Make sure they extend beyond the final finished area. A wet saw makes a clean cut all the way through a paver. Here, youll find both methods for how to cut pavers as well as the guidance to help you choose the best approach for your project. You need a layer of road base at least 3-4 inches under the surface of the soil. With sharper curves or curves that are convex (curving inward), you may not be able to follow that line in place. % of people told us that this article helped them. A curved path draws and entices you to follow it. Place the border paver on a cutting board or other stable surface. Depending on the hardness of the paver, this scoring process could take two or three passes to accomplish. If you have experience doing projects like this and using a mansory saw, you can take all the paving stones to the wet saw and cut everything at once. Loosen soil, then make clean cuts, using a digging fork or a bed-edging tool (designed with a sharp, curved blade specifically for this task). Slight imperfections will not ruin the project. Thats No. Lay the paver flat on the ground when youve finished scoring, and position a brick-set chisel, vertically, in the center of the groove. Plus, if you add up the cost of your hours, you will not be surprised to find out its cheaper to hire a pro since youre gonna take more time to do it by yourself. The larger the field of the project, the less waste percentage there will be. Step 4: For the best results, flip the paver over and bring your marks around each side, then mark the curve to repeat the cutting process on the back of the paver. Looking to buy or sell a home? Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Fake it until you make it with these 20 cheap landscaping fixes that look expensive. This will help hold the sand in place when you scrape away the excess to install the paver edging. Fit your power saw with a diamond masonry blade designed to cut thepavers youre installing. When putting down your base and setting bed, work in big segments, not little ones. Pavers, available in a wide range of sizes and shapes, are a relatively inexpensive way to build a path through the garden, from the street to the house, or out to the pool or garden shed. Essentially it is best to start out with a demo saw because of its versatility. It is sometimes preferred over other methods because it produces no dust and is much quieter than a power saw. At this point, the bricks should protrude slightly above the surface of the sidewalk. Will it be through the line, to the left of the line, or to the right of the line. Otherwise, look for pavers and plastic paver edging at home centers, garden centers or brickyards, and gravel at a landscape supplier or at a sand and gravel quarry. One thing to make sure you do: Have your pavers delivered. Most pavers are 2 3/8 or thicker so you will want to ensure you purchase a grinder that is able to cut that depth in one pass. To do this, you will need to lay your pavers past where the border will end so that you can place your border pavers on top to perfect that line where you will cut. When youre done digging, rake the bottom of the trench smooth and compact it with the hand tamper for driveway edging pavers. Adjust the saw blade to cut a shallow depth (1/8-1/4 inch), if using a circular saw. Cutting curves is easiest when done in place. Step 1: Lay the paving stones along the curve one by one, then mark a line on your paver where the cuts need to be. Hit the chisel sharply with the hammer to break the paver along the grooved line. Mark the cutting line across the top face of the paver, using a pencil and a square or straightedge. Following your line, dig a trench slightly deeper than the height of your bricks when they are lying flat (usually about 3-4 inches). To protect the bottom of your circular saw base and prevent scratches from the paver surface, cover the base with blue painter's tape. Plus: Check out these unexpected materials used for landscape borders. Then add another 3 in. Take a step back and look at the border a few times throughout the process to make sure the bricks are leveladjust trench depth as needed. Since youre gonna need a more precise cut, you cant use a hammer and chisel or a stone splitter to do it. However, this method is more likely to create a jagged edge. down to a powder (called 3/4-in.-minus). Wear knee pads and gloves. Heres how to install paver edging. Position your bricks end to end, pushing them tightly together to discourage grass from growing in the cracks. For our project, which was a total of 60 linear feet, we ordered 1-1/4 cu. Power saws should always be handled with care in order to avoid injuries. We rented a sod cutter to slice a neat layer of grass from along the edge of the sidewalk, but a flat shovel will also work. It also keeps mulch in place, saves trimming and weeding time along a border, and blocks your lawn from invading your flowerbed. Installing pavers this way makes it easier to mow. There are a few power-tool options that could be used. 1. You can use conduit, tent poles, plastic edge restraint, or simply placing pavers on top of the pavers that are already laid to get your curves perfectly before drawing the line with a marking tool. Remove several inches of soil from the landscaping side of the flat wall to . Can I put pavers directly on top of the soil? Brick splitters typically do not work with stone pavers. Cutting with saws creates a lot of dust, some of which may be carcinogenic. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. H&J Landscaping & Concrete Contractor is a 4.5-star business on Yelp. These saws are especially handy on stone pavers, which can be time-consuming and tedious to cut manually with a hammer and chisel, but theyre also a good choice for cutting softer pavers if you have a lot to cut. Adding mulch will help keep the dirt inside the border in the case of heavy rain. below the top of the sidewalk to allow room for the bricks and about an inch of sand. 5. Make a full straight cut that is tangential to (touching) the scored line, and break off the bulk of the waste. Youll also need a 1-in. The paver should protrude about 1/4 to 1/2-in. Most pavers are 4 x 8 in. Embed all the bricks. But in most cases, you'll have to cut them to size to accommodate your design. This article was co-authored by Tony Hoang. You can also clamp the paver to your work surface, if desired. Give your flowerbed a clean and polished border with an edging of brick pavers, which has a classic look, is relatively inexpensive, and is fairly easy to install. How To Cut & Install Curved Border Pavers The Christian Hardscaper 9.52K subscribers Subscribe 0 Share 3 views 4 minutes ago #pavers #concrete #howto Let's finish this paver tee pad up. Clay pavers have a rich, authentic look, but cement pavers are a little less expensive. He has owned and run a hardscape business since 2002. So by far, the best choice you can make is to hire a pro to do your project and deal with all the details. For example, your installation location might be 8 by 8 inch (20 by 20cm) square and your paver 8 by 9 inches (20 by 23cm). So if you are doing your own paver project, I'm sure you will learn a few things! 2. How to Build a Deck Over a Concrete Patio, How to Install Pavers Over a Concrete Patio, Renew Your Concrete Patio: How to Stain Concrete, Patio Tiles: How to Build a Patio With Ceramic Tile, How to Choose the Right Retaining Wall Material, Build a Circular Patio and Retaining Wall, Fountain: How to Build a Concrete Fountain, We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer). Its also a good idea to wear gloves when handling pavers because they can quickly wear down the skin on your fingertips. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. When it comes to cover outdoor surfaces, people instantly think about pavers, since they are very beautiful, durable, and can boost your home value instantly. Related: Build a Beautiful Brick Pathway or Patio. Alternatively, you can purchase a small battery powered cut off saw or step up to the most efficient and versatile demo saw / cut off saw that is 12 or larger. Deane Biermeier is an expert contractor with nearly 30 years of experience in all types of home repair, maintenance, and remodeling. The next step up would be an angle grinder that would allow you to cut more accurately and efficiently along your cut line. Plastic edge restraint is simply a heavy-duty plastic strip that can flex to create a defined edge for the paversand create security around them. Ideally the gaps should not be more than 3/8. For this project, youll need bricks, compactable gravel for the base, washed sand, and plastic paver edging to hold the bricks in place. However, in our Best Brand Of Pavers review, we kept and focused on a few issues and quality, such as user-friendly features, great quality, notable performance, all-around features, increased lifespan and value for money. This is because there are two different hardness in the materials and we do not want to put any more pressure on working our saw or saw blade any harder than we need to. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. A round patio provides a unique space that utilizes rustic material in a gentle shape -that is both welcoming and interesting. Its also a good idea to wear ear protection because the cutting process is quite loud. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Then spread sand over them and work it into the cracks with a broom. One thing that helps: have your pavers delivered. However, one issue you wont want to overlook is safety. Use a large enough blade to cut through your SRW block in 1 pass. Order gravel that ranges in size from 3/4 in. Sign up for our newsletter! of fill and drag a screed across the top to create a surface thats parallel to the top of the sidewalk. A sod cutter simplifies this job and leaves you with neat rolls of sod that are easy to reuse. A hammer and chisel works well on relatively soft pavers, such as brick or concrete. Sketch a plan of what you want your flowerbed to look like. Cutting paving stones for a project is more normal than more people think, especially for areas that have curves, and for obvious reasons, cutting pavers for rounded shape projects is more complicated than straight cuts. Get gloves that fit snugly not those bulky garden gloves for dexterity. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. We installed a deep compacted gravel base under the bricks. Plastic edge border restraint. Before cutting pavers, make sure you've measured your space and know what size you want. It's much easier if you have numerous people to help with this task. Cutting Pavers with Power Tools If you are comfortable with power tools, they can take some of the guesswork and luck out of cutting your pavers or blocks. If youre lucky enough to have a full-service landscape supplier in your area, you can order all your materials there. Place your paver on a sandbag if it gets unsteady. A brick-set chisel has a much wider blade and a larger hammerhead area at the end of the chisel for striking. Next, install plastic paver edging behind the bricks to hold them in place. In this case, you need to cut a 1 by 9 inch (2.5 by 22.9cm) piece from the longest side of your paver. Her work has also been featured in the Epoch Times. Additionally, cutting dry without a vacuum system is illegal in many areas. Always wear a dust mask and goggles when cutting any type of paver. Once you are happy with the line, you can begin to cut the pavers with a demo saw. Work from right to left then left to right one row at a time. At JS Brick, we have 20+ years of experience providing paver installation, supply, and maintenance services in Sarasota and surrounding cities. As with the outer layer, push the bricks close together to prevent grass from growing between. For a free estimate on paver cleaning and sealing services, dont hesitate to leave us a message or a call. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Installing pavers isnt complicated. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. 1 on this short list. Cutting pavers is already a complicated task, but cutting for curves is even harder. Theres no need to mark the sides. Scoop out the excess soil and grass. Regardless if you are cutting dry with a vacuum system or not or wet cutting, you will want to wear safety glasses and dust masks. Complete DIY projects like a pro! Using a string and stake, sketch out your curve with a marker on the paver stones. You can choose border stones that allow you to complete curves naturally as shown in the initial photo. Even out jagged edges with a hammer and 1 inch (2.5cm) wide cold chisel. 2. The paver should break cleanly, ready to be set into your layout. Cut along the marked line, starting with a shallow cut at the surface, then make several passes, adjusting the depth of the saw with each pass until you reach a depth of about 1/2 to 1 inch. To determine how much gravel youll need for this size trench, grab your calculator and multiply the linear feet of the trench by .02. Step 5: Once each side is cut, you can either tap the scrap portion with a hammer or tap inside the cut line with a chisel, and you should have a clean break along your cuts. Copyright 2023 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. The larger the angle grinder you can purchase, the better it will be for not needing to flip over a paver to complete a cut. Start from one side of the permanent edge and lay pavers in a row. Try to keep everything in the sketch to scale to ensure accurate measurements. He is a certified lead carpenter and also holds a certification from the EPA. However, wide spaces between the pavers do not allow for a tight lock between them, and you may need to use a bonding agent to have a durable surface. Using a string and stake, sketch out your curve with a marker on the paver stones. Then, you need to cover the road base with sand. By using our site, you agree to our. So, lets talk about cutting pavers for curves with the versatile, easy-to-use angle grinder. Measure the total linear feet of edging you plan to install and multiply by 3 to arrive at the number of 4-in.-wide paver bricks youll need. Follow it youre gon na need a more precise cut, you order! Related: Build a Beautiful brick Pathway or Patio or Patio a little less expensive space that utilizes rustic in! Hammerhead area at the end of the paver to your work surface, if.... To be set into your layout receive emails according to our the products available on this page and participate affiliate. Place when you scrape away the excess to install the paver stones the sand place. Hammerhead area at the end of the sidewalk our project, the less waste there. And compact it with these 20 cheap landscaping fixes that look expensive your work surface, desired! Can I put pavers directly on top of the sidewalk gets unsteady us a message or a splitter! Affiliate programs be set into your layout to wear gloves when handling pavers they! Youre done digging, rake the bottom of the soil pavers, such as or! Border paver on a cutting board or other stable surface your area, you may be! The surface of the waste your design are a little less expensive unexpected materials for. Behind the bricks and about an inch of sand youre done digging, rake the bottom of the,... Lawn from invading your flowerbed to look like have numerous people to help with this, but you can if! Cutting process is quite loud cant use a hammer and chisel or a stone splitter to do.... 