The SIMPLEST Way To Install A Paver Walkway (That Won't Sink!)

Paving stones are a great way to add character to your home's exterior. Whether it's a beautiful walkway like this one leading up to your home or a huge patio in the backyard for entertaining by the fire. But if done wrong, it can become a bigger problem than expected, like with this path that was laid 5–10 years ago. We see huge cracks, an uneven surface, not to mention the grass and weeds growing through them. Today we set out to find out why they are collapsing and what to do to ensure that this never happens again. Let's start the video. Okay, we need to clear this up. Let's see what's happening here. There is some sand here, and that is good. We have a wire here that lies very shallow. And I'm looking for something that's responsible for drainage. I don't see...I see some rocks, but it's mostly dirt. I can already see a few mistakes, but there's still a lot to dig up here, guys. First task. Let's tear them out and see what's really under them now. A good day for a good cause. Should it come off so easily? Great question. No. Absolutely not. And speaking of how it shouldn't be: you shouldn't be able to fit your entire finger through the gap . This is not in the instructions. One reason I can already see is probably snow accumulated after a heavy winter storm from the roof. There are several such piles here, the snow was not removed, it was left lying around, and there is no drainage layer. I imagine how all this has expanded over time. I mean, the pressure has to go somewhere, right? Here is one way to move paving stones. I need to go get some materials. Hey, a little warning. I have guests today, relatives, and they want to help me with the video. I had a cousin come over, he took an international flight to visit me. Many of you don't know, but I am Russian. I was born there and still speak two languages. So my cousin is flying into town and will help me here. I don't know when he'll show up or what he'll do, to be honest, so be lenient with him . He's cool, but a little… well, you know, he thought I was special. Well, this guy is, well, unique. Okay, class. Okay, everyone be quiet. Today we are learning about paving stones. My name is Yuri. Yes, Yuri. From your ashes. Yes. A long, long journey. Very far. Bus, bicycle, cat. Don't ask how crazy you are. Alex, he had a situation. He left. His cow was hit by a bus. Very sad news. But it's okay. His cousin Yuri is here. And Yuri is here to help. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Alex said to explain to people how to lay paving stones. I said, no problem, you like cobblestones. Very simple. We have a crazy guy who puts paving stones right on the ground, which is okay, cool, you just throw a stone on the ground and okay, someone will pick it up, no problem. And then here we have 3/4 inch. You don't know how many millimeters that is, you know, Soviet Russia. Okay. So, crushed stone, a very aggressive word, but, uh, 3/4 inch crushed stone here. Now, why gravel? Well, gravel has sharp edges. So when Yuri rams, he holds on. If the pebbles are soft, no, too soft. Yuri doesn't like it when everything falls apart. We put paving stones on top. Okay. One more second. Yuri will find another brick. Okay. Another brick. 2 inch paving stones . Oh, big dog. Oh, this bad man. Oh, Yuri doesn't love, oh. Oh, Yuri adores his favorite brick. Okay. Okay. Perfectly. Okay. Okay. Hey, a question for you. Why this, uh, Mr. Builder Alex? Why is he wearing a cowboy hat? Ha? Wait. He, he thinks he's John Wayne. Crazy, crazy guy. Okay. Okay. Okay. So, earth, 3/4 crushed stone. Okay. Now water. Water flows down. Oh, water. You want to drink. We are ready to continue. Okay. So, we have water. It is raining. The paving stones are being laid. No problem. We have dirt here. Let's see what happens. or all the water collects and does not go down. Not good. Mother Nature likes to filter water downward because she wants to drink. Okay, now we have rubble here. Oh, look at this. Let 's look, let's look carefully. Oh, let's see. Oh, let's see. All the water goes down here. All the water stays there on top. Not good. Perfectly. It's not good to hit someone in the face. No, don't do that. Do this. So, when you're landscaping , use 3/4- inch crushed stone and call Yuri: " Yuri, hi, I did it." And you will be satisfied. Okay, so we'll get to that now . This will be a big day. Our Humpty Dumpty trailer brought us a bunch of stuff. 