How to Put in Landscaping Stones
Landscaping stones, also called patio stones, can beautify your property, keep a path free of weeds, and create a permanent walkway around your home. Before you begin the project, plan how you want the landscaping stones to look and purchase enough stones to cover the area. Take your time selecting the landscaping stones, as they will become permanent fixtures on your property. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Landscaping stones
- Tape measure
- Non-toxic outdoor marking spray
- Shovel
- Landscaping fabric
- Scissors
- Gravel
- Sand
- Rubber mallet
- Broom
Instructions
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1
Place a few landscaping stones on the lawn and arrange the stones into different patterns until you find the design layout you prefer for your walkway. Make sure the stones are within 1/2 inch of one another so the gaps in between them are small. Measure the width of the layout to determine the width of the walkway.
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2
Spray a line of non-toxic marking spray along the entire length of the path to mark one edge of the walkway. Measure and mark the width of the walkway (as determined in Step 1) in several places. Use these marks to spray the second edge of the walkway, like connecting the dots.
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3
Remove the sod layer of grass from between the marked lines to expose the soil from one end of the walkway to the other. Remove the sod by inserting the blade of the shovel 1-2 inches under the grass layer. Push the shovel blade forward under the grass, not down, to separate the grass from the soil. When the sod is loose, roll it forward. Continue to push the shovel blade forward between the grass and soil until you reach the end of the walkway.
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4
Dig a trench 6 inches deep to remove the soil from the entire area between the marked lines. The trench should run straight down from both sides and form a flat floor. Set the loosened soil aside and smooth the floor of the trench with the shovel.
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5
Roll out landscaping fabric over the trench. Push the fabric into the soil to cover the floor and walls of the trench. If you need to use more than one roll, overlap additional pieces of fabric by 6 inches. Trim the fabric with scissors so the sides are level with the grass layer on either side of the trench.
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6
Fill the bottom 2 inches of the trench with gravel. Over the gravel, layer 2 inches of sand. Level the sand with the blade of the shovel, adding more sand, if necessary, to keep the surface flat and level.
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7
Set the landscaping stones into place following your design pattern, starting at one end of the walkway and working toward the other. As you place each stone, tap it with the rubber mallet first toward any stones behind it and then downward into the sand. Lay the stones in this manner until the walkway is filled.
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8
Spread 1 inch of sand over the stones. Use a broom to sweep the sand into the cracks in between the stones. Use additional sand for larger cracks until the gaps are filled and are level with the upper surface of the stones. Spray the stones with a light mist of water to settle the sand.
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Tips & Warnings
Leave a few stones in your planned pattern in the yard as a guide to follow while you work until enough of the pattern is set into the walkway that you can follow it from there.
Repeat Step 7 any time the landscaping stones shift or wobble.
