How to lay bluestone pavers and granitic sand?

[DIYHome]

Hi Everyone ,

We are planning to do a small fire pit area with the left over 20mm bluestone pavers and granitic sand like the attached picture.

Not sure how do we start ?

1) Should we do a wet lay of the pavers first and then fill in the gaps with granitic sand or 

2) Should we lay granitic sand first and then compacted and just lay bluestone pavers on top ?

Appreciate your help ! Thanks in advance !

[JacobZ]

Hi @DIYHome,

Thank you for your question about creating a firepit area in your yard.

Of the two options, number 2 is closer to what I'd advise.

The main thing to get perfect to ensure the longevity of your project is your compacted base layer. This will ensure the pavers sit on a solid base that will not shift. 

Start by excavating the area and adding a compacted foundation material such as granitic sand, drainage gravel or road base. You can use a tamper for smaller areas or a plate compactor for larger ones. You'll want your base to be between 50-100mm thick after compaction. Check out How To Prepare And Lay a Base For Pavers for some guidance.

Once your base is prepared, you can use mortar to wet lay your pavers. This is certainly worthwhile as it will lock the pavers in place and is an easy way to create a nice level surface. Check out How To Lay Pavers for an example of pavers being laid over mortar.

After laying your pavers, you can sweep your granitic sand or paving sand between the pavers to finish everything off.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob