How to Make a Limestone Patio

Making a limestone patio is not only affordable, but easy to do as well. For the purpose of this article, you will learn to prepare the ground for the patio, purchase limestone and put the finishing touches to the project by landscaping.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Spray paint or string
• Hand tamper
• Geotextile fabric
• Crushed limestone with fines
• Bedding plants and flowers

Instructions

1. Find a location. Decide where you will create your patio and measure the area. Define the area by marking off with spray paint or string. Choose a location that is level.

2. Prepare the ground. Dig to remove the top layer of grass. Compact the ground by using a hand tamper. If you are making a large patio area, you may want to inquire about renting a mechanical vibrating plate compactor. After the ground has been prepared, install a geotextile fabric to prevent soil from making its way through the limestone.

3. Purchase limestone. To have a sturdy foundation, be sure that you purchase limestone with fines. The fines (which is simply limestone that has been grounded up to form a powdery substance) is incorporated in the limestone to cause the rock to hold together like cement. Limestone with fines can be purchased from a landscaping supplier or from a directly from a rock quarry.

4. Pour the limestone into your primed location. Pour three inches of rock, then tamper down. Repeat this process every three inches until your patio is complete. If your patio area is not very large, you may be able to haul the limestone in an enclosed truck bed or trailer, however, if the patio area is large in size, you might considered having the limestone hauled in with a dump truck.

5. Landscaping should be done in a natural form as well. Avoid harsh edges and defined lines, allowing flowers and greenery to spread naturally and not be trimmed to a certain size or shape. Plants and flowers that spread or "creep" will be the perfect landscaping setting for your new limestone patio.