it into a beautiful backyard patio. We ll take you through all the steps, but first,

we need to prepare the site. (step 1 planning) It all starts with a plan. You can lay your

project out on paper, or use Menards free design-it Depending on the size of your project,

you may be able to dig the area by hand or you may wish to bring in heavy equipment.

Either way, having a smooth and level base for the pavers and landscape blocks is the

most important step to successful completion of the project. Lay out the area you ll be

excavating, making it about a foot larger than the area to be paved. Remove the sod

and dig down about seven to nine inches to leave room for the sub-base, a layer of sand

and the pavers. When digging, try not to disturb the soil underneath, a process known as skimming

. This helps provide a firm base. (step 3 preparing the sub base) Stakes and strings

marking the exact dimensions of the patio are set into place. Check for square and level.

Plan to slope the patio slightly, especially if it s next to a building, to help provide

proper drainage. A layer of crushed stone or aggregate is spread over the soil and compacted

with a plate compactor. Small areas can be compacted with a hand tamper. A second layer

of sub-base is spread over the first and checked for level. Fill in any low spots. Compact

again. The finished sub-base should be about three inches below the finished level of the

pavers. (step 4 creating the paver base) Before any pavers can be set into place, a bed of

sand must be prepared. Use 1-inch conduit, pipe or similar material, and lay them 6 to

8 feet apart. Spread sand between the pipes, know n as screed rails . Take a 2 by 4 board

and drag it across the rails, spreading and smoothing the sand as you go. Fill in any

low spots. Slide the rails back as you go and fill the indentations in with sand. Trowel

them smooth as you go. Don t walk on, compact or disturb the sand after you ve finished

screeding. You re now ready to start laying the paving blocks. To stay up-to-date on all

of Menards how-to projects, subscribe to our channel, here!