Do It Yourself Flagstone Walkways
Installing a flagstone walkway in your yard will add beauty to your landscape and prevent erosion of your lawn. The term flagstone refers to any type of quarried rock. Flagstone is available in square and rectangular shapes or with natural, rough edges. Laying flagstone on a dry bed is the easiest, most cost-efficient way to install a walkway. Maintenance is easier and the stone will blend into the landscape better than stone laid in concrete. With a few simple tools and some helpful tips, you can create a beautiful, durable flagstone walkway that will enhance your home's landscape. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Flagstone
- Class 5 gravel or trap stone
- Stone dust or slag
- Playground sand
- Filter fabric
- Measuring tape
- Gas powered tamper
- Hand tamper
- String
- Spray paint
- Shovel
- Level
- Rubber mallet
- Wooden board
- Garden hose
- Water
Instructions
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Preparation
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1
Plan your walkway according to the most common path taken through the yard. Measure the desired width of the walkway along the length of the path and mark with string. Use spray paint to mark the path along the string.
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2
Remove 6 to 9 inches of topsoil and dirt from the designated walkway area. Dig 9 inches if your soil has poor drainage or if you live in a cold climate. You will be adding trap stone or class 5 gravel to promote drainage. Dig 6 inches if your soil drains well and you live in a warm or moderate climate. Tamp down the base of the walkway.
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3
Fill the walkway with 3 inches of gravel. Tamp down at least three times, making sure to get into corners.
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4
Cut filter fabric to fit and lay on top of gravel to keep stone dust from infiltrating the drainage layer.
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5
Fill the walkway with stone dust or slag. Moisten and tamp down two to three times.
Installation
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6
Choose one end of the walkway to start laying stone. Lay a stone on the stone dust, making sure the entire bottom of the stone comes into contact with the dust. Lay a board over the stone and pound it down with a mallet until it is level. Check with a level to make sure it is even. Repeat with each stone, measuring and cutting stone as needed to fit the walkway.
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7
Water the walkway moderately and tamp down the flagstone two to three times.
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8
Use a broom or trowel to fill gaps between stone with stone dust or playground sand. Wet the walkway and sweep more sand into gaps. Water the walkway a final time.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If a tree root is in the walkway, cut the root with pruning shears and paint the exposed end with latex paint. This will prevent root rot.
Renting a gas powered tamper will make preparation faster and easier. It will also reduce the need for future maintenance or repair. Use a hand tamper to get into corners.
Do not use silicone sand to fill gaps in stone. It can become airborne and is harmful to people and pets.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit steine image by Holger B. from Fotolia.com
