Finally realized 40sqm of pavers solo in a day was a pipe dream

I went through the same grind last October with about 35 square meters of charcoal clay pavers. Moving five tonnes of crushed rock is no joke when you're using a standard wheelbarrow and a shovel. I remember my lower back screaming after the third hour of running the plate compactor. I actually rented a Wacker Neuson for the weekend because those light-duty vibratory plates just don't hit deep enough to get that rock base truly solid.

One thing I found was that using the 2-8mm screenings as a final bed can be tricky if they aren't perfectly dry when you sweep in the jointing sand later. I opted for a slightly thinner bedding layer—about 25mm—over my road base to minimize any future shifting. It took me nearly four days instead of two, but once I got the string lines set and started clicking the pavers into place, the pace finally picked up. Don't rush the edge restraints now that you're close to the finish line. I used a simple cement haunching along the flower bed side, and it's kept everything tight even through the heavy spring rains. You’ll be glad you spent the extra time on that sub-base when you don't see any dipping after the first time you park the truck on it.

I acutally took the opposite route and skipped the crushed rock for a thicker crushed limestone base. When I did my 45-square-meter section last summer, I found that limestone dust packs down much tighter than the 2-8mm gravel for the final leveling. It creates a surface that almost feels like a slab once you hit it with enough water and the plate compactor.

Instead of eyeballing the grade, I used 1-inch conduit pipes as screed rails buried in the bedding sand. It takes an extra hour to set the heights with a laser level, but once those pipes are in, you just pull a straight edge across them and the surface is perfectly flat. I tried doing it by hand on a small walkway years ago and ended up with 'the ocean' because of all the dips and peaks.

For the joints, don't skimp on the polymeric sand. I used the Alliance G2 stuff on my driveway. It’s pricey compared to regular play sand, but it prevents those pesky weeds from popping up trough the cracks two months later. Since you’ve put in all that effort on the foundation, you’ll want somethig that locks the pavers together so they don't shift when you pull your truck in.

I'm curious if you've considered using 20mm galvanized steel pipes as screed rails for that final 2-8mm bedding layer, becasue I've found that merely raking the screenings often leads to subtle undulations that only become apparent once the pavers are seated and the plate compactor causes differential settlement. While that grit size is excellent for drainage, you must ensure your jointing sand is angular rather than rounded, because the mechanical interlock between those fine particles is what prevents the lateral migration of the pavers under the torque of your vehicle's tires. If you don't acheive the optimal proctor density during that final compaction, you'll likely see rutting where the tires track within six months or so.

Man, those 40 meters'll kill your knees if you're not careful. Hope you've got some decent gel pads 'cause the crawling part's way worse than the shoveling. Since the wife finally picked a pattern, I'm hopin' it's not a 45-degree herringbone. That's a nightmare for cuts. If you're doing a border, make sure you've got a wet saw ready or you'll be there another week just on the edges.

Since you're finally getting to the laying part, do yourself a favor and grab several bags of Alliance Gator Super Sand Bond for the joints. I used it on my last driveway and it's a total game changer compared to regular play sand. It locks the blocks in so tight that weeds won't stand a chance in those 40 square meters next year. Just make sure the pavers are 100% bone dry before you sweep it in. It’s the only way to make sure that solid sub-base you built doesn't get undermined by washouts later.

Quick update — the 20mm steel pipe trick for screeding worked wonders, and the bedding is finally flat. I'm still struggling with the border cuts, though; there are way more than I anticipated. My knees are definitely feeling the crawl now. For those who’ve done this, did you mark and cut all your edges at the very end or as you went along?