How to Install Flagstone Patios

Flagstone is a flat stone used in building and landscaping. It is not a slate; it is a sandstone blended with quartz and feldspar. It contains iron oxide, silica and calcium. Flagstone is found in a variety of colors--peach, pink, red, green, gold, blue, white, beige and chocolate. Its non-slip surface is ideal for patios and walkways. Flagstone is also used for pillars, paving, fences, headstones and roofing. Most flagstone is 1/2-inch to 2-inches thick and comes in a variety of sizes broken from the original slab.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Broom Hose Flagstone pieces Shovel Masonry sand Portland cement Wheelbarrow Bucket water Pry bar Sponge Trowel

1. Clean the concrete pad where you will lay your flagstone. If there is mud, use water. If not, sweep it well.

2. Lay out the stone on the concrete in a varying patterns to see how the flagstone layout will look when finished. Mix the stones up so you have different shapes and sizes next to each other offering a unique blend of stones.

3. Mix 2 1/2 shovels of masonry sand in a wheelbarrow and add 1 shovel of portland cement. Add enough water to moisten the cement, but not too much. The cement needs to be more on the dry side.

4. Use a pry bar to lift up a pre-laid stone. Pour water on the ground. Apply 1/2-inch of cement under the stone, then lay the flagstone back into place.

5. Wipe off all extra cement from the stones with a damp sponge before it has a chance to set. Let the wet flagstone dry overnight.

6. Mix up another batch of cement the same as the first, only drier, to fill in the flagstone patio joints.

7. Scoop up the cement with a trowel, and, using lots of pressure, pack the cement into the joints. Push hard so the cement doesn't break out of the joints in the future.

8. Make sure to sponge all the cement off the stones. Start with a really wet sponge and then change to a dry sponge. Do not leave any cement on the stones.

Tips & Warnings

• When installing your flagstone patios, it is okay if the joints are not the same size--as long as they are within a 1/2-inch of each other. Because this is stone and not tile, the joints do not have to match.

• Make sure to create a fall when installing your flagstone patios so that water will run off and not pool on the patio. Only use portland cement when installing a flagstone patio. Never use masonry cement.