If you’re building a walkway, patio, or anything that requires pavement, chances are you’ll be working with pavers. Pavers are used to construct a variety of different paved areas and are great for introducing a bit of permeability into your pavement as well.
There are many different types of pavers, each with their own varying degrees of installation difficulty. Some pavers can be installed in less than a day, while others will take multiple days to complete and require more complex machinery and equipment.
Sometimes the easiest way is your preference, though, especially if you’re worried about time constraints, pricing, or you just want a DIY project that you can complete without too much trouble. If you’re looking to build a paved area, here are some of the easiest options for you to explore.
1. Above-Ground Paving
One of the biggest reasons why some people are hesitant to begin building a patio or paved area around their home is because they presume it will involve a lot of digging. This isn’t always the case, though. If you want to skip the digging, try going with an above-ground option instead. This is done by killing the grass in your desired paved area with a spray.
Once the grass is dead, rake it away and build a wooden border encompassing the entire area you want paved. Fill the border with about 2 inches of gravel and tamp it down evenly. Once this is complete, you can then opt for your pavement of choice on top.
Some opt for poured cement, leaving spaces in between each paver for water to drain through. You could also use any variety of bricks, natural stone pavers, cement pavers, concrete pavers, or just plain gravel if you want.
This method of paving eliminates all the digging that accompanies most paving projects and allows you to focus on the other aspects of the installation. The process of pouring wet concrete and letting it dry can take up to a week or more to complete, however.
2. Pavers with Sand and Gravel
If you are willing to partake in a bit of excavation to get your project completed or you’re having professionals do it for you, pavers installed on a subsurface of sand and gravel are a favorite amongst homeowners.
This process involves excavating the area to a depth of about 12 inches, or more, depending on your drainage needs. A piece of cloth will usually be laid at the bottom of the excavated pit before gravel is poured in, to prevent it from migrating into the soil.
The gravel will then be compressed with a hoe or some other tool, at which point a layer of sand is installed on top of the gravel, This is to give some separation between the pavers and the gravel, allowing the pavers to be installed on a perfectly level surface.
The pavers are then typically installed in place over the top of the sand, with spaces in between to allow for drainage. This type of project usually takes a couple of days to complete, but requires a lot of maintenance throughout the lifetime of the pavement.
3. Permeable Pavers
The easiest and functionally best option for building a new patio is, without a doubt, permeable pavers. Plastic permeable pavers like the kind made by TRUEGRID, for example, have the quickest installation time out of almost any paving material you can think of. They also use a subsurface of gravel, but the installation of the pavers themselves is incredibly easy, as they snap together just like LEGO blocks.
TRUEGRID PRO LITE and TRUEGRID PRO PLUS pavers are perfect for easy paver installation and much more durable than other products as well. They will last up to 60 years with little maintenance and are 100%-permeable, all but eliminating the possibility of flooding.
The installation process for TRUEGRID permeable pavers is much the same as regular pavers, except there is no layer of sand required. The pavers are installed right over the washed angular stone base and then infilled with more gravel over the top. Once the infill stone has been spread into the empty cells of the TRUEGRID pavers, installation is complete.
TRUEGRID Pavers are the Easiest and Most Effective Option
When it comes to easy paver installation, nothing can compare to TRUEGRID pavers. They are durable, eco-friendly, low-maintenance, stylish, and 100%- permeable, and they’re also one of the quickest options when it comes to installation time.
