Whether you have decided to use them in a walkway or driveway, the correct installation of granite pavers is essential for ensuring that the area is durable and withstands heavy traffic. When laying any form of natural stone paving, it is essential that you start with a sound base.
We do not recommend laying granite over a crushed rock and sand base, as this will not provide the stability required if you are to avoid the problem of grout cracking and breaking out and/or pavers cracking or lifting.
Step 1:
Determine your desired finish height for the surface, then measure the thickness of the pavers, the thickness of bedding mix into which the granite paver will be laid and the required thickness of the concrete base (usually 75mm for pedestrian areas or 100mm for vehicle traffic). The concrete will need to be reinforced with steel reinforcing mesh. This will tell you how deep you will need to excavate the area before you begin. With a 20mm paver, 15mm mortar bed and 75mm concrete, for example, excavation will need to be down 110mm below the proposed finished height/level of the paving.
Step 2:
Excavate the area to the required level then box the area, layout the reinforcing mesh using mesh stands, pour and screed the concrete to the required thickness ensuring you have allowed adequate fall for water runoff.
Step 3:
Once the concrete has fully cured (usually allow a minimum of two to three weeks) lay the stone into a wet mortar mix comprising 3 parts white washed sand to 1 part cement. You will need to add a plasticiser to this mix to make it pliable/workable. Use a bonding agent like Bondcrete or similar to “wet” the concrete first, spread out some of the mortar to approximate height, sprinkle the mortar with dry cement, paint the back of the tile with a bonding agent, then lay the stone onto the mortar. Gently tap the stone down using a rubber mallet to get it down to the required finished level.
Step 4:
Step 4: Repeat for each stone piece, ensuring you put out a string line to ensure you run your grout joints straight. Lay the stone 4 to 5mm apart to create the grout joint.
Step 5:
When the stone has been laid and the bedding mix has fully cured, grout the job using a pre-bagged grout suitable for external use with a 4 to 5mm grout joint. Ensure the grout is removed from the surface of the stone as you go using a clean wet sponge, leaving the stone clean and free of any heavy grout residue. This is very important, as you do not want to be acid washing natural stone after it’s completed to remove excess grout!
As you can see, the process of installing granite pavers is not one that will happen in a single day or even a single weekend – you need to ensure that you have properly prepared the concrete base and left it to cure so that it will receive the pavers without issue. The end result will be a stunning walkway or driveway that is a real asset to your property.