DIY Paver Walkway
Want to add a paved walkway to your yard but find the cost is crazy expensive? I hear ya! Hiring a paving or concrete company can be expensive but there are many ways to make a walkway with stepping stones. In fact, we created a few simple paver walkway areas in our yard that were all inexpensive DIY walkways. I’ll share how we created an inexpensive walkway using pavers and how to lay large pavers for a walkway. Keep reading and watch the video to see this DIY Paver Walkway!
If you’re curious (or in a hurry)…
Can you lay pavers directly on dirt?
Yes and no. Yes, you can lay pavers directly on the dirt but you may not achieve the function and style you would if you dig down.
If you want your pavers to stay put (not move after they’ve been walked on several times) then you need to dig down and make sure the ground is level. You also need to add dirt/sand/rocks in between the pavers so they don’t move.
How much does a paver walkway cost?
The cost to paver a walkway depends if you plan to hire a company or individual, or if you plan to do it yourself.
I had paver companies quote us $10k-$15k to pave our driveway, sidewalk, a parking pad, and the side yard walkway.
I spent around $150 in pavers to pave the side yard walkway so I think there is a considerable difference in price if you do it yourself!
How do you make a cheap walkway?
As I mentioned above, I spent around $150 to DIY the walkway in our side yard. We had crushed shells in the side yard before I did the walkway and I think the existing crushed shells made it easier to create this walkway. If you are starting in a yard with grass, then you will need to dig all the grass out in the area you plan to install the walkway. You don’t want grass growing up through your new pavers.
What is the best material to put under pavers?
I didn’t put anything under our pavers. However, we had crushed shells with a weed barrier cover in our side yard, which made it easier since there wasn’t grass or weeds to dig up. You could put down weed barrier but it would be easier to just dig down to install the pavers and don’t waste your money on weed barrier.
Side Yard DIY Paver Walkway
The easiest DIY walkway would be one with large pavers and a flat, level surface. If you have a somewhat small budget, I suggest checking out the pavers available at your local Home Depot or Lowe’s. Home Depot carries large square pavers that will easily fill up a space to create a patio in 15 minutes or less (as long as the ground is level).
We used a combination of 12″ x 12″ pavers, 16″ x 16″ pavers, and 3.5″ x 7″ brick pavers
Supplies we used:
- 12″ x 12″ Pavers
- 16″ x 16″ Pavers
- 3.5″ x 7″ Pavers
- Paver Sealer
- Leveling Sand
- Rubber Mallet
- Garden Rake
- Garden Shovel
- Level
Directions:
- Gather supplies.
- Shovel the entire area where you wish to create the patio space.
- Use a rake to level the surface as flat as possible.
- Use a small rake to rake smaller areas under the pavers and use a level to make sure the ground is level.
- Begin placing the pavers in the ground in your desired pattern. The prettier the pattern, the better the pavers will look. Our pavers are about an inch apart.
The start of the walkway on the side yard. I ended up changing the pattern. - Use a level to make sure the pavers are the same level when placing into the ground. Use a rubber mallet to tap the pavers into place in the dirt ground so they do no shift. You can even step on the pavers to make sure they are not wobbly.
- Once all the pavers have been placed in the ground and are level, pour extra dirt, rocks, or sand over the pavers and sweep into the cracks until the pavers are clean.
- Use leveling sand on top of everything and sweep the leveling sand off the pavers and into the cracks.
in this picture: our side yard walkway has a curve in it and this is how I laid the pavers to create the curve. - Use a paver sealer to seal everything into place (follow the instructions on the sealer you use). You might need to add more sand over time for upkeep.
Wrap up about DIY Paver Walkways
I hope you found this paver walkway pictures tutorial useful and are inspired to try your own DIY walkway using pavers. You can easily create a beautiful walkway by adding your own pavers. You can use inexpensive pavers to create unique paver walkway patterns for a DIY walkway.
Print the Instructions and Watch the Video for the DIY Paver Walkway
DIY Paver Sidewalk
Supplies
Instructions
- Gather supplies.
- Shovel the entire area where you wish to create the patio space.
- Use a rake to level the surface as flat as possible.
- Use a level to make sure the ground is level.
- Begin placing the pavers in the ground in your desired pattern. The prettier the pattern, the better the pavers will look. Our pavers are about an inch apart.
- Use a level to make sure the pavers are the same level when placing into the ground.
- Use a rubber mallet to tap the pavers into place in the dirt ground so they do no shift.
- Once all the pavers have been placed in the ground and are level, pour extra dirt, rocks, or sand over the pavers and sweep into the cracks until the pavers are clean.
- Use leveling sand on top of everything and sweep the leveling sand off the pavers and into the cracks.
- Use a paver sealer to seal everything into place (follow the instructions on the sealer you use). You might need to add more sand over time for upkeep.
Video
Don’t forget to check out this DIY Paver Patio Tutorial!
–>> Go here to see the full post to DIY a Patio on a Budget!
Pin this post with this tutorial on How to Build a Walkway
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