How To Square, Screed & Install a Concrete Paver Patio

This patio is excavated, backfilled and ready for us to lay some pavers! Enjoy the video as we show you some tips & tricks of how we lay paver patios!
* To see how we prepared the base for this patio, click this video link right here 👉 • How To Excavate & Back...
* To see all the videos from this project, click this playlist link right here 👉 • Big Paver Patio and Fr...
- The main pavers we used on this project are manufactured by (Genest) and are called (Grand Katahdin) with a color tone of (Granite).
- The outer border pavers are also manufactured by (Genest) and are called (Katahdin) with a color tone of (Granite).
- The inner border pavers are manufactured by (Nicolock) and are called (Old Vienna) with a color tone of (Raven).
00:00 Introduction
01:22 Finishing base prep
05:08 Setting screed rails
14:05 Screeding the bedding material
20:31 The pavers we are using
20:47 Squaring up with string lines
27:22 Laying the pavers
37:34 Preparing for the next day

[@fixitwithzim]

Nice job as always man. In the finishing stages of a 14x14 patio in my backyard for a gazebo. Followed all your steps from start to finish. Couldn’t be happier. Thanks for all the great tips!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thank you, and that is awesome brother! Congrats on the build and I hope you enjoy it for many years, nothing better than enjoying something you build like that 👌 ✌

[@staceyrussell6330]

Thank you so much for this channel and the videos! I’m a school nurse with summers off and decided to put in a stone paver patio. We live on the coast of Maine and our lot is ALL granite ledge! lol! I have my plate compactor rented for this coming Sunday for the bedding. Fingers crossed I haven’t screwed this up! 😊You all do amazing work!

[@DavidBoysII-hz5zo]

CHS!! I just watched a video where you taught a level is about same height as a paver. I tested this and of course you’re spot on!! But why did I have to watch 20+ of your videos to learn this. Anyway, you got the best hard scape vids. Keep up the great work. God Bless!!!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

😂 Sorry I don't mention it more...LOL Thanks as always ✌

[@aaronthatcher8514]

That paver carrier you converted from a wheel barrow frame is a great idea. Probably saves alot of time moving small pavers. I bet you can fit a layer or more on that.

[@keithrayeski6417]

Slip knot….very useful. Listening to you talk about music, is how I think of watching you create…it’s my music! What an honor and thrill to watch you work! Hearing you talk about work ethic….does my old heart good! I know so many in your age group whose DNA, is dominated by the lazy gene! Not just in physical labor, but in learning something new or challenging! We need generations like you and Benny! Hard working honest men of character!! Rare guys you two are! Your dad raised you well and it shows in your relationship today! 👍🏻 Good men all of ya! Vote red!😎👍🏻🙏🏻

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

It sure is man, been a game changer for me in my career when it comes to laying pavers. And I really appreciate the support and the feedback! I know what you mean about our generation for sure... Not many are willing, never mind interested in this type of work. They all want the cushy office job. I'm very thankful that my Dad raised me the way he did and thankful for the relationship we have. Red all the way! ✌

[@roblescurbappealconcrete]

Excellent job, you two really do great work. I enjoy the videos and I hope you keep putting them out there. Thanks for sharing young man 🤙

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoy the videos. Sharing them is my pleasure! ✌

[@coug341]

Man I got to say I love watching your videos from start to finish. What you do is absolute art and because of your hard work and your willingness to share your art here helped inspire me to do my own paver walkway in front of my house. It’s the first time I’ve ever attempted something like that and I have been getting tons of compliments from my neighbors going so far as to ask me how much I would charge to do their walkway 😂. I posted a short through my channel and hope you check it out so I can get your thoughts! Thanks again for providing me this inspiration! Oh and I definitely gave you a quick shoutout at the end.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

That is awesome to heart man! I love doing this work and making these videos has been a blast. I love getting feedback like this and it really motivates me to keep going 👌 I just checked out the short you mentioned, excellent job man! I bet you are thrilled with how it came out. It is always great to step back and look at something you build yourself like that. Thanks again for the support and feedback ✌

[@DavidBoysII-hz5zo]

100% agree. I watch CHS’s videos just for fun. And he inspired me to do more paver walk ways.

[@triplefoam]

🙂 Brah - You seriously demonstrated a "slip" knot! LOL!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Heck yea, not many people know how to use strings and stakes... LOL

[@b5maddog]

Amazing as always!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thank you! ✌

[@christiangallardo5915]

Thank you Henderson, love your work.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

My pleasure, thank you! ✌

[@ThatPainterGuyKy]

Looking amazing as always pal..I can’t say it enough love your work and love those pavers…

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thanks brother! Those pavers are sweet and my customers keep wanting them over other ones they see. ✌

[@ChickenFarmerMA]

Lookin nice!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thanks man!

[@DavidBoysII-hz5zo]

CHS gets it right every time!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

✌

[@eladvanallen8282]

You've inspired me brother. My wife and I are going to build a small wall and walkway this summer and do it ourselves. It'll probably take us a month bc I am in a wheelchair and cant move like I used to but we're gonna get it done. She's a beast. I know she can do it. Its me Im worried about lol. Found a Techo-Block distributor near here already and I already know we can get the 3/4 clean base stone. Gonna make some calls tomorrow to see if I can find the 1/4-3/8 clean chip stone around here bc I dont want to use sand if I dont have to. Wish us luck! Thanks for all the great lessons!

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

That is great to hear brother! and nothing wrong with taking a little extra time to do it yourselves. Glad you are getting it all nailed down and I wish you both luck on the build! Would love to see the outcome when you finish ✌

[@eladvanallen8282]

@@TheChristianHardscaper Woa brother those blocks are expensive! We got the stone delivered and put half of the dinero we need to buy the pavers away in an envelope and decided to wait to next spring so we can afford to do it right. I could afford to do cinder blocks and veneer but my heart really wants to do the block wall so we're just gonna have to wait a little longer than expected. Hopefully the stone will be ok in the driveway under a tarp until then. More time to watch more of your videos! Haha

[@tomalley798]

Nice trailer (intro) at the beginning. Maybe you should leave them for shorts before you put the long version. You wife doing fab with the cuts.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thank you, she really is doing a great job. Couldn't be happier! I have thought about making those into shorts but it seems to be tough getting shorts viewers to go over to the full length video... I just like to give everyone a quick peak into what the video will be about. ✌

[@jonathanhubbs6281]

Looks great and I love your videos! One thing you might do is remove the fish eye setting on your GoPro. This will make everything flat instead of super rounded and help show off the level lines you’ve worked so hard to get

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Great point, when I have the head cam on, that setting helps with how wide it films. But definitely messes with the visuals on straight lines. I'll have to try and film the walkthroughs on a regular setting. ✌

[@rossnolan2883]

Super 😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@ajaygurung4777]

Great job😍👌🍻

[@amirsyarifuddin9544]

Love it

[@nicko5566]

Nice paver work and informative video. Do you water the base rock before compacting? Do you water the chip stone base before you lay the pavers?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thank you! And no, I don't water these base stone layers

[@DianaKay81]

Are you in the mood to come to Philly?😏 ❤

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

That would be a long drive... 😂 ✌

[@oil_can]

Instead of using two sizes of gravel for the base, can you use the crushed 1/4” for the entire project?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

I definitely do not recommend that. It would not be stable enough and it would not drain as well. The 3/4 stone for the base is very important

[@SuperPatBee]

Good day you and all your subscribers. I am in need of an advice. First time doing such a big project for a newbie. Briefly, I have excavated a 25'x15'x10" area in the backyard, with a 9" layer of gravel compacted down to 6", one inch of stone dust and paved an area of 24'x'12' with 2'x1'x2 3/4" pavers. The perimeter has been bordered and normally I would be at the step where I'd poor polymer sand and water it, except that I am getting conflicting advices and point of views: some say I should vibrate the sand in with the same device I used for the gravel, bare steel plate, some say I should use a sort of rubber cover on the steel plate, some say I should not vibrate with a gas device but only with a hand held stamp, some say yes but put a rubber cover on the stamper, some say just brush the sand in and water. I get advices from friends who've done similar jobs, I get advices from the know-it-all brother-in-law, from youtubers and I have watched a dozen of The Christian Hardscaper's videos. Right now I am on hold, covered the area with plastic tarps and begging for GOOD advice as to how to go about the sand step. I did a pretty good job for a first timer, spent a lot of backbreaking hours and money on this project so I would hate to mess it up this close to the finish line. I live in the north-east of Canada, ground subject to freezing and thawing. Thanks, looking for your replies.

[@RFing22]

If you do it with the bare plate it’ll prob scratch your pavers. It should be vibrated or tamped in to the joints from everything I’ve seen. I’ve seen one guy put down a 4x8 sheet of foam board and he uses the compactor on top of that to get the sand into the joints

[@eliasnull]

Instead of sand, use EasyJoint or Extreme Easy. It is a much better product than polysand(watch Pave Tool Innovators videos and website). You simply wash/broom it into the joints and then run across it with a roller compactor or a plate compactor WITH a poly pad. Feel free to call Pave Tool with any questions. They are super helpful and are all about educating and helping others having run a hardscape company with 50+ employees for almost 40 years.

[@angulosalv]

Awesome work bro! Hey I am starting my hardscaping business in NH and love to see your approach and applaud your attitude towards the trade. Could I bother you with some questions here and there as they come ?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Thanks brother and congratulations on starting your business! I love this work and can't picture myself doing anything else honestly.. I'm happy to help you with whatever I can when possible ✌

[@mikeymopar1171]

There is video on KZbin of10 year old boy Joy Ride in bobcat that you were talking about in the beginning

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

That's hilarious! I will have to check it out 😂 ✌

[@turkeyridgewoodworking]

I love your channel, Kyle. You and Ben work well together. How do you handle putting a patio into an area that has been excavated far beyond the patio size? I have a 30ft by 60 ft area where I removed an old deck that was on top of a concrete patio which was on top of 6 inches of dirty 1 inch gravel and want to put a 14x14 patio in. Can I build the base up to 15x15 and backfill after? Any stability concerns with that approach?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Glad to hear it, thank you! We sure do work well together. And you certainly can do it as you described. And once the patio is done, just bring in some top soil to fade the grade into the patio and surrounding area.

