Flagstone Patio Installation Instructions
The installation of a flagstone patio is a straightforward project that even a beginner to home improvement can manage. The only specialized skill involved in building a flagstone patio, namely cutting custom flagstones, is readily mastered with practice. The rest of the task involves little more than simple manual labor. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Stakes
- Rubber mallet
- Shovel
- Wheelbarrow
- Gravel
- Iron rake
- Dirt tamper
- Masonry sand
- Garden trowel
- Garden hose
- Masonry saw
Instructions
-
Site Preparation
-
1
Compose a plan for the flagstone patio, including the dimensions of the perimeter and how you intend to fit the square and rectangular flagstones together. If the patio is a semi-circle, consider filling it with repeated patterns of arranged stones and filling in the gaps around the edges with the help of custom-cut stones.
-
2
Plant stakes around the perimeter of the proposed patio.
-
-
3
Shovel out a bed for the patio, which should be 10 inches deep and reasonably flat.
-
4
Dump gravel into the patio bed with a wheelbarrow and rake it out into a flat, 6-inch layer. Tamp the gravel down into a compact mass with a dirt tamper.
-
5
Dump masonry sand onto the gravel and rake it out into a flat, 4-inch layer. Spray the sand with water and wet it into a firmer, more compact mass.
Laying Stones
-
6
Set the flagstones onto the wet sand using the plan you composed in Step 1. Fit the stones closely together, checking each with a carpenter's level as you go. If a stone isn't level, pull it up and scoop sand in or out from beneath it with a garden trowel, adjusting the fit.
-
7
Cut the custom flagstones dictated by your plan. Etch a line as a guide all across the top of the flagstone in the place you need to cut it. Cut the stone with a masonry saw.
-
8
Set the cut stones in the appropriate places as indicated by your plan.
-
9
Dump more masonry sand onto the top of the patio and spread it around with a push broom. Wash this sand down into the spaces between the stones by spraying it with water.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
