An outdoor patio makes a great addition to any garden, and it’s something that’s relatively easy to achieve yourself with the right tools and some DIY know-how. When paving large areas, it is wise to opt for tool hire of power equipment such as a TLB to speed up the work process.
Choose your patio location
It is important to choose a relatively flat surface (it’s always easier to begin as flat as possible). The area should have good drainage and avoid tree roots, as well as buried utility lines.
Mark, measure and buy materials
Use wooden stakes pegged into the ground and string to mark out the area you wish to pave, then measure to find out how much paving you will need to buy. In addition to your paving stones, you will need landscape fabric (although heavy duty black plastic bags can work too), gravel for draining and builder’s sand.
Excavate the area
The depth to which you’ll need to excavate needs to take into account the depth of your paving stones as well as the patio drainage layers. Allow room for a 10 to 20 cm layer of gravel and a 3 cm layer of sand as a paving base. Your finished paving should sit just above the level of the ground to prevent water pooling. You can excavate the area using a good old fashioned spade, or opt for earthmoving equipment hire and rent a TLB to make the job a lot easier.
Assemble the drainage layers
Once the area is excavated, compact the soil with any of the quality soil compactors available from Talisman Hire, namely Plate compactors, Reversible plate compactors, Rammers or Walk-behind compaction rollers. Cover the base completely with landscape fabric. If you are using black plastic bags, perforate the plastic with holes for drainage. Pack a 10 to 20 cm layer of gravel firmly to weight the fabric or plastic down, paying attention to corners, then finish with a 3 cm layer of builder’s sand.
Pave the patio
Pave the patio border first, working to the centre. Lay your paving stones on top of the sand, wedging them into the sand as closely together as possible. Once the patio has been completely paved, cover the area with sand and tamp down well with a Plate compactor to ensure that the sand fills gaps between pavers. Allow the paving to settle for a couple of days, then wash off excess sand.
To find out more about construction hire of power tools and equipment, contact Talisman Plant and Tool Hire today.
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