10 Steps to a Great Flagstone Patio
At Stone Haven, Inc. we’re a flagstone wholesaler, so we welcome pros and do it yourself landscapers. If you’re just starting out, all the fun and excitement of choosing beautiful flagstones can take your mind away from the practical aspects of actually turning them into a comfortable, durable patio.
Let’s break that task down into 10 basic steps. This is a checklist to help you work after you do some thorough research; it’s not a full instructional. Plus, the most important rule is that whenever you’re cutting stone you should wear safety goggles, work gloves and steel toed work boots.
Once you’re well-read and dressed for safety, here’s what to do:
- Excavate 12″ deep.
- 6 inches larger in all directions
- Make sure to slope the base of excavated area away from buildings.
- Start by filling in area with 3 inches of 3/4inch clean crush stone and compact it with a plate compactor. Fill in area with another 3 inches of the same crush stone and compact again.
- Place a layer of membrane on top of the crush stone. Make sure to place some small rocks at corners and center of area .
- Fill in area on top of the membrane with 3inches of 0-1/4 inch stone dust. DO NOT COMPACT THE STONE DUST!
- Start laying stone at the highest elevation, making sure to remember to slope away from buildings.
- Place the stone onto the stone dust at the desired slope and compact the stone into the stone dust with a rubber hammer or by placing a 2×4 with a length of about 18 inches onto the stone and hitting it (the 2×4) with a hammer (Min 16 oz.).
- Try to find the next stone to be laid that won’t need a lot of cutting to fit next to the stone you have previously laid.
- The joints between the stone can vary between ¾inch to 2 ½ inches. They can be filled with stone dust, river stone 3/8” –5/8” or topsoil. Try seeding the topsoil (you could plant thyme in the joints, for instance — it looks great).
The stones are going to be loose for a few weeks until they set properly, so don’t worry if they seem to move. Once they feel firm under your feet, it’s time for the most important “step” of all: Get a chair out there, pop open a drink and enjoy your patio!
Stone Haven is now giving courses by appointment only. These draw on Mike Stone’s 40 years of landscaping experience. Please call 450.242.0255 or email Mike at mike@stonehaveninc.ca to have your name included in our 2009 schedule.