One major benefit of using a plastic edge restraint is that it is made for a curved edge rather than one that is just a straight line with 90 corners. Slide the sled back, remove the paver pieces, and turn off the saw. If your sidewalk is curved or you anticipate a lot of cutting, rent a brick saw. Get free, no-commitment estimates from licensed general contractors near you. 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. The reason why we would do two cuts per paver is to keep a uniform trapezoid shape for each paver while also keep the paver uniform in cutting off the chamfers of each side of the paver. Her work has also been featured in the Epoch Times. deep trench for typical paver bricks. If the blade isnt labeled for stone, it wont cut through the pavers. A winter-ready yard will be easier on you and your wallet. With your paver set or clamped securely and your angle-grinder running, gradually cut along the curve mark with the top of the grinder on the inside of the curve this helps to follow the line smoothly with a natural motion. Pavers are great alternatives to large pieces of plain concrete. It depends on the look youre trying to achieve. Next, dig a 14-in.-wide by 8-in.-deep trench along the sidewalk to accommodate the gravel, sand and pavers. Then, gently tap your 1-inch wide cold chisel with a hammer until you have a 1/16 inch groove along the entire cutline. The water mixed with the dust will create a slurry that will harden to the surface of the pavers if not rinsed off. Slope bricks alongside steps to make an attractive transition. Always wear a dust mask and goggles when cutting any type of paver. Theres no need to mark the sides. Your blade should be a diamond blade that is rated for the hardness of the stone that you will be cutting. Complete DIY projects like a pro! Once you know your measurements, use a straight edge to mark cutlines onto all 4 sides of your paver. Realtor.com, Copyright 2023 National Association of Realtors, 9 Stunning Trees with Colorful Curb Appeal, 13 Small (and Affordable) Home Upgrades for Big Impact, Home Improvement ROI: A Room-by-Room Tour, The Everything Guide to Selling Your First Home, 7 Home Improvement Ideas That Stretch Your Dollars the Most, The 16 Incredibly Useful Rules Every Organized House Follows, 9 Tips from a Burglar on How to Keep Them Out of Your House, 4 Things to Do in February to Avoid a Yucky Spring. Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Shop Pavers & Retaining Walls Avoid hitting the chisel too hardyou might break off too much of the paver. Even professional masons use this method to cut pavers in a pinch, and its your only option if you dont have access to electrical power on the site of your project. 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. 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). Then estimate how much youll have to cut off to close the gap between bricks and draw a cutting line with a permanent marker. Just be sure the paver is secure to avoid unwanted jostling or sudden kicking of the paver. Copyright 2023 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. To ensure that the bricks remain stable and wont tip when you wheel a lawn mower over them, the new compacted base should be 6 in. Transfer the line to the bottom face of the paver. This gives your blade a clear path. For this project, youll need bricks, compactable gravel for the base, washed sand, and plastic paver edging to hold the bricks in place. Hit the end of the chisel firmly with the hammer and the paver should split into two separate parts. 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. So if you are doing your own paver project, I'm sure you will learn a few things! To figure out how much to cut from each, arrange a half-dozen pavers along the curve with the ends touching and estimate the gap between them. Follow the photos for installing the pavers. Using a grinder to cut the pavers can create a lot of dust, so wearing a quality dust mask is recommended during the cutting process. Saws that are capable of cutting pavers are simply large versions of the wet saws you can rent for cutting ceramic tile. Plastic edge border restraint. If necessary, chip away any uneven or protruding bits from the center of the broken paver with the brick-set and a hammer. If you dont have any experience doing this, you can cut the pavers one by one or call a professional to do the project for you. 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. Especially when taking the time to create curves that contrast the square or rectangular materials. However whenever you are using a rectangular border paver for curved projects, you will need to find the best . Its an old-fashioned technique, but its tried and true. For our project, which was a total of 60 linear feet, we ordered 1-1/4 cu. window.tgpQueue.add('tgpli-63ff6ab9659ff'). Follow the grade of the adjacent lawn to determine the slope. If your edging turns a right angle corner, start at the corner and work out. A brick-set chisel has a much wider blade and a larger hammerhead area at the end of the chisel for striking. If you'd like to learn more about pavers, check out our in-depth interview with Tony Hoang. Then, dig out and level the surface by spreading sand. If you are drawing the outline the day before you plan to install the border, use spray paint to ensure the line won't be disturbed by water or pets. In this article, youre gonna learn how to cut your pavers for curves properly and safely. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This design also makes it simple to mow along the curvethe wheel of the mower will glide along the lower bricks. 