3/4 inch crushed stone , a very abrasive stone. This will help with compacting the entire site. As for compaction, I went to the local Tate Rents and picked up a vibrating plate. By the way, I recently heard from my excavator driver Tanner. You've seen him on the channel many times. He helped us with the house, helped...well, not really helped, I helped remodel his parents' garage. He calls her PL, what does he say there? "Whacker". And I thought that was the coolest name—" Wacker." So I went into the Tate. And he said, "Guys, I've come to pick up my Wacker." And they understood exactly what I needed. Okay , let's dump this, grab the forklift, and get to work. But first we need geotextile fabric. Well, what's a street project without breaking a sprinkler or damaging an irrigation line. So here, before we start laying the foundation, I stopped by the construction hypermarket for materials. We need to finish the work on the pergola. We took Sharpie markers. We need caps for the PEX pipes because we accidentally turned on the water in the shower and it sprayed everywhere. But in our situation, we need our reliable couplings. The sprinklers have been repaired. The fabric is spread out. Now let's dump the stone and drive the loader here. Devil. The loader is behind us, and we just laid down the fabric. And if you know these things, they will grab onto the fabric and tear it to pieces. Damn it. OK. Let's see how careful we can be with such heavy equipment. The whole secret is to align it so that you don't have to turn it to the sides. I hope a direct flight without stops will work. At least theoretically , but you know how it is with theories. Don't suspect. No, don't suspect. Hey, Kyle, be honest. Would I really get angry if a skid steer drove over, say, the street rug near our house? I mean, I have a conceptual proof. This is where it matters. Right here. We might get kicked out of here. Oh, baby. Lower this bucket so we don't tip over. Nothing can stop us now, baby. With this song, nothing will stop us. The worst is behind us. I'm going to put on my pants now. I'm going to put on my pants now . The choice was made. I urgently needed to go to the toilet. I had several options. I could take off my gloves or leave them on and do the job. I won't say which option I chose, but I'll have to take a long shower afterwards. I won't lie, it's pretty risky— leaning in like that. Weed control is in place so that no dandelions grow, and if they do, they will grow on rocks where they can be easily pulled out. Now we're going to tamp it down nicely with our plate compactor . Old vibratory rammer, little one. Heat. Gay. Gay. Gay. Oh, the chicken is so delicious. You have to eat it twice. Oh, class. Greetings. We are back from break. Yes, bellies are full after lunch. Have you been to McDonald's? Perfectly. Yuriy loves American McDonald's. Okay, we have sand here. Yes. OK. Yes. The sand is needed for only one purpose - to keep the dogs away. No, no, it's just a joke. Just a joke. You see, that's why level is so important so that your paving doesn't go in waves like Rocky Road ice cream. No, no, no. You're just, you're just kidding. Relax. Sand is needed so that the paving stones lie flat on a soft substrate, and when we ram them hard, they won't break, but will remain like a baby in a blanket. Yuri loves children. Okay, let Yuri show you. We have tile number one. Tile number two. Oh, okay. A little bit here. Enough. Good night, my sweet prince, you are Yuri's favorite. Okay, friends, we're halfway there . In some countries, sand is not used. Limestone rubble is used. No , I'm kidding. Limestone. This helps with better drainage and compacts it a bit . Additional drainage. Let Yuriy show why we use sand , recycle, and care about nature. OK. Let's show it with water. H2O. OK. Look, look carefully. Rain. El Niño . Wow. Water is everywhere. Wait a second. Wait. The water is n't going anywhere. So, the water pushes the paving stones apart, like Moses splitting the sea or lake. I don't remember that story, but look at it from above, it's just crazy! And then she tries to get wet for a long time, no one likes that. Let's see how to do it right with VR: rocks below and sand . Check it out, man, oh my God! What happened? Oh, drainage. Yes, drainage. It passes through here and goes down very quickly. Yes. It's still standing. Why don't you go home like the others? Your mom, dad, and sister miss you. This one is already in a happy family. Have a wonderful day. The paving stone is happy. Sand is happy and drinks water with filler. Oh, this is a real superhero. Still not a crazy guy. No. And this guy is so happy. Come on . Yes. So, the decisive day has come, friends. Everything is packed nicely and tightly. We'll start on this side now, mostly because I still have to fix that sprinkler. I had a wonderful weekend. It was, in fact, my birthday weekend. The guy is 38 years old and four months sober. So life couldn't be better. Now we are here, in the backyard. We are laying all the stones. Everything is compressed. We need to bring in some sand. One thing to do is to level this area. I use my galvanized steel pipes. This will create a one inch barrier. The most difficult thing is if you are joining an existing surface and want the levels to match. In my experience, Mother Nature does what she wants. Eventually, things will settle down a bit. The only question is how much? And your job is to take that into account. So the way my brain works, my "lizard" brain, if you will, it