How to Lay Stone Pavers

Stone is a durable and attractive building material for creating an outdoor patio or walkway. Stone pavers can be found at many nurseries and hardware stores, and can be installed by most gardeners with standard tools. Stone pavers are a popular pathway alternative to gravel, wood chip, and brick paths. The right methods are required to lay stone pavers to ensure they do not settle at an angle or become overgrown with weeds and grass.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chalk, wood stakes, or string
• Ruler
• Stone pavers
• Flat-bladed shovel
• Gravel
• Weed-blocking screen
• Sand

1. Outline the layout for the path that you wish to build with stone pavers. Use chalk, wood stakes, or string to mark the outline.

2. Measure the height of your stone pavers.

3. Use a flat-bladed shovel to remove grass or dirt in the path's area. Dig out the entire area of your path, digging to a depth of the stone pavers plus six inches.

4. Fill the entire excavated area with four inches of gravel. For best results, use fine gravel with a maximum size of 10mm.

5. Cover the gravel bed with a weed-blocking screen, obtained from most nurseries and garden stores. The screen reduces the possibility of weeds and grass growing up between your stone pavers.

6. Layer two inches of sand on top of the gravel and screen. The foundation for your stone pavers is now complete. The mixture of gravel and sand will help keep the stone pavers from shifting and settling too much.

7. Place the stone pavers on top of the sand layer. Position the pavers as you like. Some individuals like their stone pavers to fit tightly, while others enjoy having a more loose and casual appearance with spacing between the pavers.

8. Fill in the cracks between the pavers with sand. Hose down the entire walkway with water. This settles the gravel and sand. The stone pavers are now ready to be walked upon and used.

Tips & Warnings

• Select stone pavers made from local rock material for a more natural-looking pathway or stone surface.

References

• Designing Your Gardens and Landscapes: 12 Simple Steps for Successful Planning; Janet Macunovich; 2001
• Paths and Walkways for Your Garden; Daria Price Bowman; 1997

Resources

• Decorative Concrete Walkway Options