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. Its also a good idea to wear gloves when handling pavers because they can quickly wear down the skin on your fingertips. Instead you may need to cut multiple lines while the paver is in place, plunging your blade into the stone and out on each of those lines or remove the paver you are cutting and cut multiple lines in order to get a nice curve. Depending on the thickness, you might need to turn the stone over and do another pass with the blade. Spread leveling sand between them, and then use a long board to smooth out the sand (called screeding). Be sure the sand is dry or it wont settle into the cracks. Gradually increasing depth as you run along the curve will allow for a smooth cut. Complete DIY projects like a pro! If it doesnt, use the cold chisel to score around the cutline again. Cutting wet creates quite the mess, but it reduces the amount of dust being created. Mark your line with spray paint, flour, or sand. Don't draw side lines on your paveryou don't need to cut along them. 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. There is nothing like the rugged beauty of a patio or walkway built with pavers. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 2. Even out jagged edges with a hammer and 1 inch (2.5cm) wide cold chisel. Following your line, dig a trench slightly deeper than the height of your bricks when they are lying flat (usually about 3-4 inches). Cut and install several pavers, then repeat the process until the curved section is complete. For example, your installation location might be a 7 by 7 inch (18 by 18cm) square and your paver 7 by 8 inches (18 by 20cm). Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. For example, if you need to remove 2 corners of the paver, draw cut lines around each of its corners. Work from right to left then left to right one row at a time. You may have to experiment a little to get the level just right. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Place your paver on a sandbag if it gets unsteady. window.tgpQueue.add('tgpli-63ff6ab965a1e'), window.tgpQueue.add('tgpli-63ff6ab965a2e'). 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. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. 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. 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. Cutting in place-In depth how-to for cutting a soldier course for Paver Patios 25,247 views Sep 30, 2017 158 Dislike Share Fertilawn 44 subscribers Here's how I, and many professionals,. The edging we used required us to cut the outermost band with tin snips to allow the edging to bend around the curve. Then pull the bricks up, numbering the bottoms as you go. Unlike a concrete slab, you can use your imagination with paving stones and create different patterns. If you do not have enough pavers to waste as many as required with cutting pavers in place, you can salvage larger cut off pieces to place along areas that have not yet been cut. Dont come home to a nightmare and the feeling of being invaded. Lay the pavers so the outside edges of the path extend outside the desired area for the path when the curves are cut. Here how to stop a house burglary from ever happening. Tamp it down using a plate compactor or hand tamper. One thing to make sure you do: Have your pavers delivered. If your grass isnt worth saving, just dig it out and plan to buy a few rolls of sod instead. It may not seem like there is much slurry on the surface of the pavers after one wash, but once the surface dries it will expose that solidified slurry on the surface especially if someone walks through the slurry and onto the surface of the pavements elsewhere. These cookies do not store any personal information. The method we show takes longer initially but guarantees a long-lasting job thatll look great for decades. below the top of the sidewalk to allow room for the bricks and about an inch of sand. To get a better picture of your plan, include a detailed landscaping layout of which plants will go where. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Cutting curves is easiest when done in place. All standard cutting methods work for straight cuts, but for curved cuts, use a circular saw or angle grinder. You can set the pavers on top of the ground using a paver base. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it: 1. There's plenty of tips and tricks in this video. Following your line, dig a trench slightly deeper than the height of your bricks when they are lying flat (usually about 3-4 inches). (& Is It Strong?). We first begin without water and scoring the line so that the line does not disappear when we move through it with the water on. If you only need to cut a few, a hammer and chisel can be employed, but if cutting many pavers, a power saw, such as an angle grinder or a circular saw, is recommended to speed up the process. If your grass is in good shape, slice it off carefully so you can use it to patch in along the new border. Score the curved cut along the top of the paver first, cutting about 1/8 inch deep. Measure the space in your sidewalk or patio layout where youll need to install a smaller paver, and then transfer that measurement to the paver itself, marking the cutline clearly with a pencil. Use a masonry saw or wet saw to cut along the scored line. Last Updated: December 28, 2022 This slight tilt allows you to cut the pavers in place and follow that curve line nicely. Mark the cutting line across the top face of the paver, using a pencil and a square or straightedge. Cover everything with tarps in-between sessions. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 37,054 times. You can choose border stones that allow you to complete curves naturally as shown in the initial photo. will make you feel like they do. If your sidewalk is straight and you only have a few bricks to cut, you can use a diamond blade mounted in a circular saw to cut the bricks. Its also a good idea to wear ear protection because the cutting process is quite loud. (& Is It Strong? wider than the brick and extend 6 in. 