# Eatimating pavers for curved walkway with border



## dvatt (Apr 16, 2009)

I am having a hard time figuring out how many rectangular pavers I need for this running bond and how many squares I need for the border. The inside measures is 9' and I want it to be 3' 6" wide. Any help would greatly be appreciated. Maybe a quit cad program would work.

Regards


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

If I'm understanding you correctly, imagine a straight walkway the length of your outside curve, and calculate based on that.


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## dvatt (Apr 16, 2009)

My outside is 16'. I was hoping a cad rendition could pinpoint it


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

If you're buying by the piece, you can just return the extras. Besides, trying to be too exact is inviting bad luck. Ever done crown or base and come up 1/2 a stick short when you really tried to nail the quantity? It's like that, i.e. not worth the extra time thinking about it. Anyway, good luck.


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## dvatt (Apr 16, 2009)

I'm so use to doing decks and patio's and nailing the quantity that is bothering me.


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## dvatt (Apr 16, 2009)

I thought about taking the long side and the short side and splitting the difference and treat it like its straight


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

If you do that, and split the difference you will probably come up short. 
The waste factor on a curve like that will put you over, if you are cutting to fit, you will use almost as much material as if you laid it out straight.


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## asevereid (Jan 30, 2012)

That radius is super tight to make with standard size pavers (ie:Abbotsford stone, etc...) without having to cut almost every border and field piece. 
First you will have to mellow out the radius to make it less hassle for your installation.
Quantity is fairly simple:
Border: measure your run for both sides of your radius and divide by the width of your brick, then be sure to add a 5% extra to that amount because you will have cuts in your border at the centers of your radii, and probably at one or both ends.
Field: this was already hit on correctly....imagine your radius as making a 90 degree turn so that you can get an approximate sq. ft. measure.
So that's going to be your 3'-6" minus the width of your borders, and your run of 'x' feet. If this number (plus 8-10%) is close to 100sq feet, you're golden, because a single pallet contains 100 sq ft. of brick pavers. You can always make up any amount in excess of 100 sq at the suppliers...there are open pallets all the time that they can get extra from.
Always add a waste factor of at least 10% to your paver jobs because there will be cuts, and you can always let the homeowner keep a small amount of surplus on hand of the same batch in the event that you are called out to replace or repair a few bricks.

This is by no means the definitive way to measure and estimate pavers, but it was the way I was taught by my foremen back in the day....and we seldom had large quantities leftover from residential jobs unless there was a change in the scope.


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## dvatt (Apr 16, 2009)

asevereid said:


> That radius is super tight to make with standard size pavers (ie:Abbotsford stone, etc...) without having to cut almost every border and field piece.
> First you will have to mellow out the radius to make it less hassle for your installation.
> Quantity is fairly simple:
> Border: measure your run for both sides of your radius and divide by the width of your brick, then be sure to add a 5% extra to that amount because you will have cuts in your border at the centers of your radii, and probably at one or both ends.
> ...


What radii do you suggest to make it a quick install? If I started the walkway coming from the driveway a foot down would that solve it?


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## concretemasonry (Dec 1, 2006)

dvatt -

You are "Trying to put a square peg in a round hole" with little acceptable tolerance.

You will have to do some cutting and fudging if you want it close to the perfection you want from looking at it so close. If you want to preserve the ideal uncut rectangle, you need to make the sidewalk a little wider to accommodate your "stepping stones".

Normally, a paving stone contractor would avoid mixing pavers with "stepping stones" and do everything in true running bond to set the true interior side of the curve, and the approximate the outer line after the base is in. Set the real pavers in place on the setting bed and mark a cut line on the outer pavers in place and cut to the line with a gas powered saw and then install the outer edging permanently before spreading sand and vibrating.

This method is very efficient on larger situations with curves (patios, driveways, streets, parking lots, etc.). If you are dealing with small jobs with no structural concerns, just accept the fact you are trying to be perfect on a small job and waste is always inevitable and cutting to close is a waste of tie and money.

Dick


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## asevereid (Jan 30, 2012)

dvatt said:


> What radii do you suggest to make it a quick install? If I started the walkway coming from the driveway a foot down would that solve it?


Nothing too major...I am suggesting that you go with a gentler curve....take a look at your pic; now see where the inside of the curve is? Just make that curve a little less pronounced and try not to hard to get it to return exactly perpendicular to the driveway. I think if you installed the border of the inside 1 foot FURTHER from the house you would end up with less cuts...but a less pronounced curve.


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## dvatt (Apr 16, 2009)

Thanks, I think less perpendicular to the driveway will help as well.


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

What I sometimes do is just sketch the outline in Sketchup and then I make a paver a component, position it and duplicate them across and then count them up the ones in the outline, add some extra and call it good.


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## dvatt (Apr 16, 2009)

Would a random mix of squares and rectangles help create a tighter curve while not having to miter


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