[@tristanlanglais1508]

How many inches of base material do you have under the pavers?

[@addamjenkins75]

I'm in Ohio. Most of the patios I've seen built get a concrete pad for the base.

[@conejitopajarita8929]

Hi there. Nice videos. Thanks for taking the time doing those. Have you doing paver around a pool? Do you use the plate compactor for the base?

[@calebhartley7192]

I just finished moving and compacting in 12 yards of 3/4” stone, and realized I forgot to lay down the geotextile fabric. Should I dig it out or live with it. Really appreciate your advice on this. I’m torn up about it forgetting. It’s DIY.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Hey there, I feel like it would be a lot of extra work... I think I would just let it be and hope for the best. Some guys don't even use fabric with their projects. It is very helpful and I do believe it helps a project last longer, but you still should get a long life even without the fabric simply because how well the water drains through clean stone. good luck with your project! ✌

[@calebhartley7192]

I decided to dig it out in sections and lay the fabric. 18 yards by shovel was a bear. It’s my first patio, and I wanted to do it right. Thanks again for all your help.

[@TheCrimsonOne]

Great video! I live somewhere that gets around 20 feet of snow a year so the paving stones would be under snow for around 5 months a year. Do you know how paving stones hold up in that kind of snow? Or would i be better going for stamped concrete? Any advice is greatly appreciated

[@JoseLopez-tt2qu]

Hi. I enjoyed watching these videos because I am about to do a patio with travertine pavers. Question: can I use the same base materials for travertine pavers that you use in your jobs?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Hey there, glad the videos were helpful for you. You can absolutely use this same base materials for travertine pavers. The only thing with those pavers is you will have to set the last 3-4 inches of the edge pavers on a small bed of concrete to help lock everything together. With regular concrete pavers, we can just concrete the outer edges. But with the thinner travertine pavers, that won't hold them strong enough.

[@iraabney198]

Im doing a 16×16 patio in my back yard. Do you go 10inch depth with all your patios or does it depends on the height your want the paver to set

[@hagsag460]

Question for you kyle, my local landscaping/gravel places only carry limestone screening or sand and I'm not really sure what to use for a bedding material out of those two, what would you recommend?

[@joeyg1463]

we use a clean 3/8 " crushed limstone in my area...much better drainage sands okay but not as good imo

[@hagsag460]

What if none of my local suppliers carry that?

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

Not sure what limetsone screenings are. Does that mean there are still fines and dust? if so, I don't recommend that. I would say try to find a 3/8" pea stone if you cant get 3/8" clean crushed limestone like the other comment has mentioned. Worst case scenario, lay a non woven cloth fabric over the 3/4 stone base and use sand on top of that.

[@monkeybutler90]

Will it be a problem if my bedding material is a little over 1.5 inches?

[@calebhartley7192]

Is the second round of compacting required for the 3/4” rock for a residential patio? I thought I heard you say in another video that you only compact the first inch or two.

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

With open grade base, that is a debatable topic. Up to 6 inches of stone for a foot traffic application doesn't necessarliy have to be compacted depending on who you talk to in this industry. I Laid many walkways and patios without compacting the 3/4 stone (only 6 inches or less) and those projects are still fine to this day. But It also does nothing but help when you do compact the top layer. So I have leaned more towards compacting the top layer every time now just to be safe.

[@calebhartley7192]

Thank you for the clarification, and I appreciate you sharing all your videos.

[@calebhartley7192]

I am doing 5” of 3/4” crushed clean stone for my base. I compacted in 2”. I am going to add 3 more inches. Do I need to add a little more than 3 inches to account for settling if I don’t compact the top layer?

[@joehaynes7092]

So is 6 inches of gravel and 1 inch of paver sand at Home Depot going to work i planned on doing 2 inches compact and then landscape fabric and then the remaining 4 inches and then sand but I think I heard you do 3/4 and 3/8 gravel instead but I can’t find any near me and sand is very cheap. Would be 17x15 rectangle and have grill fire pit and outdoor furniture

[@RFing22]

Try to find a landscape supply company. The stone is SO much cheaper than Home Depot

[@eliasnull]

Sand holds water and will move the pavers when winter comes if you do not have it at good slope. I would strongly recommend stone instead.

[@goodbetter1187]

Hi what are the thickness of the pipes, thanks

[@TheChristianHardscaper]

They are 1" inner diameter. about 1-1/4" exterior diameter

[@blitzkrieg9414]

Where in Massachusetts is this

[@RFing22]

He’s based out of Oxford, ma

[@kenactofkindness4017]

[@finnoconnell7262]

Hate setting screed rails

[@eliasnull]

Having a good laser really helps. I use/recommend a dual slope one. Set the parallel with the house at 0 degree and the slope away from the house at a 1 or 2 degree depending on application. Then set your pipes is much faster and more accurate across the entire patio than a level is.