Driveway DIY

Why Install a Driveway?

Your driveway is the first thing people see when they arrive at your home, and the last thing they see when they leave, so it has more influence on your property's overall impression than most people give it credit for.

A well-installed paver driveway dramatically improves curb appeal, holds up better than asphalt or poured concrete over time, and is far easier to repair if a section is ever damaged. Individual pavers can be lifted and replaced without disturbing the surrounding surface, something neither asphalt nor concrete can offer.

How to Start

A driveway is one of the hardest-working surfaces on your property, which makes the planning stage especially worth doing right.

Start with the big decisions: will you use manufactured pavers for a clean, uniform look, natural stone for something with more character, or permeable pavers that allow water to filter through and reduce runoff? How large does the driveway need to be, and are you thinking about a contrasting border? Is a Rain Water Harvesting System part of the plan?

Once those questions are answered, spend some time looking through different designs and finishes to land on something that fits your vision, your home's exterior, and your budget. We have design booklets at Silverthorn Landscape Supplies to help you explore what's possible.

Then write down your full measurements (length, width, height, and all changes in grade or slope) and sketch out a plan with those measurements and your product choices clearly noted. Use our Materials Calculator to estimate how much product you'll need.

Tools You May Need

Paper & pen • Tape measure • Stakes & string • Marking paint • Square • Level • Shovel • Wheelbarrow • Rake • Gloves • Chisel • Safety glasses • Knee pads • Rubber mallet • Hose • Hand tamper • Broom

Additional Tools

1 piece of 4" 2x4 wood • 2 pieces of ¾"-1" pipe (for levelling)

Products You May Need

Paving stones • A-gravel • Limestone screenings • Paver restraints • Metal spikes • Gator Super Sand Bond (polymeric sand) •

Note: Advanced Performance Bedding (APB) is a two-in-one alternative to A-gravel and Limestone Screenings that self-compacts. Come in or give us a call to find out if it's right for your project.

Additional Machinery (optional)*

Skidsteer • Stone Saw • Vibrating Tamper/Plate

*Make sure you are qualified to run any equipment you may rent, or have someone experienced with machinery come out and help.

Installation

1. Plan

Review the How to Start checklist and finalize your measurements, product selections, and quantities before doing anything else.

2. Preparation

Mark out the excavation area. Before you dig, call the appropriate utility companies to locate any buried lines (phone, cable TV, internet, gas, hydro, waterlines, and city piping).

3. Excavate

Excavate to a minimum depth of 6"-12" depending on project type. Remove all loose soil, and excavate the sides a minimum of 6" wider than the area you'll be laying pavers onto.

4. Base

Place A-gravel in the excavated area, compacting every 2" and grading toward the final project outline. Continue adding and tamping layers until height requirements are met. All installations should slope away from buildings for drainage (minimum 1" per 10 feet). The gravel base should stop roughly 3" below the desired finished height of the driveway.

5. Screening

With a solid, compacted A-gravel base in place, lay the Limestone Screenings. Position two 3/4"-1" diameter pipes on the base so that pavers laid on top will sit 3/8" above the desired finished level, then spread screenings between and over them. Pull the 2x4 board across to level, then remove the pipes and fill the voids with additional screenings.

6. Laying Pavers

Lay pavers directly onto the screened bed, starting along the longest straight edge of the driveway to minimize cutting. Keep a string guide to maintain straight joint lines and avoid laying pavers too tight, as you'll need room to correct irregularities. For banding or accent patterns, lay those first and build the main field toward them.

7. Cutting

Mark any pavers that need trimming to fit the design and either cut them yourself with the appropriate gear and training, or bring them in to Silverthorn. See Cutting under our Services for rates.

8. Edging

Once the driveway is fully laid, install edge restraints around the perimeter to prevent lateral movement. Use Snap Edge and 10" metal spikes, driving the spikes into the compacted base rather than the soil, where they won't hold.

9. Compacting

Sweep the pavers clean and compact with a plate compactor, passing over the entire driveway a minimum of three times in varying directions. This final tamping allows the pavers to settle properly into the screenings.

Note: Certain specialty pavers require a pad on the plate compactor to prevent surface damage.

10. Finishing Touches

For a more durable, low-maintenance surface, sweep Polymeric Sand into the paver joints until flush. Compact once more, then sweep additional sand into any joints that have settled. Wipe each paver clean of excess, then lightly mist the entire driveway with a garden hose to activate and seal the joints.

Note: Some specialty pavers are not compatible with polymeric sand. Confirm before applying.

Ready to get started? Come in or call us & we'll help you put it all together.