INSTALL A STONE PATIO OR WALKWAY
 Step one: Plan the area by painting it out with a can of spray paint. Pay close attention to the high traffic areas or the areas that are walked the most. This is the path that will be fallowed. Try to plan the patios and walkways with these areas in mind. Make a mark on the building foundation with chalk or grease marker where the top of the patio will be located. This mark will serve as a reference throughout the project. Gather a list of materials and tools that will be needed to complete the project:
- ¾” rock or crushed material (1 cubic yard is equivalent to 1.35 tons and add 1/3 for compaction)
- ¼” minus or sand
- Bender board (enough board to go around the perimeter of the patio and/or walkway)
- Stakes (1 stake for every 3 feet of bender board)
- Nails
- Paving material (most flagstones will cover 80-100 sq. ft. per ton)
- Rubber mallet
- Level 4’
- String line
- Chalk or grease marker
- Can of spray paint
- Plate packer or hand packer
Step two: Excavate the area of the patio/walkway to a depth of 6” plus the depth of the paving material below the mark that was made on the building foundation. Use bender board to outline the area to be paved. The top of the bender board will serve as a marker for the top of the patio. Attach stakes every couple of feet to secure the bender board. Install any pipes now that will house the irrigation hoses. Dig trenches, install the pipes and backfill the trenches.
Step three: Fill the bottom 4 inches with a crushed material, such as ¾” Crushed rock or a recycled concrete. Compact the rock or recycled material in two inch lifts or every two inches to ensure compaction. Use a plate packer for this step. The packing material should be firm so you can step on it and not leave an imprint. On top of the crushed material should be 2” of a sand or crusher dust. This will serve as the leveling material to set your stone on. Leave the sand 2” lower than the top of the bender board or the depth of your paving material. Compact this layer and use a long straight board to level the area. Drag the board over the surface by pulling it toward you. The sand should now be level and packed.
Step four: Start laying the paving material against the mark that was made on the house in the first step. The paving materials should be at least 1 ½” to 2” thick. When choosing flagstone, pick a variety that will work the best for the situation. For instance, Setting a dinning table and chairs on a patio with very small flagstone pieces will cause the chair legs to get caught when moving them in and away from the table. Large stones would work better for that application. Place the largest stones in the high traffic areas and use the smaller stones to fill in the spaces. An average stride for a person is 18 inches so keep this in mind when placing stepping stones. Use a 4’ level and a rubber mallet to level each of the stones to one another. Leaving stones sticking up or toe kicks could cause an injury.
Step five: After all the stones are in place fill the cracks with pea rock or crusher dust material. Water the patio to settle in the fill material and the stones. Perennial or annual plant material will also work. Plant material will need to be watered regularly to prevent drying out. Backfill the edges of the patio with dirt. Enjoy.
Please call us at Dakota Aggregate Resources with your questions about coverage or any of our products at
(605)336-8949.
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