Concrete Pavers Guide

One kind of patio to install is a raised paver patio. This kind of installation is not flush with the ground, but comes up 1-3″ or more off the ground. There are many advantages to this design. One advantage of this design is aesthetic. The raised paver patio is easy to see, because it is high off the ground, and thus the eye is immediately drawn to it. If you want to make sure your paver installation stands out, go with the raised look. There are also certain patterns of bricks that you can lay that will help draw attention to it even more.

Another advantage of this kind of patio is that, since it’s off the ground, it will be harder for it to get dirty. No running water or mud will flow onto it, making sure it always looks beautiful for visitors.

One disadvantage of raised paver patios is that they can be a tripping hazard if people aren’t aware of them. Since they stick up out of the ground, someone can be easily caught unaware and trip or stumble when trying to walk onto it.

Installing this kind of paving stones application is very similar to other projects. The main difference is, of course, the final height of the project. Usually, when excavating the ground, filling it with aggregate, and putting a bed of fine sand down, you are calculating the depths so that the pavers will be flush with the ground when they are laid and compacted. However, in this case, you don’t want them to be flush, so you’ll need to measure out depths so you can get the pavers to the height you want them when the installation is complete.

Another difference is the border. Usually, the same bricks are used for the border and the actual patio. However, this kind of patio is sunken into the ground and thus is protected and held snug by its surroundings; one sticking above the ground does not enjoy that luxury. For a raised paver patio, you’ll need to install a ‘mini-retaining wall’ as the border in order to keep the entire structure stable. This will also require you to dig a trench deeper than the patio’s depth in order to get a stable and solid ‘wall’ put in place. The higher you want to put the patio, the deeper you should stick the wall border.

Otherwise, nearly everything else about paver installation is the same in these cases, and more information on installation can be found on other parts of this website.