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. You can take them all to the wet saw and make a bunch of cuts at once. The next step up would be an angle grinder that would allow you to cut more accurately and efficiently along your cut line. With sharper curves or curves that are convex (curving inward), you may not be able to follow that line in place. If you need to cut multiple points of the paver, create additional cutlines. MATERIALS AND TOOLS Available on Amazon Work gloves Protective eyewear Measuring tape Carpenters pencil Cold chisel Brickset chisel Hammer. If you encounter a lot of resistance while cutting a circular shape, try cleaning out some space around the area before proceeding. A hammer and chisel works well on relatively soft pavers, such as brick or concrete. Youll make the pavers flush later by tamping them down into the sand bed. So, lets talk about cutting pavers for curves with the versatile, easy-to-use angle grinder. You could save a lot of work by simply digging a small trench and laying the bricks right on the soil, but youd probably have to realign them every summer. Read our. Essentially it is best to start out with a demo saw because of its versatility. Set the saw blade to cut -inch deep, and position the paver on a flat surface, such as the ground or a sturdy board set on top a couple of sawhorses. yds. Deane Biermeier is an expert contractor with nearly 30 years of experience in all types of home repair, maintenance, and remodeling. Installing pavers this way makes it easier to mow. Enjoy! spikes every 12 in. Use the paver edging as-is for straight installations or cut the spines to make the edger flexible enough to curve with any round patio installation. For a rustic appearance in broad spaces, you can create shapes by varying the spacing of pavers. Ideally the gaps should not be more than 3/8. In some cases, you may have to remove an additional strip of sod alongside the steps and regrade the soil slightly so the lawn lines up with the edge of the bricks, but its a neat-looking solution thats worth the extra effort. 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. Cutting pavers for round shape projects isnt simple and it can be really dangerous if not done properly. The main pavers and outer border pavers used on this job are made by (Genest) A company from Maine.The main pavers are called (Grand Katahdin) with a color tone called (Meadow).The outer border pavers are called (Katahdin) with a color tone called (Meadow).The inner border pavers are made by (Nicolock).They are called (Old Vienna) with a color tone called (Raven)If you want to see the other videos from this project, click the playlist link right herehttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo6xdtKoDxWYm6l7o_eG5eIG75tCpPUjj#pavers #concrete #howto #hardscape #landscapeconstruction #landscapedesign #landscaping #construction00:00 Intro00:40 Laying out / marking the border03:03 Cutting the pavers09:18 Laying the border13:20 Concreting the edges19:07 Finishing touches20:24 Final thoughts of the install Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. A masonry saw is a tool able to make clean and fast cuts, suggested for complex projects where youll be cutting a big quantity of stones or youll need to get perfect cuts. 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. 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. It also keeps mulch in place, saves trimming and weeding time along a border, and blocks your lawn from invading your flowerbed. Additionally, when you are marking your cuts you will want to consider the thickness of the blade. 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. Remove several inches of soil from the landscaping side of the flat wall to . Divide the linear feet of the border by 5 to determine how many 50-lb. It's much easier if you have numerous people to help with this task. This should also be communicated if you have one person marking and another person cutting. It isnt always necessary to cut pavers to make a curve. 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. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Homes dont clean themselves. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. Level the gravel about 3-1/2 in. Construct a screed by screwing a 14-in.-wide scrap of plywood to a 32-in. Set the sod in place and trim it to fit with a utility knife. Measure the space you need to fill in your layout and transfer that measurement to the paver, making a pencil mark on the front and the back of the paver. The vibration will cause the dry sand to fill the cracks and lock the bricks tightly together. Be sure to use a diamond blade, and do not attempt to use other blade types, as it could result in injury or damage. Mark the cutting line on the top face of the paver, using a pencil and a square or straightedge. 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. Adding mulch will help keep the dirt inside the border in the case of heavy rain. Don a good dust mask in addition to protective goggles and gloves when cutting pavers with a power saw. Clay pavers have a rich, authentic look, but cement pavers are a little less expensive. When getting this line just right, you may want to reposition pavers that you have already laid in order to reduce the number of sliver cuts that will be done which may crack upon final compaction. The rugged materials will allow space for some variance in perfection. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Complete the project by filling the trench behind the bricks with some of the soil you removed earlier. Level the pipes. He has owned and run a hardscape business since 2002. 1 on this short list. Leave the soil slightly below the surface of the lawn to allow room for the sod. Laying pavers too tightly could cause failure, but laying them too far apart could weeds to grow through. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. below the bottom of the brick. The pavers go on top of the sand. 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. length of 24. Rent a brick saw if you have a lot of bricks to cut. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/ed\/Cut-Pavers-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Cut-Pavers-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/ed\/Cut-Pavers-Step-1.jpg\/aid10389921-v4-728px-Cut-Pavers-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"