I have some of what I suppose are called pavers that I want to put down outside the back of a building because the ground there is too shaded to grow much, and if there is plenty of rain, it gets very muddy and mucky. I have never done this before. I expect all I need to do is dig up the dirt a couple of inches deep to set the pavers into the soil, yes? Do I need to put something beneath each paver such as pebbles or some sort of fine gravel?

The rectangular pavers are 16" X 8" and 1 3/4 thick. The round one is 12" across and about 2" thick. Will try to attach some snaps as a visual aid.

This might help, a friend of mine showed me this and it seems easy to follow but back breaking:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=...

@RpR can explain what needs done better than I can. I typed out a reply and to me it didn't make sense so I'll let him tell you what would work.

If it's to shady to grow anything, you will probably have an issue with moss, agree with Amanda, wait for @RpR

I do not know where GiGi's video was filmed but you will not find crushed sea-shells in 98.6 percent of the U.S.
Do NOT put down fabric, it is a waste of time, from years experience.

IF, if you are in an 8a area where it can freeze in winter , plus you are in a muddy area, you MUST dig a deep base or your paver with tilt kitty-whompuss, or sink, in a short period of time.

I do not know how you will space them or if you want something growing between them , plus possible future traffic, but you should dig down at least six inches, eight would be better, tamp that area down well, fill with preferably crushed granite (though use what is available in your area) compact it wel till the addition of sand and thickness of pavers will bring it to level you want. Screed it level or figure in any slope you want (slope makes water run off, not pool) put down one-half to one inch of dry sand and lay your pavers.

You could use a 4x4 , long enough to reach from end to end, to tamp them so they all sit square with one another, including what ever slant you may wish.

If you space them as in the picture it will be a lot more difficult job, to do in a manner that in a year or two they do not get kitty-whompuss, than if they were sitting next to each other with a x fraction of an inch spacing.

Because this a muddy area, it is more important to get the base done right, that in a dry area.
Photo of surrounding area would be a help.

You MUST dig out an area at lease one foot wider on all sides to have room to work. (A motorized compacter is a hundred time better than doing it by hand.)
I would not bother with the round one but that is up to you.

GigiPlumeria said: This might help, a friend of mine showed me this and it seems easy to follow but back breaking:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=...

Thank you. I will look at it.

Oh sorry just now reading this. This was filmed in Florida. hubby used paver base and paver sand he purchased from the big box storebut the area was very small, just our walkway area.

RpR said: I do not know where GiGi's video was filmed but you will not find crushed sea-shells in 98.6 percent of the U.S.
Do NOT put down fabric, it is a waste of time, from years experience.

IF, if you are in an 8a area where it can freeze in winter , plus you are in a muddy area, you MUST dig a deep base or your paver with tilt kitty-whompuss, or sink, in a short period of time.

I do not know how you will space them or if you want something growing between them , plus possible future traffic, but you should dig down at least six inches, eight would be better, tamp that area down well, fill with preferably crushed granite (though use what is available in your area) compact it wel till the addition of sand and thickness of pavers will bring it to level you want. Screed it level or figure in any slope you want (slope makes water run off, not pool) put down one-half to one inch of dry sand and lay your pavers.

You could use a 4x4 , long enough to reach from end to end, to tamp them so they all sit square with one another, including what ever slant you may wish.

If you space them as in the picture it will be a lot more difficult job, to do in a manner that in a year or two they do not get kitty-whompuss, than if they were sitting next to each other with a x fraction of an inch spacing.

Because this a muddy area, it is more important to get the base done right, that in a dry area.
Photo of surrounding area would be a help.

You MUST dig out an area at lease one foot wider on all sides to have room to work. (A motorized compacter is a hundred time better than doing it by hand.)
I would not bother with the round one but that is up to you.

Thank you. I just wanted to maximise the number of pavers I have on hand so that I could bridge that muddy area from the steps over to the fence where the trash bins are kept.

This sounds like a lot more work than I thought it would be!! I am not even sure how long I will be here. I just brought them with me from my old place so I would not have to leave them behind, and then I realised I could use them behind the building to bridge the steps to where the bins are kept. At the old place, they just sat right on top of the soil like they are doing right now. They slowly sank a tiny bit into the soil there as they were stepped on over time. That worked fine for my purposes, but the owner here said they have to be level with the ground so that mowers could pass through there.

I may move them off to the side now just to preserve them until I see where things are headed. I am in just a one room apartment now. after my old home was turned into an AirBnB. I like this apartment especially for its period charm and its fabulous location (for my purposes), but if I could find another rental with some sort of. yard so I could have a garden again, I imagine I would move. I doubt that would happen by this time next year (but who knows?); however, it could happen in two or three years time. I really do not know right now. I had to give up 95% of everything I owned because of this move after rents (and house prices) became insanely inflated with the advent of Covid in 2020.

This whole situation has been terribly depressing in more ways than one. Not only did I lose my garden and 95% of everything I owned, but it also made for a huge financial loss in the thousands and thousands of dollars (I shall never recover financially at my age). Just add this little bit on top of everything else, and it becomes a little more depressing.

Thank you again for the instructive advice, though. I do appreciate it.

Elysianne said: This whole situation has been terribly depressing in more ways than one. Not only did I lose my garden and 95% of everything I owned, but it also made for a huge financial loss in the thousands and thousands of dollars (I shall never recover financially at my age). Just add this little bit on top of everything else, and it becomes a little more depressing.
Thank you again for the instructive advice, though. I do appreciate it.