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Preparing the pathway before you start paving is important, the key is having a solid foundation to lay the pavers on. For the foundation, lay a 50mm bed of level, crushed rock on the pathway. Run and secure a border along both sides of where you want the pathway to be. The border will make sure that your brick paving remains firmly in place as you lay it.
A straight edge will make sure that your sand and cement mix is level for the pavers to be laid on. To make the straight edge, cut a piece of timber so that it's the same width as the pathway. Determine how high you want the sand and cement mixture to be and hold the piece of timber at that height. Then use a pencil to mark it at the end. Measure off the same height at the other end of the piece of timber. Hammer nails in at the same height at both ends of the timber.
Sit the nails on the ends of the straight edge on top of the wooden border and, starting at the beginning of your path, pull it towards you. This screeding, makes the sand and cement mixture level so that you can start laying the pavers. You may need to repeat this to ensure the mixture is flat.
After your mixture is level, you can start to lay the pavers. With this project the pavers are being laid in a simple offset pattern called stretcher bond. This is where the joints are offset by exactly half the width of the paver. Lay two rows of pavers in this pattern.
After laying two rows of pavers, tie a string line around an unused paver and put it one side of the wooden border. Pull the string line across the path and tie it around another paver. Put this paver directly opposite the other paver and pull the string line tight. This will let you see if the pavers are level. If a paver is lower than the string line, remove it and put some more sand and cement mixture underneath it. Tap it in place with the rubber mallet. If a paver is too high, remove it and scrape away the sand and tap it in place with the mallet. Or just try tapping it down with the mallet.
Mix more sand and cement onto the crushed rock foundation. Screed it using your straight edge, to make it level. If there is some sand mixture close to the pavers that you can't screed, make it level using your hand. Continue laying more pavers on top of the screeded mixture. If there are a few pavers that are tight to fit, use the rubber mallet to tap them into place. After laying the next rows of pavers, check they are level using the string line. Adjust the height of the pavers to make sure they're all level.
Mix more sand and cement on the crushed rock foundation. Screed so that it's level. Lay more rows of pavers and use the string line to check that they're level as well. Repeat this process until you have finished paving your pathway.
Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.
When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.
