Paving stones are a durable and natural covering for garden paths, seats, the garden pavilion and the terrace. Installed professionally, the effort required for maintenance is reduced to a minimum. These instructions explain step by step how to pave your garden yourself.
How to pave a garden yourself?
To pave the garden yourself, you have to dig the ground, place curbs, create the bed, lay the paving stones in a pattern and fill in jointing sand. The excavation depth, gradient, joint width as well as material and tool-related aspects must be taken into account.
Material list and preparatory work
Prior to practice, there is theory in the form of a scaled sketch plan. Find out more about the different qualities of the materials, as paving stones are also available as eco-friendly or seepage stones with improved water permeability. The following materials and tools are required:
- Paving stones
- Curbs
- Sand, gravel, gravel
- Concrete
- Joint sand
- Wheelbarrow
- Spade, broom, rake, spirit level, rubber mallet
- vibration plate (rented)
- Clinker cutter (rented)
- Stakes, guidelines, meter rule
Stake out the area with the stakes and the ruler. Use the spade to dig the ground to a depth of 30 to 35 cm. In regions with severe winter frost, we recommend an excavation depth of 60 to 90 cm.
Setting curbs and creating bedding - this is how it works
Curbs are essential for the reliable stability of the entire paving surface. A concrete foundation 10 to 20 cm thick prevents the stones from slipping. Go stone by stone and tap everything into place with the rubber mallet after checking the course with the spirit level. As a rule of thumb, curbs should be a third of their height in concrete.
Only when the concrete of the strip foundation has dried do you lay out the bed for the paving stones. To ensure that rainwater can drain away easily, please allow for a gradient of at least 2 percent. A 20 to 30 cm thick layer of sand, gravel or gravel acts as a settlement-free subsoil and is secured with the vibrating plate. Spread a 4 to 5 cm thick layer of sand on top and smooth it out.
Laying paving stones – how to do it right
Lay the paving stones in the planned pattern with a joint width of 3 to 5 millimeters. Tap each stone into the bed with the rubber mallet. It is important to note that you use the spirit level to regularly check whether you are placing the stones straight and aligned. Use the clinker cutter to cut each paving stone precisely into shape.
Pay special attention to the quality of the joint sand, so you don't have to worry about weeds and ants later. Polymeric joint sand, e.g. B. Dansand is ecologically harmless. Thanks to its composition, the material suppresses annoying weeds and keeps ants away. Repeatedly sweep in the joint sand with the broom until the paving stones form a gap-free surface.
Tip
Didn't you use up all the paving stones? Then simply use the excess to create a fire pit in the garden. To do this, dig a 15 cm deep pit, cover the bottom with gravel and stack the paving stones staggered around it. A little mortar between the joints creates the necessary stability.