How to Lay a Flagstone Walkway
Tired of taking the beaten path through your yard? Weary of weeding gravel pathways? A flagstone walkway is an excellent way to bring beauty and functionality to your landscape without spending a lot of money. Using stone allows for gentle curves and even planting pockets. An easy project, it requires no special skills or technical knowledge, though you will need a strong back. Here’s how you can create a beautiful long-lasting path in a weekend with a few common garden tools, some sand and flagstone. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Flagstones
- Sand
- Water
- Edging (optional)
- Garden hose
- Safety glasses
- Tape measure
- Inverted marking paint or flour
- Wooden stakes
- Masonry string
- String level
- 2 by 4 foot board
- Round point shovel
- Garden spade
- Metal rake
- Carpenter’s level
- Rubber mallet
- Chisel
- Broom
Instructions
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Determine the shape and width of your path. To lay a straight path, place stakes at the starting and ending points on either side of the path and tie a line between. Use inverted marking paint or flour to transfer the line to the ground. For a curving path, use a garden hose to establish your boundaries and mark the edges on the ground.
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2
Stake the path. Drive wooden stakes at various points along either side of the path. Measure and mark a point ¼-inch above the ground on each stake to mark the path’s final height. Tie masonry string to around each stake at the mark, using a line level to ensure the string remains level.
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3
Prepare the foundation. Install edging, then dig out and remove sod and soil between strings to a constant depth of 2 1/2 inches from the base of the path to the string line. Rake ground to smooth and tamp flat. Evenly spread 1 ½ inches of sand over the area. Drag a 2 by 4 across the sand to smooth surface, then tamp flat.
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4
Lay flagstones atop compacted sand, using a carpenter’s level to ensure a level surface. Piece stones together the way you would a puzzle, allowing gaps of ½- to 1-inch between stones for sand or planting. Add or remove sand beneath individual stones as necessary to maintain level. Seat each stone by covering with the 2 by 4 and tamping with a rubber mallet.
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5
Fill in the gaps. Sprinkle a generous layer of sand over the pathway and sweep into cracks. Use garden hose to lightly spray walkway. Continue to sprinkle sand, sweep and spray until gaps are filled. For a softer look, plant gaps with sod or other high-traffic ground cover.
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Tips & Warnings
When ordering sand and stone, keep this in mind: one ton of flagstone covers approximately 100 to 120 square feet of area. One cubic yard of sand will about 160 square feet to a depth of 2 inches.
Use a chisel to break stones into desired shapes when you come to an awkward area. Don’t forget your safety glasses.
Your path should slope away from any permanent structure to prevent water from pooling. A general rule of thumb is to incorporate ¼-inch of slope for every foot of path. For example, if your path runs alongside your home and is 3 feet wide, the finished height of the path would need to be 3/4-inch higher near the house to provide adequate run off.
