Excavate, Prepare Base, and Install Edge Restraints
At 0:05 in
Well, charcoal, but same thing. #hardscapebrotherhood #landscaper #landscaping #Unilock
What happens here
After the layout is finalized, excavate the area for the walkway. Dig down to a depth that accommodates the base material (typically 4-6 inches of crushed gravel) plus the thickness of the pavers and approximately 1 inch of bedding sand. Ensure a slight slope away from the house for proper drainage (about 1/4 inch per foot). Once excavated, compact the subgrade using a plate compactor. Next, install edge restraints along the perimeter of the walkway. These can be flexible plastic or metal restraints, secured with spikes, or as seen in the video, a hard paver border (Brussels border) set in concrete to provide a strong, stable edge.
Goal: Create a stable and properly drained foundation for the paver walkway.
Tools and materials
- Brussels Border Pavers Unilock — Installing the permanent edge restraint
- Level Stanley — Checking the slope and flatness of the subgrade and base
- Plate Compactor Wacker Neuson — Compacting the subgrade and base layers
- Rake — Spreading aggregate materials evenly
- Shovel — Excavating the soil for the walkway base
- Trowel Marshalltown — Applying concrete for border pavers
- Concrete Mix Quikrete — Setting the Brussels border pavers
- Crushed Gravel — Creating the compacted base layer