| Using bricks or pavers to make a patio is very | | | | level until you come to a point at which you have |
| prevalent in the Southwest. The results can be truly | | | | about an hour before you have to stop for the day. |
| beautiful, and the project can be done in sections, so | | | | Now take the flat square end of the trowel and cut |
| a do-it-yourselfer can tackle the project no matter | | | | the edges of the mortar mix even with the pavers, |
| how big it may be. | | | | so it's neat and square all the way from the surface |
| Assuming you already know the square footage of | | | | to the dirt. Make sure you don't have any |
| the project area, you need to order the right number | | | | adjustments to make: all your joints are even, all the |
| and color of bricks or pavers. Your local brick yard will | | | | spacing is correct, all your edges are square. |
| be more than happy to help you, and most will also | | | | Using a hose, preferably with a sprinkler type nozzle, |
| carry the mortar mix you need. Unless you own a big | | | | lightly rinse the pavers, wetting the mortar mix |
| truck and fork lift, they will also handle the delivery, | | | | underneath through the spaces. Do not blast water |
| so it's a good idea to know exactly where you want | | | | on them, gently wet and rinse the area, then stop |
| them to set your materials before they arrive. Do | | | | and wait for the pavers to start to dry, and then |
| not have them set the materials too close to your | | | | gently rinse them again. Try to wet them down two |
| work area. | | | | or three times over the next hour or so. |
| Mortar mix comes in 80 pound bags. You can get | | | | Clean up your work area to get ready for the next |
| roughly 10 square feet per bag done with the | | | | time you're ready to work on your patio. Be sure to |
| system I'll outline here. I have found that a decent | | | | set bags of mortar mix somewhere where they |
| rectangular, notched trowel works best with this | | | | won't get wet. |
| system too. | | | | When your entire patio is finished, and all the mortar |
| You need a rock free, reasonably level ground | | | | mix under them is dry too, say two days after the |
| surface to work with. A little more effort before you | | | | last time you wet it down, you can grout the joints. I |
| start laying the pavers will save you on mortar mix, | | | | use the same dry mortar mix, but you could use |
| and also make the job look way better when you're | | | | actual sanded grout if you want color. |
| done. Scrape the high spots into the low spots until | | | | I grout the joints by dumping mortar mix on the |
| you have a flat, smooth area on which to lay the | | | | surface and spreading it back and forth across the |
| pavers. | | | | joints in every direction until they are filled and there |
| Start in a corner, next to the house if that's where | | | | are no holes. Work steadily across the surface, using |
| your patio will be, leaving about a quarter inch gap to | | | | a small dust broom to remove the excess and pull it |
| the concrete. Even if you're working in the middle of | | | | onto the next section. Sometimes a gentle tap will |
| the yard, you want to start with a corner. | | | | help the mortar mix sink into the joints all the way. |
| Spread the dry mortar mix on the ground about half | | | | Once the entire patio is grouted, you will be rinsing it |
| an inch thick, in an area big enough to lay the whole | | | | the same as before, gently. Be sure to rinse as much |
| corner, say six pavers or so. Make sure the mortar | | | | extra grout as possible off without rinsing it of the |
| mix is smooth and flat. | | | | joints. When you've rinsed it once, let it start to dry, |
| Start by laying the three pavers that make up your | | | | and then do it again. Two or three times are usually |
| corner, in whatever pattern you're going to use. Tap | | | | enough. Let the whole thing dry over night. |
| the pavers lightly into the powder, making sure they | | | | If there are any spots of grout you can remove |
| are level with each other and spacing is even and | | | | them by gently using a wire brush, but be careful not |
| correct. Use a level to make sure they not only level | | | | to harm the pavers. Voila! Now you're ready to build |
| with each other, but level. | | | | the awning over the patio, right? |
| Continue laying pavers six at a time and checking for | | | | |