Barkman Paver Installation Guide
Congratulations on purchasing the finest concrete paving system available. Ideal for any landscape setting, barkman pavers have been designed to provide you with years of trouble free service and enjoyment. Handsome and extremely durable, they offer a number of important advantages over conventional concrete or asphalt. These include:
- High resistance to salt corrosion and the weathering effects of the sun, rain and ice.
- The ability to flex during frost heave without becoming damaged.
- Easier installation and repair (thanks to the use of individual pavers).
- Easier removal (when gaining access to underground services).
- Safer because their rough surfaces make them slip and skid resistant.
- Greater design possibilities thanks to the wide variety of styles, shapes and colors available.
- More environmentally-friendly because they can be reused and reset.
Step-by-Step Installation
1. Create Outline
The first step is to take your completed design and transfer it onto the ground where you will be installing your patio. You can use spray paint to mark the outline, using a garden hose for guidance on the curved areas and long boards for the straight areas.
2. Set Elevations
Next, use a 2x4, stakes and a level to set the slope of your patio (a slope of approximately 1" to every 8 ft. is usually ideal). Now, set your stakes and string lines to mark the top of finished patio. Please refer to the Depth Estimation Chart.
3. Excavate
Using your grid work of stakes and guide strings, excavate material below the string lines to the depth needed. To determine depth, refer to the Depth Estimation Chart. Note: Before any digging, contact your local utility companies for the location and depth of pipes, cables and conduits.
4. Spread Granular Base
You are now ready to spread and compact the coarse granular base. Please refer to the Base Material Estimation Chart to estimate the base material you will require.
5. Compact Base
The granular base should be leveled and compacted (use a plate compactor) in layers of not more than 4". Wet, but do not soak the gravel base while compacting. Level the base to approximately 3" below the desired surface level. Make sure the base is level and conforms to the shape and elevation of the finished job by measuring down from the string lines you have established on the stakes.
6. Install Edge Restraint
You are now ready to spread and compact the coarse granular base. Please refer to the Base Material Estimation Chart to estimate the base material you will require.
7. Spread Bedding Sand
Begin screeding (spreading) a 1" layer of large grained sand (such as concrete sand).Lay your screed guides (1" pipe, electrical conduit or wood strips) onto compacted base. Set the proper height of these guides by pulling a string across the area to be paved at the finished grade level. The top of screed guides should be 11.2" down from the string. Pack sand around the guides to set them in place. Fill with sand and slide the 8' to 10' screed board along the guides to smooth and level. Once complete, pull out the screed guides and fill any voids with sand using a trowel or small board. Do not walk on or work from the screeded sand.
8. Lay Pavers
After screeding the sand begin laying your pavers, using the area’s straightest edge as your starting point. Pick a starting point where you can make the pavers fit against the longest straight edge or the longest combination of straight edges as long as they are at right angles to each other.
9. Keep Pavers Square
To keep the pavers straight and square as you work, use a string line running in both directions as your guide. This is easily done by measuring out lines in multiples of 3, 4
and 5 with the line marked “three” remaining stationary during the squaring process. (See diagram below.) Line “four” should be moved until “four” and “five” intersect, causing a right angle in the “three-four” corner. If your pavers start to get off square, you can get them into proper position by gently tapping them towards the string line.
10. Cut to Fit
Many of the pavers that butt into the soldier course (strip of pavers all facing in the same direction) will need to be cut to fit properly. Using a concrete saw or guillotine splitter, cut each paver separately — marking it, removing it, cutting it and placing it — before proceeding to the next one. Always wear safety glasses when cutting pavers. Install the soldier course as you go along.
11. Compact
Sweep off the surface completely and use the plate compactor to tamp the pavers to a uniform level. Run the compactor in a parallel direction across the pavers, overlapping on each pass. Make a second series of passes in a perpendicular direction. Important: for large profile pavers or a raised surface paver, set compactor to half speed and use a uni-saver matt.
12. Spread Coarse Sand
Sweep sand into all spaces between the finished pavers, repeating the process until all joints between the pavers are filled. Repeat this process with more dry sand in a few days.
OR
Spread Polymeric Sand
Sweep polymeric sand into all spaces between the finished pavers (surface must be completely dry).
13. Compact
Sweep off the surface completely and follow step 11. Well-compacted joints help reduce risk of washing away polymers and significantly reduces drying time. Repeat this process (steps 12 and 13) until sand reaches 1/8" below the top of the pavers. Do not apply the polymeric sand if there is a chance of rain within the next 6 hours.
14. Remove Excess Polymeric Sand
Using a fine bristle broom or leaf blower, remove any excess polymeric sand from paver’s surface (without displacing the polymeric sand between the pavers).
15. Activate Polymeric Sand
Define the entire surface into 200 sq. ft. areas. Using the shower setting on garden hose sprayer, wet the first 200 sq. ft. area for 30 seconds (without displacing polymeric sand). Repeat spraying process immediately on the same defined area. In very hot conditions, wet for a third time. Without interruption, move to the next defined 200 sq. ft. area and continue the process until the entire surface has been completed.
16. Drying
As soon as wetting process is completed, use a leaf blower to remove any excess water. The polymeric sand will set in 90 minutes. Avoid using or exposing the area to water for 24 hours.