Getting a paver patio right

The base is the patio. Pavers laid on thin or uncompacted gravel will rut and settle within a season no matter how carefully they were placed.

• No edge restraint. Without it the perimeter creeps outward and the joints open up. It is the cheapest part of the job and the one that holds it together.
• No slope. Fall about 1/4 in per foot away from the house or water will find the low corner and sit there.
• Buying exact. Colour varies between production batches. Buying short means the replacements will not match.

Pattern and waste

Running bond and stack bond waste about 5%. A 45° herringbone cuts every paver along both edges and wants 10%. Sweep polymeric sand into the joints once the patio is laid and compacted.