Write an article based on this "Measure the area where you want your patio. Decide on the pavers to use for your patio. Purchase pavers and other supplies."
This allows you to determine how many pavers to buy, as well as how much of the other supplies you will need. You need to have a clear idea of what you want your patio to look like so you can ensure you buy enough materials. Measure the length and width of the area you want to cover. Multiply the length times the width. This will give you the square footage of your future patio. If the shape of your patio is not square but you will use square pavers, you will need to estimate the square footage. Another option is to use pavers that are designed to be laid in round shapes. These type of pavers will require you to take different types of measurements to determine the amount of pavers needed. If you are building stairs on your patio, you may need to subtract the square footage of the bottom stair and purchase some retaining blocks. Pavers come in a multitude of shapes, sizes, colors, and prices, so you have decisions to make. When determining which pavers to use, compare how much it will cost you to cover the whole patio area. Some pavers are sold by the square foot and some are sold as individual blocks. Small pavers may be cheaper individually but they could end up costing you more in the end to cover your square footage. They are also much more labor-intensive, which can cost you in terms of time and effort. To figure out how many pavers you will need, multiply the square footage of your patio by the stones per square foot of the pavers you are considering (a number that should be on price labels or listed on product specs), this will give you the number of stones needed. For example, if you are making a 100 square foot patio and the pavers you are using are listed as 4 square feet per piece, multiply 100 by 4 and the total number of pieces you will need is 400. Once you have that number, you can figure out how much specific pavers will cost you overall by multiplying the number of pavers needed by the price per paver. Remember, pavers can be arranged in a multitude of different patterns; a sales associate at your home improvement store should be able to make suggestions if you can't decide. Make sure you discuss delivery options with the sales associate. A large number of pavers will weigh quite a lot, and you will likely need them to deliver a pallet to your home. You will need more than pavers to install a patio. The patio should include a layer of gravel and a layer of sand below the pavers, as well as a barrier to keep the pavers in place. All of these supplies should be purchased before you start your project. To determine the amount of gravel and sand you will need to buy, determine the volume of the space you are filling or the cubic feet and cubic yards. The gravel should be at least 4 inches deep, but this will be compacted, so you will want to add another 1.5 inches to your calculation. The sand should be over 1 inch (2.5cm) thick, so these measurements should be multiplied by the square footage of the patio. This will give you the cubic feet you need. You can also use an online calculator, such as the one here: http://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/construction/ If all else fails, consult a sales associate at your home improvement store. They should be able to help you figure out how much sand and gravel you will need for the square footage of your patio. Talk to them about your options for buying supplies like sand in bulk to save money. Make sure you buy polymeric sand to fill in the spaces or joints between the pavers. Regular washed sand will not bind together well and your pavers will become loose. Decide if you want to lay a fabric weed barrier between the gravel and the pavers. The sand and gravel is usually enough to keep weeds from growing between your pavers, but this added layer provides additional blockage. Make sure the barrier is porous so that you still get proper drainage through the gravel. When you purchase pavers makes sure you buy at least 10 percent more than you plan to use. Paver blocks can break or you may need to cut some to fit around obstacles. You may also need to rent a gas powered plate compactor as well as a paver wet saw with diamond blade and stand if you need to trim or shape the pavers.