Techniques for Seamless Integration of Pavers and Wooden Structures
Are you installing pavers around a wooden structure such as a pergola or deck? Getting the wood and the pavers to fit together flawlessly can be tricky.
· 4 minutes
DIY with WI
We’re here to help you take the hard out of hardscaping.
Are you installing pavers around a wooden structure such as a pergola or deck? Getting the wood and the pavers to fit together flawlessly can be tricky.
In this blog post, we cover the two main techniques for seamlessly integrating pavers and wooden structures and detail how to cut paving stones up against a wood post.
Before You Begin
The first thing you should think about as you look at the process of cutting paving stones up against your wood post is that wood always rots. Ideally, your post was installed correctly with some type of flashing around the bottom of the post as it was set in the concrete. If that does not seem to be the case, you should dig down through the gravel, sand, or bedding around the post until you get to the concrete it is set in. Add some flashing tape or another type of product to protect the wood from rotting, and pour more concrete on top of that. This will create a waterproof barrier so that your wood will last. Add the bedding material back on top of the new layer of concrete, and you are ready to cut your pavers to fit.
We are going to be covering two different ways to cut your pavers and fit them around your wooden posts.
Option #1: Borderless Wrap
The first option you can implement to lay pavers around your post is by cutting field stones to fit exactly around it. To do this, lay your full-sized field stones as close to the post as possible. Mark the places on the stones where you will need to make cuts
To mark and cut the stone in the correct places, measure from the unfinished surface of the stone to the side of the post. Take that measurement and mirror it to the beginning of the paving stone so that the cut edge ends up against your post. Add about ⅛ inch to your measurements. This will ensure that when you finish laying the stones against the post, you will have around ¼ inch to add joint sand and additional protection against moisture seeping into the wood.
Once the stones are measured and marked, you can go ahead and cut them and fit them up against the wood post to create a seamless flow from the wood structure to the hardscape.
Option #2: Border Wrap
The second option to integrate pavers around your wood posts is to lay border stones around the posts. With this border wrap method, you simply lay your regular field stones as close to the post as possible, then mark the field stones that will bump up against the border stones where they need to be cut to allow for a symmetrical span of border stones.
Adding stones in a wrap around your posts adds an aesthetic touch to your hardscape, as using a different, complementary color for the wrap stones is easy.
Final Touches
Whether you opt for a borderless wrap around the wooden posts or a complementary color of border stone as your post wrap, there are a few final touches that you should do either way. As you cut the pavers, ensure you will end up with a quarter inch around the post. Compact the pavers and then fill the joints and quarter inch around the post with joint sand to allow water to permeate through, just as you do the rest of the project.
Explore Additional Resources
If you are ready to get started choosing what pavers will go best with your dream hardscape design you can click here to make your choice from our selection of products. Also, check out our DIY with WI page for access to tutorials, guides, and more. Our team will be happy to assist you with any questions or personalized advice you need for your hardscape project.
Choosing a paver can sure feel overwhelming. You have to consider size, style, thickness, color, and more. That’s why we made a short and simple quiz that asks a few questions about what you’re looking for and, at the end, provides a recommendation, or two, you can start with.