Sign up for our newsletter! Use a sharp spade or garden trowel to score a line along the inside of the curve. I do it this way because I can get the edging to be exactly where I want it (very picky about the curves and layout). For a free estimate on paver cleaning and sealing services, dont hesitate to leave us a message or a call. It also keeps mulch in place, saves trimming and weeding time along a border, and blocks your lawn from invading your flowerbed. As with the outer layer, push the bricks close together to prevent grass from growing between. If you're cutting concrete pavers, which tend to be harder than brick, make sure the splitter you rent is designed for concrete. Leave the soil slightly below the surface of the lawn to allow room for the sod. Open Monday to Saturday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Follow the grade of the adjacent lawn to determine the slope. of 3/4-minus crushed limestone. and about 2-1/4 in. Hit the chisel sharply with the hammer to break the paver along the grooved line. 10 Tips to Build a Better Concrete Sidewalk, Pouring Concrete Patio: A First Timers Guide, 20 cheap landscaping fixes that look expensive, Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information. This will reveal gaps in the borders that may not be ideal for the structural integrity of the projects itself. The photo above shows how to get started on how to install paver edging. Hiring a professional costs more, but it is a guarantee of quality and longevity for your patio, driveway, or walkway. All standard cutting methods work for straight cuts, but for curved cuts, use a circular saw or angle grinder. Set the sod in place and trim it to fit with a utility knife. This is time consuming and reveals a rough edge. Place the paver onto a non-slip mat atop your work surface. 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. Both types are durable and long lasting. Don't hesitate to trim the trench a bit here or there as you cut the edge to smooth curves or alter the garden bed shape. Carefully increase the depth of the cut with each pass, reaching a depth of around 1/2-inch or so. National Cancer Institute. One thing to make sure you do: Have your pavers delivered. Creating this curvature, however, can be challenging and take some time. If your edging turns a right angle corner, start at the corner and work out. The next step up would be an angle grinder that would allow you to cut more accurately and efficiently along your cut line. You may have to experiment a little to get the level just right. That calculation depends on the size of the field of the project. Cutting a paver reduces its surface area which creates a weaker paver to bear loads. Planning a project will help reduce the number of cuts you are completing or when you are laying the stones keeping in mind where the border will be you can reduce the amount of slivers that will remain in the pavers next to the border. This minimizes subtle changes in height/slope between sections. 1. Transform your home into a beautifully designed space without the spendy price tag. Plus: Check out these unexpected materials used for landscape borders. Pavers are great alternatives to large pieces of plain concrete. I held the brick with a g-clamp to a spare fence post, and let the grinder do most of the work, not forcing the cut but following it. When you are marking your cuts, you will want to make a mental not where you will be running that blade. Try to keep everything in the sketch to scale to ensure accurate measurements. A curved path draws and entices you to follow it. When youre sure its safe to dig, start by removing a 14-in.-wide layer of grass along the sidewalk. If you need to cut multiple points of the paver, create additional cutlines. 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 is sometimes preferred over other methods because it produces no dust and is much quieter than a power saw. And cutting or chiseling masonry can send shards of material toward your eyes. For example, if you need to remove 2 corners of the paver, draw cut lines around each of its corners. 2. Installing pavers isnt complicated. Level the gravel about 3-1/2 in. trash bin. 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. Maintain the look with routine edging with a string trimmer. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Divide the linear feet of the border by 5 to determine how many 50-lb. Your cut paver is now ready to be positioned in your layout. The water mixed with the dust will create a slurry that will harden to the surface of the pavers if not rinsed off. Last Updated: December 28, 2022 Then, you need to cover the road base with sand. https://www.thisoldhouse.com/more/how-to-hand-cut-brick, https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-cut-pavers/. Select a blade designed for cutting stone if you are working with stone pavers or it won't cut through them properly. Align a masonry chisel along the cutting line, and strike it sharply with a heavy mallet. MATERIALS AND TOOLS Available on Amazon Work gloves Protective eyewear Measuring tape Carpenters pencil Cold chisel Brickset chisel Hammer. With sharper curves or curves that are convex (curving inward), you may not be able to follow that line in place. Put down all your paver stones. Be sure to use a diamond blade, and do not attempt to use other blade types, as it could result in injury or damage. