How to Make Garden Steps from Rocks or Stones
The most logical way to move to and from different levels throughout a garden landscape is to incorporate steps that lead from one level to another. One way to make attractive steps in a landscape is to use rocks and stones. These natural materials look at home in any outdoor design. Due to the variety of rock and stone materials available, there are many different effects that can enhance any landscape design. Rock and stone are relatively long-lasting materials that will need little special care and minimal maintenance. You can even make rock or stone garden steps without using cement. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Rock or stone slabs
- Sand
- Shovel
- Level
- 4”x4” wood supports or cut railroad ties (Optional)
Instructions
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Gather your materials and tools so they will be on-hand when you begin building. Start at the bottom of the incline and create a level base of soil.
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Cut your steps or stairway right into the ground. Whether you have a slight elevation that will only need a few steps or a whole hillside that will require a serious staircase, you will need a strong, substantial base that will support weight from both the traffic and the stonework.
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Dig a right-angle vertical riser that will lead up to the next step. Although you can space the height of your steps however you want, the most comfortable height for a step is about 7 ½ inches. Try to build steps that are at least 10 inches deep or deeper. These are the normal spacings used for indoor staircases. If you will be using thick stones to cover the flat part of the surface of the step, factor the thickness of the stone or rock into the depth of the step height you are digging.
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Use large cut pieces of 4" x 4" redwood, greenwood or cedar wood to build a more stable front elevation to your steps. You can stack them to create the front riser of each step. Hold them in place by drilling a hole vertically down through the layers of the wood and insert rebar rods to stabilize the structure. You can also use cut railroad ties to secure the riser front of each step. Wood riser reinforcements can be covered with thin pieces of rock or stone for decoration if you don't want the look of wood. This will set the style and method that you will use to build the rest of the steps.
If you are planning to use large, very thick slabs of stone, you will not need to use wood or other forms of soil stabilizers since the stone should be heavy enough to stay in place once set.
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Lay one large chunk of flat stone over the flat, smoothed stepping surface, or fit multiple stones like flagstone into a leveled surface. A large, single stone can be sliced into a formal-looking surface or can be cut roughly for a more natural effect. Fitted pieces of stone can be used to mix textures, create a pebbled effect or even form pictures or designs like simple stone mosaics. A layer of sand placed over the top of the cut soil will help set whatever rock or stone design you plan to use for the stair tread.
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Fill any cracks between stones with sand or gravel.
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Tips & Warnings
Design different areas of your landscape using the same types of stone to create continuity in your overall design. You can also turn a practical stairway into a decorative feature by designing it as a geometric design or a curving stairway that leads the eye up the whole landscape.
Resources
- Photo Credit Mark Turner/Botanica/Getty Images
