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Pavers help you set up an ideal landscape, but they can be difficult to maintain if you don’t know how to trim the edges. Mowing over your pavers can keep them looking neat and tidy. However, some techniques can damage the pavers and cause sparks, scuff marks, and other unwanted issues.
You can mow over pavers if they’re at or below the level of the soil. Raise the lawnmower blade to about 2.5 inches, mow over the pavers, and cut the edges with an edge trimmer if necessary. Never mow over pavers that are above the level of the grass since they’ll get cut by the mower’s blades.
Throughout this article, you’ll learn all about how to know if you can mow over pavers, tips to get the job done, and how it affects your lawn.
How to Know if You Can Mow Over Pavers
To know if you can mow over pavers, ask yourself these questions:
- How tall is the grass? If the grass is too high, you might not be able to see the pavers. Consider trimming them on a higher setting (such as four or five inches) before figuring out how you’ll trim the grass around the pavers. If you can’t use a lawnmower, lawn edgers or weed whackers will do the trick.
- How high are the pavers? If the pavers are above the grass, you can’t use a lawnmower. The weight of the mower compresses the grass and cuts anything above the surface. If the pavers are an inch or more above the soil, they could hit the mower’s blades and cause numerous issues.
- What is your lawn mower’s height? Your lawnmower should be able to go to at least 2.5 inches high when you’re mowing over the pavers. This setting ensures the compressed grass won’t let the blades cut the pavers. It also lets you match the grass around the pavers with the rest of the lawn.
- Are the pavers stabilized in the soil? If the pavers are loose, they might tilt when one of the mower’s wheels rolls over them. This slight tilt could cause the lawnmower’s blades to scrape and scuff the pavers. It could also cause sparks and irreparable damage to the blades and other lawnmower components.
- How wide are the pavers? SFGate mentions the pavers should ideally be no wider than 16 inches. If your pavers are too wide, one of the wheels might go over the pavers and push the other side into the blade. Much like the previously mentioned stability issue, this process will damage the blades and pavers.
Now that you know whether or not you can mow over the pavers in your yard, it’s time to learn how to get the job done. If you mow too close to the pavers or you don’t have the proper equipment, you’ll undoubtedly run into several issues. The last thing you want is to cause permanent damage to the pavers. Let’s discuss a simple solution below.
How to Mow Over Pavers
To mow over pavers, follow these instructions:
- Press the pavers into the soil. You could walk on them or push them with your hands to ensure they don’t move around too much. We recommend mowing around your pavers on a dry, sunny day. Wet soil can shift the pavers and lead to several unwanted mowing issues.
- Set the mower to at least 2.5 inches (or more, depending on how high you want the lawn). It’s best to ensure all sides of the pavers are revealed. Your lawn should be between 2.5 to 4 inches high when you have pavers. The grass should be the same height around the pavers as the rest of the lawn.
- Mow the grass around the pavers to reveal them. It’s always better to mow the whole lawn before working on the pavers. This method ensures you can make a few changes if you don’t like the lawn’s height. Once you cut around the pavers, there’s no going back.
- Slowly go over the pavers with the lawnmower, ensuring they don’t clip the edges. Don’t rush the process, or you might mess up the blades or have to repeat all of the steps. Mowing slowly ensures the grass blades are cut evenly. It also keeps the pavers in place without causing small shifts.
- Use an edge trimmer to shape the grass around the pavers if necessary. When you’re done, Home Guides suggests using a string trimmer to cut between the pavers. If they’re too close, you might not be able to cut the grass with a lawnmower. String trimmers are easier to work with and drastically reduce the chance of hitting the pavers.
You can purchase a relatively inexpensive edger like the WORX Electric Lawn Edger (link to Amazon) for edging the area around your pavers.
It comes with an adjustable ergonomic handle and textured wheels for smooth cutting. It also has a line guide and various height settings for the closest shape-up possible. This lightweight lawn edger provides easy handling for almost anyone.
Does Grass Grow Through Pavers?
Grass grows between and around pavers, but it can’t grow through them. Grass needs oxygen, sunlight, and nutrients, none of which are present under the pavers. However, you’ll have to trim the grass between the pavers with an edge trimmer, a lawnmower, or a string trimmer.
If you’re having trouble growing grass between your pavers, you can use lawn fertilizer. Water the soil and add new grass seeds around the edges. This surefire combination keeps your lawn and pavers seamless.
It also prevents the soil from getting too many weeds, which could be much more difficult to deal with.
Final Thoughts
While you can mow over most pavers, it’s important to remember to take it slow and maintain the proper mower blade height. A low-profile, narrow mower might not be the best choice.
Keep your pavers in the soil, and remember to mow and trim the grass around them on a day when the soil is dry.
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