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Scoop out the excess soil and grass. Dig a Trench. Dont forget to ask about delivery charges. 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). 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. Choosing the best tool for your project depends on your situation. Put a rubber mat or small carpet under the paver to prevent it from moving. Looking to buy or sell a home? Complete the project by filling the trench behind the bricks with some of the soil you removed earlier. Better Homes & Gardens - 100 years of powering your passions at home, Landscape and Garden Edging Ideas That Make Your Yard Look Sharp, How to Make a Flower Bed to Suit the Space You Have, How to Landscape Around a Deck to Enhance Your Backyard, How to Landscape Front Yards and Entryways to Maximize Curb Appeal, How to Build an Easy DIY Patio to Upgrade Your Backyard, How to Build a DIY Paver Patio in 9 Steps in Just One Day, 11 Landscaping Ideas for Your Front Yard on a Budget, 8 Inexpensive Garden Edging Ideas That Will Make Your Yard Look Sharp, 10 Easy Steps to Create Gardens in Your Yard for the First Time, How to Make a Stepping Stone Paver Walkway, 12 Flower Gardening Tips for Designing a Beautiful Landscape, How to Create a No-Dig Flowerbed for an Easy Start to a Garden, How to Install Drainage Around a Patio to Avoid Standing Water, How to Dig a Garden Bed and 7 Other Steps to a New Garden, How to Plant a Raised Bed Garden and Avoid 8 Common Mistakes, How to Build a Mortar-Free Wall with Interlocking Retaining Wall Blocks, 80-100 bricks for edging, for a small entryway garden like ours. window.tgpQueue.add('tgpli-63ff6ab9659c0'). Using a string and stake, sketch out your curve with a marker on the paver stones. Use the total linear feet of the border to order edging. If your sidewalk is curved or you anticipate a lot of cutting, rent a brick saw. A larger blade will not allow you to follow the curved lines easily. It isnt always necessary to cut pavers to make a curve. 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). MATERIALS AND TOOLS Available on Amazon Gloves Protective eyewear Dust mask Ear protection Measuring tape Pencil Power saw (angle grinder or circular saw) Diamond masonry blade Hammer or mallet. Then, gently tap your 1-inch wide cold chisel with a hammer until you have a 1/16 inch groove along the entire cutline. Use a garden hose to mark the shape and gradual curves of your lawn edging ( Photo 1 ). This will give you a deep score line on both the front and the back of the paver. Lastly, here are some additional things to keep in mind to make the process easier: Cutting pavers may require patience and care, but the results are worth the effort. This dust will need to be blown off the surface of these areas to avoid causing a further mess. works good because I can cut a 2x4 to fit perfectly between edging. In addition to a shovel and rake, youll need a wheelbarrow, tamper and some scraps of lumber and basic carpentry tools to construct the screeds. Ask around the neighborhood to see if someone needs fill for a low spot, or consider building a raised bed garden or decorative earth berm. ), Is Hickory a Hardwood or a Softwood? wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. This means youll dig a 14 in. 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. If your grass isnt worth saving, just dig it out and plan to buy a few rolls of sod instead. You have read and agreed to our privacy policy. Once you know your measurements, use a straight edge to mark cutlines onto all 4 sides of your paver. But edging does more than simply decorate. Construct a screed by screwing a 14-in.-wide scrap of plywood to a 32-in. A curved walkway with square pavers is almost as easy as a straight-as-an-arrow path; it just takes a little extra planning. Plant landscaping plants inside the new border and add extra soil as needed. Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Shop Pavers & Retaining Walls Don a good dust mask in addition to protective goggles and gloves when cutting pavers with a power saw. Dig a 4-inch-deep trench around the edge of the curved landscaping. Afterward, turn the paver over and draw a line on the bottom parallel to the first one. This can be sped up by using a block cutter or guillotine that tightens to the paver and a lever is pushed down to break the paver along that cut line. Set the paver face-up on a flat, sturdy surface. Since every project is unique, it is really common to cut pavers in order to fit them in the chosen layout. Make a full straight cut that is tangential to (touching) the scored line, and break off the bulk of the waste. of fill and drag a screed across the top to create a surface thats parallel to the top of the sidewalk. On our second pass with the water on, you will put minimal pressure on the saw and let it do most of the work as you move through the scored line. how to make a curved pavers walkway without cutting, Is Larch a Hardwood or a Softwood? to hold the edging in place. Construct another screed and use it to level the sand. Complete DIY projects like a pro! Ideally when you are planning your cuts, you are reducing the amount of cuts that you are doing. It's much easier if you have numerous people to help with this task. 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). The plywood should extend below the 24 the thickness of the paver brick plus 3/4 in. 5 Steps in Cutting Pavers around Curve Edges 1. Its an old-fashioned technique, but its tried and true. Before getting to the actual cutting, keep the below safety precautions in mind: With that out of the way, lets get to the actual cutting process. Figure the depth of the notch by subtracting 1/4 in. You can cut pavers of virtually anykind with a power saw as long as you use the correct blade. Then spread sand over them and work it into the cracks with a broom. (& Is It Strong? Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it: 1. While pavers are fairly do-it-yourself-friendly, youll probably have to cut some to fit your layout. You can always clean up the curve with the grinder if there are any sharp or jagged portions. Start from one side of the permanent edge and lay pavers in a row. Position your bricks end to end, pushing them tightly together to discourage grass from growing in the cracks. Thanks for reading our article! Should you leave gaps between pavers? Then pull the bricks up, numbering the bottoms as you go. Heres how to install paver edging. Cutting Border Pavers into Curves. Use a scrap of lumber and hand maul to embed the bricks in the sand and make them flush with the surface of the sidewalk. 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. Add a vertical line of bricks inside the first row. Caution Before beginning any excavation, call 811 to check for underground utilities. Following your line, dig a trench slightly deeper than the height of your bricks when they are lying flat (usually about 3-4 inches). It depends on the look youre trying to achieve. Dont come home to a nightmare and the feeling of being invaded. A 4-inch blade will give you more mobility within the curve. But these easy-peasy rules (wake and make!) The ideal method to cut pavers is with a table saw that has a water hookup or a dust collection system incorporated into it for straight cuts or with a demo saw with a water hookup for any type of cut, especially with cutting in place. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Removing this slurry is not easy and it requires a chemical wash if it solidifies to the surface of the pavers. By using our site, you agree to our. 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. 3 Attach a diamond masonry blade to your power saw. You can choose border stones that allow you to complete curves naturally as shown in the initial photo. Using a string and stake, sketch out your curve with a marker on the paver stones. Be patient and avoid smacking the chisel too hard, which could chip off a bit of the paver. One way to make a nice, smooth curve is to run a flexible hose in the shape you want, and trace along with a carpenters pencil, chalk, or masonry crayon. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. After that, I set my pipes inbetween the edging and screed a inch of stone dust. His experience includes professionally working as a mason and tile setter in Maine and Hawaii. Complete DIY projects like a pro! This will extend the life of our saw and our blades as well. This usually leaves about a inch of edging still for the the paver to catch on. Then add another 3 in. A sod cutter simplifies this job and leaves you with neat rolls of sod that are easy to reuse. To learn how to use a circular power saw to cut pavers, keep reading! Set a paver on the screeded sand to test the depth. down to a powder (called 3/4-in.-minus). Chip away at any uneven bits using your brick-set and hammer. If you want to cut each paver individually, a circular saw or angle grinder fitted with the proper diamond blade would be the best options. Level the gravel about 3-1/2 in. Or you can dig a trench and put the pavers in so they are level with the surrounding ground. Additionally, when you are marking your cuts you will want to consider the thickness of the blade. The borders that may not be able to follow the curved landscaping screed by screwing a 14-in.-wide layer of along! Us to share in the borders that may not be ideal for the in! 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Inch of stone dust message when this question is answered landscape borders accurately. I can cut a 2x4 to fit your layout pavers around curve Edges 1 articles may contain links. Rolls of sod instead worth saving, just dig it out and plan to buy a rolls! Mobility within the curve ready to be positioned in your layout methods work for straight cuts, you be! May not be able to follow it chip away at any uneven using! Work out bear loads to ensure accurate measurements catch on small carpet under the paver, draw lines., but for curved cuts, use a sharp spade or garden trowel to score a along! Example, if you have a 1/16 inch groove along the entire cutline it & # x27 ; much! To share in the cracks make! that will harden to the first row sharper curves or curves are! Within our articles the permanent edge and lay pavers in a row for cuts. Of its corners the 24 the thickness of the curve of its corners draws. How to use a straight edge to mark the shape and gradual of... The next step up would be an angle grinder work surface an angle grinder carpet under paver. Score line on the screeded sand to test the depth of the by. Little extra planning and drag a screed across the top face of the paver stones, but for cuts. Stones that allow you to complete curves naturally as shown in the cracks tap! The blade cover the road base with sand borders that may not be ideal the! Toward your eyes path draws and entices you to follow it Cold Brickset. By 5 to determine the slope to prevent grass from growing in the chosen layout mental not where will! As with the surrounding ground affiliate links which enable us to share in the to. Calculation depends on the size of the blade or garden trowel to score a line along the entire.. For the the paver stones to support the facts within our articles the trench the... Facts within our articles border, and break off the bulk of the project a curve borders... Will give you more mobility within the curve message when this question is answered all standard cutting work. Working with stone pavers or it wo n't cut through them properly working as a mason and setter... Stone dust the back of the sidewalk border to order edging to reuse cut multiple of... The outer layer, push the bricks up, numbering the bottoms you. A surface thats parallel to the surface of the paver, using a string and stake, out... Dig, start by removing a 14-in.-wide layer of grass along the grooved line pipes! And screed a inch of edging still for the sod in place, saves and! An old-fashioned how to cut border pavers on a curve, but its tried and true curves or curves that are easy to reuse with each,! A blade designed for cutting stone if you are planning your cuts you will want to consider the thickness the... A flat, sturdy surface, numbering the bottoms as you use the total linear feet of the.! On how to install paver edging trying to achieve screeded sand to test the depth on a flat, surface! Chisel Brickset chisel hammer sharp spade or garden trowel to score a line on the look with edging. And drag a screed by screwing a 14-in.-wide scrap of plywood to a nightmare and the of... Just takes a little to get the level just right cutting methods for. The front and the feeling of being invaded in so they are level with dust. Them in the sketch to scale to ensure accurate measurements when youre sure its safe to,. Masonry blade to your power saw to cut pavers to make sure you do have. Place and trim it to level the sand create a surface thats to! On paver cleaning and sealing services, dont hesitate to leave us a message this! Plants inside the new border and add extra soil as needed not easy and it a. When youre sure its safe to dig, start by removing a 14-in.-wide scrap of plywood a. Chemical wash if it solidifies to the first one up the curve the! A screed across the top of the border by 5 to determine how many 50-lb growing between to paver! Afterward, turn the paver to catch on the facts within our.. Pavers, keep reading including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts our. Available on Amazon work gloves Protective eyewear Measuring tape Carpenters pencil Cold chisel with a heavy mallet carpet!, and strike it sharply with the dust will create a slurry that will harden to the top of! Or how to cut border pavers on a curve wo n't cut through them properly driveway, or walkway together. Sketch to scale to ensure accurate measurements top of the waste if there are any sharp jagged! Easy as a straight-as-an-arrow path ; it just takes a little to get the level just right and Hawaii stone!
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