How to Make a Flagstone Porch

A patio is a nice addition to the front or back of any house. While brick or wood is perfectly fine, arguably the most handsome material for a patio is flagstone. Building a basic patio of this kind is relatively straightforward. It requires a concrete foundation that is relatively easy to pour, and from there the skills involved are identical to laying a flagstone walkway.

Things You'll Need

• Hammer
• Nails
• Lumber
• Stakes
• Level
• Shovel
• Dirt tamper (optional)
• Saw
• Wheelbarrow
• Concrete
• Four sections of steel rebar
• Steel wire
• Rubber mallet
• Mortar mix
• Flagstones
• Trowel
• Rubber gloves

Instructions

Pouring a Concrete Pad

1. 

   Fashion the mold for your concrete with a hammer and nails. You can do this by building a square or rectangle with 1-by-4 or 2-by-4 lumber. Then nail a diagonal plank from one corner to another to provide rigidity to the form.

2. Mark out an area of ground the same size as the mold with stakes, and clear it of all vegetation.

3. Check to see whether the ground is level by putting the mold in the work area and placing a level on it. If it is not level, the ground will need to be leveled by adding more dirt with a shovel and dirt tamper. Add dirt and keep checking for levelness until your mold is level on all four sides.

4. Secure the mold by driving two to four stakes flush against its side. Do not put so much tension on the lumber that it bends. You want to secure it, not warp it. Remove the stakes previously used to mark the area.

5. Dig a trench around the inside perimeter of your mold. This trench needs to be about 4 or 5 inches deep and roughly the width of the shovel head.

6. Use an old wheelbarrow for concrete, and then pour it into the mold by dumping it over the side. Fill the framed area to a depth of roughly 2 inches below the edge of the mold.

7. 

   Lay four sections of steel rebar into the wet concrete around the perimeter, about 2 to 3 inches from the mold. The rebar should be cut so that it overlaps a little bit and should be secured by tying it together with steel wire at the corners.

8. Resume filling the area with concrete, stopping roughly 1/2 an inch from the top of the mold.

9. Go around and tap the stakes and frame around the perimeter with a rubber mallet after about 10 minutes. The vibrations will travel inward and help the concrete settle.

10. Allow the concrete to dry overnight. Return the next morning and remove the mold and the stakes securing it.

Laying the Flagstone

1. Mix a batch of mortar using the old wheelbarrow. Mix this in stages so it won't dry while you are working, but make the last batch extra large (see Step 6).

2. Pour the mortar over the side, spreading a thick layer with the trowel over the top of the concrete pad.

3. Press flagstones into the mortar mix. After placing the flagstone, hold it around the sides with both hands and push down with all your upper body weight to get it properly set into the mortar.

4. After pressing the individual stones, use a level to see whether the stone is tilted ever so slightly away from the patio's door sill. If it is not, put both hands on the appropriate side, and push down again so that it is slightly tilted away. This will give the patio its necessary drainage.

5. 

   Use a hammer and chisel to cut the flagstones as necessary to achieve an even fit.

6. Fill in the cracks between the stones after laying the entire patio. Use leftover mortar from the last batch to fill the cracks between the stones. The best way to do this is with your fingers, but wear rubber gloves to protect your skin from caustic elements in the mortar.

References

• DIY Network: Flagstone Patios