Do it Yourself Small Stone Patio
Most stone patios look intricate and complicated to build, but they don’t have to be. In fact, stone patios work well for small outdoor spaces. You can install natural stones such as slate or flagstone in a small sand bed. All you need to do is take into consideration the dimensions you have available for your patio and create the sand bed to that scale. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Flagstone or slate
- Tape measure
- Wooden stakes
- Twine
- Spray paint (optional)
- Shovel
- Gravel
- Sand
- Landscape fabric
- Scissors
- Two-inch thick piece of lumber (optional)
- Rubber mallet
- Level
- Wood screed
- Garden hose
- Broom
Instructions
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Measure the dimensions of your patio with a tape measure. If you are creating a square or rectangular patio, place a stake at each corner of the proposed site. Then border off the area by connecting the stakes with twine. If you would like the sand bed to have more of a circular look, you can mark the dimensions on the ground with spray paint.
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Excavate the proposed site. Use a shovel and dig up all of the sod and dirt. Create a hole that is approximately six inches in depth.
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Pour four inches of gravel into the hole. Tamp the gravel with a shovel to pack it and create a level surface.
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Place landscape fabric over the gravel. The fabric should come in rolls. Unroll the fabric and cut it to length. If necessary, allow the sections of fabric to overlap each other by six inches.
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Add two inches of sand to the top of the landscape fabric. Mist the sand with a garden hose. Then take a piece of lumber and drag it over the sand bed to level out the surface.
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Take your stones and perform a dry run next to the sand bed. Arrange the stones in a pattern that you like. Once you are satisfied, start transferring the stones one at a time to the sand bed, making sure that the stones are arranged in the same pattern. Allow about one inch of space between each stone.
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Pound each stone into the sand bed with a rubber mallet. Then use a level to make sure that each stone is even with its neighboring stone. Continue doing this until all of the stones are pounded in and level.
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Spread more sand over the entire patio area. Then sweep the sand making sure that it gets in the spaces between the stones. Spray the patio again with water. Keep adding more sand and spraying the patio with water until it looks like the stones are packed and will not shift.
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Tips & Warnings
You can purchase many different types of stone from a local quarry. Some popular stones are flagstone and slate. These stones work well because they have a natural look that can complement many outdoor spaces.
To get the exact amount of sand in the sand bed, try placing a two-inch-thick piece of wood or brick on top of the landscape fabric. Then pour the sand. Once the object is lightly covered with sand, you will have enough sand for the bed.
References
- Photo Credit drystone wall. image by Paula Gent from Fotolia.com
