# Small Pavers vs Patio Blocks - Installation Difference



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

I guess you could put the larger squares on just one inch of sand but make sure you buy extras unless you are sure that sand bed is perfectly level and will stay that way. I would put gravel under it all. I think you are going to find a lot of your large squares will find high/low spots and crack on you. Gravel is a lot easier to level than one inch of sand on dirt.

And not to always bash the box stores but have you priced equivalent or better products at your local landscape or independent building supplier?

Have you thought of pouring and dying this slab and pressing a pattern into the concrete. There are hundreds available.


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## 95025 (Nov 14, 2010)

snowfiend131 said:


> I'm going to put in a small patio in my back yard, and am reading up on all the DIY info. I'll probably buy pavers from home depot, who sells PaveStone brand pavers in my area. I noticed some info on the pavestone.com website, and want to see if people think it is reasonable.
> 
> For small pavers (6 to 8 inches length and width), PaveStone recommends the usual ~6 inches of crushed rock, then 1 inch of sand under the pavers. This matches a lot of other things I've read.
> 
> ...


I just finished a couple patios, using 4x8 Holland Pavers.

6" of substrate is more than plenty. Compact it extremely well. If you use crush-run rock, with lime, it will solidify _almost_ to the point of making itself into concrete.

I paid $28 per ton for the crush-run substrate & $18 per ton for the fine sand. That was buying it in bulk & having it dumped in my truck, not getting bags of it somewhere.

When you say "small patio" what dimensions are you talking? The total cost of my substrate & stand, on a (approx) 300 sq ft patio was less than $200.


Personally, I don't think I'd skip the substrate, even if I were using larger pavers. Here in the Midwest, there is too much ground heave & shifting, with the freezing & thawing.


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## concretemasonry (Oct 10, 2006)

If you have unstable soil, that is a big reason to use the interlocking pavers and avoid the possible cracking of wide pavers and big steps/ledges that could come from settlement/movement. That is the reason interlocking pavers are used on 20 to 40 acre harbor storage areas and driveways for huge 60,000# straddle loaders a couple of feet above sea level.

There are no material standards for big slabs that are sold for patios, but it would probably be 3000 psi, which is not much for a wide brittle material, so you can expect wide variations. Interlocking pavers are made to an ASTM standard compression strength of 8000 psi, but could be over 10,000 psi because of the manufacturing process.

I believe PaveStone makes all pavers to the ASTM standard since they are inventoried in a common site and and the use of pavers for sidewalks in a somewhat minor portion of the paver sales. Make sure the setting bed is a uniform 1" thickness, since more is not better.

Interlocking pavers (the "interlock" is the vibrated sand in the thin joint). The common thickness for patios and sidewalks is 60 mm (2 5/8") and driveways are usually 80 mm (3 1/4"). The heavier used ar 80 mm or 100 mm (3 7/8").

Dick


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## snowfiend131 (Apr 22, 2011)

My patio will probably be 12' x 12'.

I haven't yet priced out the gravel in bulk. When purchased in bags, it is rather expensive.

My house (and backyard for this patio) is up on a hill, 22 steps above street level. Whatever I buy, I'll be carrying up those steps (I previously carried up ~5000 lb of concrete mix in bags to set fence posts). There is no other access. 

Bags of sand/gravel would be convenient, but if the costs savings are great, I'll get a dump of gravel at street level and carry it up in buckets.


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## High Gear (Nov 30, 2009)

You want crushed road bed gravel 3/4 size down to fines ( dust ).

I've had 5yards delivered to my ditch a couple/three times for patio projects,

You'll need 2.66 yards after its compacted at 6" ( use a vibrator compactor ), probably should order 4 yards.

Do it right do it once.


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## 95025 (Nov 14, 2010)

snowfiend131 said:


> My patio will probably be 12' x 12'.
> 
> I haven't yet priced out the gravel in bulk. When purchased in bags, it is rather expensive.
> 
> ...


Dang man, that's too bad. Gotta hand it to you though, you're not afraid of work! 

But yeah, buying in bulk is going to be considerably cheaper than per bag.

Good luck!


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## acantonyclark1 (Apr 17, 2012)

Both have little differences. Small pavers can easily be installed because it doesn't require much materials to setup. Patio blocks are little larger in size. In this installation, you need enough layer of sand with good plane surface. After that you can install patio blocks. There are different kind of paver plastic mould some are stronger even in larger size. You can get best detail from respective stores where the expert you will guide you throughly.


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