How to lay Bradstone carpet stones

Carpet stones are similar to traditional patio pavers, but they are held together on an underlying flexible mesh mat. Bradstone is a brand of carpet stones that is manufactured and sold by Aggregate Industries. Installing carpet stones typically requires less effort than installing individual pavers, because with carpet stones you install many stones at the same time. However, many of the traditional preparation steps for installing pavers still apply to carpet stones.

Mark the area where you want to install the Bradstone carpet stones by using spray chalk to designate the boundaries on the ground.

Dig out the centre of the boundary lines, using a shovel. Make sure to get the bottom completely level. The depth of the hole must be 22.3 cm (8.8 inches), plus the height of the carpet stones you are installing. In general, you will need to dig between 25 and 30 cm (10 and 12 inches) deep.

Fill a wheelbarrow with a mixture of six parts of sharp sand and one part of dry cement. Mix the two together, using a shovel, until they are well combined. Place the mixture in the bottom of the hole and level it out with a bow rake until it is 7.4 cm (2.9 inches) thick.

Place the flat end of a hand tamper on top of the ground and hit the ground repeatedly with it to compact the surface. If you have a large area, rent a motorised soil compactor from a tool supply company.

Lay one section of the Bradstone carpet stones at an edge of the hole. Position it as desired, and then tap the top of each stone with a rubber mallet to settle it into the prepared bed underneath it.

Place the next section of carpet stones at the end of the first. Tap the stones on the second piece with a hammer to settle them into the soil. Repeat the process of installing carpet stone sections until you reach the end of the installation area.

Wait 24 hours, and then fill the wheelbarrow with a mixture of four parts of sharp sand to one part of cement. Add only enough water to darken the mixture, but do not make it wet. Mix the solution with a shovel, and then place it on top of the carpet stones. Use a push broom to press the mixture down into the spaces between each of the stones until they are level with the surface of the stones.