likes logical things. So, this one-inch layer of sand will go towards leveling. And everything here is packed. We have these 5 inches. Then I take the paving stones , put them on top, and that's my finishing level. Like I said, Mother Nature is doing her thing. So what I'm going to do is this: instead of doing it flush, I'm going to start a quarter inch higher. That way, when I go back and nail it down to set the pavers in place, it will be taken into account. Maybe it's one- eighth, maybe a full quarter. Who knows? So, everything will become clear tomorrow. Meanwhile, we sand , sand, paper, paper, paper, rinse and repeat. This rhymes. If I had to give you some advice , I would say: take your time, take it slow. Another very important detail that you should remember in the future. Make sure there is a slight slope away from the building. And the reason is that when water starts to collect, if you have these waves on the pavement or a flat area, the water will accumulate there and take a long time to absorb or evaporate. Over time, the paving stones will absorb moisture. The water will have nowhere to go, and the tiles will swell and shift. And that's probably what happened to the previous paving that was here. This is my favorite part. This is where everything comes together. As we move forward, we move these galvanized pipes. By the way, some people use PVC pipes, but I was advised to use these because they bend less, so the surface turns out smoother. And when you move them forward, and you're not using them, take a trowel or something handy and some sand, like this. Sprinkle with it and smooth it out. This way you won't leave paving stones over the void, and over time the sand won't settle, which could cause the tiles to sink. So all these little things will help improve the quality of your paving. And think of the thousands and thousands of dollars you'll save by doing it yourself. Thank you. I hope that when you do this project, you will do it in the fall, not the summer . So that you don't get heat stroke like I did in the last video . If you haven't seen it, watch it. What really amazes me is that if we do everything right, this tile I'm laying right now will be in this exact spot and look pretty much the same for the next 30-50 years. And if we did a bad job, which we didn't, but if we missed the preparatory stages, after 3-4 years everything would look terrible. So for me, this is pretty exciting news, although a little scary, but it says a lot. There is a lot of conflicting information about such projects, and you should not use the wrong one. So for this we created " Building House". This is our closed community, where people like you and me love to build, and we don't need haters to stop us. This is a place where you can share your projects, ask questions, even those you think are silly , and we will answer them. So, if you have any unfinished projects, come there and ask questions. We will all as a group give you the answers we think will work best. And it's a great place to show off your work. This is the place where you will find your like- minded people. Look there. There 's a QR code there. I promise you'll love it there. Oh, and by the way, when you do this, make sure you put down some kind of platform. Maybe a 4x4 sheet of plywood so you can walk on it. Because I didn't and I had to walk through the house to get here. Fortunately, I now have a lawn. The hardest part is behind us. But I'll keep this a secret from you. This will remain between us. We have a few things to do here. Antenna cables and all that. This is called a grounding rod . It comes from your electrical panel in the garage, where all the ground wires connect, and then goes into the ground. But as you can see, there used to be a ground rod here , but now it's gone. He was moved here. So, this is version 1.0. It doesn't even meet modern standards because of its size. I'll cut it off so we can fill it all up. And then we will install new ground rods with the help of professionals. I can't use any of these bricks. They are all damaged. They are all in some kind of mess. Let me check if I have more stock in the back and what's going on there. The good news about this brick is that it is the cheapest brick you can find. It seems like it costs two dollars a piece at the local Home Depot, which is unheard of. However, I am " upcycling," if you will, doing my part for the environment by using bricks that were already here. The one on the side was in good condition. However, some of them were broken or chipped. But there was another row of paving stones there. And, well, let's put it this way. The homeowner decided to get creative so they wouldn't have to part ways. And that's what we did. He laid all the paving stones close together. And instead of polymer sand to fill the joints, he decided to use, in my opinion , a self-leveling floor compound. Um, it has an epoxy coating. So they were all just lying together like that, and I had to separate them. That's