How To Install Aspire Deck Pavers
If you're looking to brighten up a worn-out deck, patio, walkway or rooftop, we've got good news. There's an easy way to do it: using Aspire Pavers, one of our favorite outdoor resurfacing options. Aspire Pavers fit snugly into installation grids, keeping pavers in place and transforming your space in a snap.
While it's incredibly easy to install Aspire's deck pavers, the clever grid system also allows for a ton of customization. Read on to see how easy it is to plan, install, and complete a full resurfacing of your deck with Aspire Pavers.
Table of Contents
- Planning Your Project
- Installing Your Pavers
- Step 1: Start Your Pattern With A Few Grids
- Step 2: Expand Your Pattern Across The Space
- Step 3: Cut Pavers/Grids To Finish Space
- Deck Paver FAQs
Planning Your Paver Project
The first step to your new deck or patio surface is planning your project to fit your space. Before you start buying materials, you'll want to measure out the square footage of the space and plan your paver pattern.
Calculate Your Square Footage
First, determine how many square feet you'll be covering with pavers. This will allow you to buy the right amount of pavers and grids to finish your project without having to wait on a second order.
The easiest way to measure square footage is to break your space up into squares or rectangles. Measure the length and width of each section, multiplying length times width (in feet) for the square footage of the space. Add up each of the individual sections for your total square footage
Pavers come in 16-inch by 16-inch sections that include an installation grid and enough pavers to cover the 16x16 grid:
Each of these units covers 1.78 square feet. To figure out how many units you need, divide your total square footage by 1.78.
Important note: make sure to round your final number up, and then add a few more units to make sure you can cover your full area and cut or trim edges as needed to fit your space perfectly.
Here's are some quick benchmarks for roughly how many grids you'll need to fill certain square footages. Keep in mind that for any irregular-shaped sections, you'll want to buy a few extra grids to account for material lost while trimming a section down:
How Many Paver Grids You Need For Your Square Footage
- 50 square feet: 29 grids
- 100 square feet: 57 grids
- 250 square feet: 141 grids
- 500 square feet: 282 grids
Select Your Paver Colors And Pattern
Aspire Pavers come in four beautiful earth-tone colors: Boardwalk, Redwood, Waterwheel, and Olive.
Boardwalk
Waterwheel
Redwood
Olive
They also come in two sizes: rectangular 4-inch by 8-inch pavers and square 8-inch by 8-inch pavers.
You can combine colors and shapes to make a range of eye-catching patterns for your space:
You'll want to pick your pattern early so you can make sure to buy the right amounts of each color and shape of paver. Aspire's installation instructions feature some of the most popular patters, plus ratios of how many pavers to buy in each color to achieve the pattern.
You can combine colors for a structured, geometric pattern:
Or you can choose a calming monochromatic layout that lets your decorations shine:
Or you can create something all your own, like the brilliant mosaic pattern of this patio, which combines a basketweave look (the outside layer) with a herringbone pattern (middle layer) and a unique diamond shape (middle):
Installing Aspire Deck Pavers
Once your project is planned, the fun part begins. Installing Aspire Pavers feels a bit like creating a work of art - and it's done in three easy steps.
Step 1: Start Your Pattern With A Few Grids
Start by laying down a handful of installation grids at one edge of your space. You can usually start with four grids to get your pattern started.
Start laying down pavers, creating your pattern. Follow the installation instructions for your specific pattern to make sure the pavers overlap the borders between grids in all directions.
It's also a good idea to use an adhesive glue to stick down the pavers on the outside of your area. Aspire recommends gluing down pavers at least 16-inches around the border of your space - that means one full grid.
Step 2: Expand Your Pattern Across The Space
Once you've got your pattern started, continue adding grids to expand across your space, then placing pavers on top. Once you've gotten started, you'll likely find you fall into a nice rhythm of placing pavers.
We'd recommend making piles of the different colors and shapes of pavers you're using - this will allow you to quickly grab the pavers you need as you place them.
Step 3: Cut Any Pavers Or Grids To Finish Your Space
As you reach the edges of your space - or any unique features you have to work around - you may need to cut grids or pavers to fit. It's easy to cut Aspire grids or pavers using a jigsaw or miter saw.
Pro Tip: use a wood ripping blade with a low tooth count for the cleanest cuts.
You can cut your grids and pavers to create rounded edges, like the deck area below:
For the edges of your space, Aspire's Bullnose Border Pavers create a nice clean finish.
The rounded bullnose pavers also work great for steps or raised decks:
Installing Aspire Deck Pavers FAQs
Do I Need To Glue Down My Grids Or Pavers?
Aspire does recommend gluing your pavers to the grid for at least 16 inches around the edges of your space - that means a layer of glue-down pavers for one full installation grid at every edge of your deck.
If you're installing on a rooftop, Aspire recommends adhering pavers to the grid up to three feet from your parapet walls.
If you're installing in a high-wind area, you may want to glue down all of your pavers to keep them from lifting off with strong wind gusts.
Can I Use Aspire Pavers Around A Grill Or Firepit?
You can install Aspire Pavers near grills or fireplaces, but they should stay at least four feet from any open flame. For a firepit, you may want to create a stone area between the Aspire Paver surface and the fireplace itself.
You can use a fireproof mat to protect your Aspire Pavers from embers from a grill or a portable firepit.
Can I Use Aspire Pavers For Driveways or Walking Paths?
Yes! Aspire Pavers can handle a good amount of foot traffic and even low-speed vehicle traffic. The major thing to avoid is using Aspire Pavers for high-volume or high-speed vehicle traffic like road sections or crosswalks.
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