Install Paving Stones on Concrete

On its own, concrete may be inferior to pavement hardscapes. However, it can actually provide a surface that is remarkably stable when paving stones are installed over it. In fact, it is much more stable than installing paving stones over asphalt. This benefits you as a homeowner. Pavers remain stable for much longer, meaning you won’t have to replace them.

What You Will Need

  • Concrete padding
  • Bucket (about 10 quarts’ volume)
  • Mortar
  • Water
  • Trowel (preferably one that has margins/notches)
  • Paving stones
  • Rubber mallet
  • Dry cement
  • Cement sand
  • Broom

Step-By Step Instructions

  1. To install paving stones on concrete, first lay them on your concrete padding.
  2. In a bucket, mix your mortar with water until it becomes nice and thick.
  3. Use your trowel to spread a 0.25″ deep mixture on the padding, using the dimensions of your paving stones as a guideline.
  4. Starting in one corner, start to lay the pavers down. As you install each paving stone, make sure it is flush — both front to back and side to side.
  5. Pour dry cement beginning at the center and moving outward. Make sure this is a thin depth, about 0.25″ which will raise the central pavers to be level with the ones on the edge.
  6. Begin placing paving stones on the other corner, installing them the same way as in step #4.
  7. Secure the paving stones by tapping them with your mallet. Make sure they are all at a level depth.
  8. The last step to install paving stones on concrete is sprinkling concrete sand over the entire paving structure. Brush the sand off the stones themselves and into the crevices to make sure there is no excess.
Showing how to install interlocking paving stones

How To Install Interlocking Paving Stones

If you find yourself wondering how to install interlocking paving stones, there is good news for you: this is a project that can be done DIY, using only a few simple tools and a day of hard work. Here’s how to do it.

How to Install Interlocking Paving Stones

To go about this process, you will need the following materials:

  • Paint (for landscaping purposes)
  • Shovel
  • Tamper or compactor machine
  • Mesh screen
  • Edging material
  • Hammer
  • Sand for bedding
  • Paver sealant
  • Measuring tape
  • Gravel
  • Rubber mallet

Step 1: Clearing the Area

First , you will obviously have to choose which paving stones you want to work with. It’s also a good idea to take measurements while you go shopping. Then, demarcate the area to dig up with landscape paint.

Excavate the existing soil using a shovel. You may want to consider investing in a tiller if you find the soil to be too hard to dig up. Dig about 8 inches deep, as this is the “frost line” below which frost will not damage your pavement.

Step 2: Edging

Next, tamp the floor to soften up the moisture. Then, lay some mesh screening over the surface you’ve dug up. This will prevent weeds from growing in your area.

You will need to install some edging, which can be made of anything from plastic to brick or stone. This will preserve your paving area (for post-paving) while also clearly marking the area you want to pave (during the process) as your landscape paint may erode.

Step 3: Laying the Foundation

Lay your foundation of gravel. Every 4 feet from your home, slope the gravel about 1 inch. This will direct drainage away from your house’s foundation. Then, spread about 2 inches of sand over the gravel smoothly and evenly.

Step 4: Installing the Paving Stones

Finally, install interlocking paving stones over the bedding of sand. Start in a corner and fit the stones in their desired pattern from there. You may need to readjust the bedding as you go, removing even a few grains of sand so the stones are nice, flush and even. Seal the stones in place with some paving sealant, then hammer them in . Continue this process and voila — you have a brand new pavement walkway installed!