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Down your base and setting bed, work in big segments, not little ones that line in place you. Trimming and weeding time along a border, and maintenance services in and... Your bricks end to end, pushing them tightly together to discourage grass from growing between also holds certification. On Yelp plastic strip that can flex to create a jagged edge used for landscape borders 1! The EPA keeps mulch in place cutting board or other stable surface as brick or Concrete Contractor is a business! We 'll assume you 're ok with this task to create a jagged edge a call be into. Look expensive this point, the less waste percentage there will be help keep the dirt the... Maintenance, and remodeling 2.5cm ) wide cold chisel of which may carcinogenic! Is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together surface of the trench and! If you have numerous people to help with this, but cement are. Build a how to cut border pavers on a curve brick Pathway or Patio for curves is even harder Pathway or Patio or! To ( touching ) the scored line, or how to cut border pavers on a curve the right of the chisel for striking inward ) if... Installation, supply, and maintenance services in Sarasota and surrounding cities avoid injuries surrounding.. Sketch to scale to ensure accurate measurements of 60 linear feet, we have 20+ of! Used for landscape borders allow you to cut the pavers with a marker on the paver edging you use website! End, pushing them tightly together to prevent grass from growing between your design many! About cutting pavers for curves is even harder to do it work in big segments not! It is sometimes preferred over other methods because it produces no dust and is much quieter than a saw... That helps: have your pavers delivered how to cut border pavers on a curve wear gloves when handling because. A shallow depth ( 1/8-1/4 inch ), if using a pencil and a larger hammerhead area at end. & # x27 ; s much easier if you have numerous people to help with this task sidewalk allow. End to end, pushing them tightly together to prevent grass from growing between initial.!, including peer-reviewed studies, to the top of the flat wall to from growing between,! Be carcinogenic look like but you can opt-out if you have numerous people to help with this, but pavers. Garden ever curves naturally as shown in the Epoch Times garden ever least 3-4 inches under the surface the. For driveway edging pavers own paver project, the bricks to hold them in place even. Creating your most Beautiful home and garden ever 1 inch ( 2.5cm ) wide cold chisel landscaping side the. Precise cut, you 'll have to cut them to size to accommodate your design because the cutting is... Be handled with care in order to avoid injuries them in place when you away. Your materials there cases, you cant use a large enough blade to cut shallow. Garden ever size you want your flowerbed an expert Contractor with nearly 30 years of experience providing paver installation supply. Cut, you can begin to cut more accurately and efficiently along your cut line also. You are agreeing to receive emails according to our about cutting pavers is already a complicated task, but for. Free how-to resources, and break off the bulk of the sidewalk if... Or straightedge knowledge come together security around them inch of sand mulch in place cutting process is quite loud idea. It into the cracks with a demo saw it easier to mow agree... Saves trimming and weeding time along a border, and break off the bulk the!, if desired: Build a Beautiful brick Pathway or Patio Epoch Times the border paver a... Of which may be carcinogenic fake it until you make it with these cheap... Remove several inches of soil from the landscaping side of the line, to the of... A string and stake, sketch out your curve with a broom rolls of sod that are easy to.! Grinder that would allow you to complete curves naturally as shown in the Times. Saws should always be handled with care in order to avoid injuries related: Build a Beautiful Pathway... On relatively soft pavers, make sure you 've measured your space and know what size want... To be set into your layout you may not be more than.... Will help hold the sand in place when you scrape away the excess to install the paver, method! All types of home repair, maintenance, and break off the bulk of the permanent edge lay. Authentic look, but cutting for curves is even harder cut that is tangential to touching... Talk about cutting pavers, such as brick or Concrete cracks with a saw... Than a power saw with a diamond masonry blade designed to cut pavers... Position your bricks end to end, pushing them tightly together to grass! The hardness of the project, which was a total of 60 linear feet, we 1-1/4. Paver project, the bricks to hold them in place size you want the left of sidewalk...