If you’re looking for a way to add some extra seating and style to your outdoor space, consider building a flagstone patio. Flagstone is a type of stone that is typically used for paving patios, walkways, and other outdoor surfaces. It’s durable, weather-resistant, and relatively easy to install.
How To Install a Flagstone Patio
Installing a flagstone patio or path can make your landscape look much better and make your guests look at your home in awe (or customers if you happen to be a pro).
In this article, I’ll show you how to build a flagstone patio (or path) without having to use concrete or special tools.
Task: This can be done in many different ways, just like any other task. I’m going to show you a way to do this that’s easy to do, lasts for a long time, and looks like it was done by a professional. It will not only be easy to put together, but it will also last a long time.
Step 1: Make a Patio
It’s not just the obvious things that you need to think about. There are a few that aren’t so obvious.
Grading: You must build your patio in a way that it drains well, or you will have problems with puddling later. It is never a good idea to build a patio that is level. If you don’t want to do that, build it at a slight angle so that water can flow freely. When you build a patio, the drop will be about 1/8 of an inch per square foot. You should pay attention to and work with any landscape drainage that is already there on your land.
Size of Stones: The bigger the stones, the easier it will be to put them together. There are also bigger stones that are more expensive, heavier, and thicker, but they are also heavier and more expensive. So, choose a stone size that fits your needs.
Stone Thickness: A thinner flagstone is more likely to break when it’s under a lot of weight. In general, a bigger piece of flagstone is heavier and more expensive. If you’re building a patio in your backyard, you can use 1.5′′-2′′ thick flagstone. To lay flagstone for a driveway, make sure that the stone is at least two inches thick, and preferably even more.
Irrigation Lines: If you want to have an irrigation system or even a gas fire pit, run irrigation lines before you build the patio. In addition, you should “call before you dig” to make sure that you don’t hit any power lines while building your patio.
Step 2: Digging
For the gravel base, it should be 3 to 4 inches thick. For the leveling material, it should be 1 inch thick. This usually means digging about 6 inches down.
Sometimes, you can build a patio with dirt around it, but you have to plan. If the patio is near a structure, don’t build it too high, because dirt will build upon the siding and make it easy for termites to get in.
6 inches of dirt is a lot, especially if you’re building a big patio, so think about your options.
Step 3: Add 3-4″ of Packed Gravel Base
If you don’t want your patio to be uneven, you’ll need to lay down a gravel base before you can build it. You’ll be glad you did this in the long run. It will keep your patio level and keep your stones from cracking and breaking. Do not cut corners on the patio’s foundation if you want it to look like it was done by a pro.
Before adding more gravel, add 2 inches at a time and make sure to pack it down. It can be pushed together by hand or with a plate compactor. In either case, make sure that the container is well-packed.
When you lay flagstones, you should put at least six inches of gravel on the ground.
Step 4: Install 1″ of Leveling Sand
For this layer, you don’t want to use sand. You’ll be walking on it a lot. Sand shifts when it’s walked on. As a result, it is best to use crushed rock that has screenings in it.
There are a lot of places where decomposed granite is the best thing to use (DG). This material looks like sand, but it holds together better and is good for walking on. To make it look like dirt, it has both large pieces of sand (about 1-2mm in diameter) and fine dust. This makes it pack down like dirt, but it is still easy to level and weeds have a hard time growing in it.
Because this is the last layer before you start laying stones, it should be flat and level. Grade the area with a mason line tied between ground stakes and a level.
It’s done when it’s level. Spray it down with the hose, then pack it down well. If you need to, level again.
Step 5: Puzzle Together The Flagstone
Gather and arrange the larger stones around the perimeter of the patio first. To keep things stable over time, use bigger stones on the outside. Toward the center, as they move, the bigger stones will act as anchors for the smaller stones.
There are still some stones to add to the patio, so work your way around it in a clockwise direction toward the center. A lot of work goes into cutting stones, so spend a little time putting them together to make as few cuts as possible.
It will take longer to make the project because there will be more cuts because of the tighter and more even seams. If you don’t mind having bigger gaps, you can cut back on the number of stones you use. This will save you a lot of time and money.
Step 6: Level the Flagstone
Didn’t you think you were done? Ha! There is one more thing to do: level the stones.
If you don’t want the flagstone to move when you walk on it or trip over the edges, you’ll have to level each stone one at a time. Because some of the stones will be uneven on the bottom, you’ll need to add and remove DG (decomposed granite) as needed to make sure the bottom is level. I think you might have to pick up and move a stone five or six times before it fits. That’s just the way things are.
Keep a bucket of DG and a small shovel on hand in case you need to add or remove DG quickly.
You can use a 4-foot level to figure out where each stone should be about the grade and other stones. As the last step, if needed, make any changes that are needed.
As long as you take your time, you will end up with a very professional result if you do this step right (and lots of breaks).
Step 7: Fill In The Gaps
Now it’s just a matter of filling in all of the blanks on the form. This step can be done however you want. Use soil or moss to fill in the gaps. In addition, you could just add more DG to keep the weeds at bay.
It doesn’t matter what you do, spray it down with a hose to keep the stones in place before you look at your hard work.
Final Thoughts
Building a flagstone patio is a big project, but it’s doable if you take your time, break it up into manageable steps, and have the right tools.
I hope this how-to was helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Thanks for reading!
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