why the seams came apart. There are a lot of bricks here. So I'll either have to pay for their recycling, because you can't just take them to the landfill . They are very heavy. Or, secondly, I'll try to clean them, reuse them, and buy what I might need. Why is this happening to me? This always has to happen to me. Class. We'll save a ton of money on paving stones by not buying new ones but repurposing this one. Oh, cool. You'll have to spend hours cleaning them before you can use them again. This is a DIY project I didn't sign up for, man. No. Damn, I broke a piece off. What a mess. This won't work. It feels like the previous owner is trying to play with my emotions, you know? I know he's dead, may he rest in peace, but it seems like he was saying, "You know what? " Before I leave, I'm going to make Alex suffer a lot with this cobblestone." They are not suitable for use at all. If the mortar is brittle, then yes, it can be chipped off or sanded down a bit, but it's some crazy epoxy stuff. It holds up well, and as soon as you try to knock it off from the top, everything looks fine, but as a result, the bottom part breaks off . Pause. Here, look at this. It just keeps tearing off pieces. Nothing will save him now. So, there remains a sharp edge here, and God forbid, as in this case. It flows from above. Well, there's nothing you can do about it. You can scrape it all you want, but it will just chip off in pieces . Sorry, I'm throwing concrete at you. He breaks off pieces. So , this is garbage. Absolute garbage. This thing isn't bad yet, but I have plans for it. So if you're wondering what the plans are, they're two different pavers, but they 'll all look great. If you've seen this video about the patio, you know that this was the starting slab, we used these classic 5 by 12 tiles and laid them down, which I think expands this patio quite nicely. But these other paving stones are square, and we have more of them. So we'll lay them out here, and they'll adjoin here, closing this space. This is a place where you can put all your trash cans so they don't stink up the garage, take up a lot of space, and leave more space for bikes, storage, etc. Okay, I exhaled. I spoke out. It's much easier for me now. Thank you for listening. I'll go to the store and get some more paving stones. Fortunately, I do n't need that much of it. Probably not even a full pallet. We'll finish this up and then see if we can come up with a cost-effective solution for the curb. Because if you don't have a border, some kind of transitional element, it honestly looks unfinished. A little too simple for my taste. Oh, just a little. My back is numb. Looks great. In a day and a half, I laid 6 by 50 feet of paving stones. This is a long cobblestone path. However, in my opinion , it looks a bit boring, especially using regular paving stones. But there is a way to fix this. A small border, especially with the addition of a color accent, is like the icing on the cake. Let's use these red elements that were already here. I think it will be like a frame for a picture that will bring everything together. If I can give you one little piece of advice, which took me a long time to come to—leave yourself plenty of room to dig, okay? So if you're thinking, " Oh, the path is going to be 45 to 48 inches wide," go for something like 55, because you're still going to need a curb. Even if not, you will need about 2.5 inches more for the edge to keep the pavers from shifting. This will make your life much easier when everything is planned properly and you don't have to dig in the middle of the project. Besides, we call it excavation. We're just digging up some more soil. Relax. We're not that serious here. This is one of those moments when you realize that whoever built this house, or in particular this fence, didn't place it exactly level with the boundaries of the plot. Or maybe the surveyor made a mistake. But I'm essentially using the foundation of the house as my level line. And they will measure from this house to that one. So theoretically everything works out fine. Then look at this fence. It starts narrow and then widens. So, either this side should go inward so I have more yard. And by "more" I mean an extra 4 inches, which is, honestly, 4 inches. That is quite enough. That's enough. This will be enough to get the job done. Why complain? Big ones hurt. But we're only 4 inches short. So either this part goes inward, where we have less yard space, or this part goes outward, and we get more yard space. But in any case, I think it would be right to either cover it with gravel, just in case the fence has to be replaced, and we don't damage anything, or we cut up every piece of brick and put it in there. But it will always be noticeable . So you 'll be thinking: why is this fence uneven? Here is the dilemma I am facing right now. But enough talking. Let's install a curb to secure this paving stone so it doesn't start shifting, because I know with my luck an earthquake is just…