How To Build A Flagstone Patio?

Building a flagstone patio can enhance the beauty of your lawn. It is advisable to hire a patio contractor to build the flagstone patio. Here are the details of installation techniques to build a flagstone patio.

1. List of Materials and Tools You Need

Materials:

• Rough gravel
• Sand
• Flagstone
• River pebbles

The quantity of these materials depends on the size and area of your patio.

Tools:

• Shovels
• Wheel barrel for moving gravel, sand, and pebbles
• Cart for moving flagstone
• Bucket for holding sand, and pebbles
• 2” x 4” for screeding
• Hammer
• Masonry chisel
• Black smith’s hammer
• Mall/sledgehammer
• Tamper
• Protective goggles
• Gloves

1. Plan Your Patio

Patio size, shape and placement can be consulted by stone patio contractor. Below are the things to keep in mind while planning your patio.

1. Grading

Drainage is the first priority for building a patio. Instead of building a straight patio, built it on a slight angle. It will provide the drainage to the rain water. You must connect the existing drainage of your house with the patio drainage.

1. Stone Size

Smaller stone increase the work load on patio contractor. Bigger stones are easy to install but these are quite expensive. You must consult stone patio contractor to choose a better size of stone for your patio.

1. Stone Thickness

Thinner flagstone is prone to crack easily. While, thick flagstone is expensive. If you are building a drive way, use thick size of flagstone. And, use thin size for your backyard patio.

1. The Big Dig

You should dig your patio until you reach the level of 3-4’’ for gravel layer, dig 1’’ more for leveling the material and another one inch to add the thickness of the pavers. It means that you have to dig your patio for almost 6’’ deep.

1. Add 3-4″ of Packed Gravel Base

There are two types of base material. One is the fine gravel and the second one is crushed limestone. Crushed limestone is a better choice for you to build your flagstone patio because of its strength and the capacity to hold the dirt beneath it for the beautiful patio ideas.

1. Layering and “Screeding” the Sand

Add 1’’ of sand and tamp it until the sand goes inside the spaces of your crushed limestone material. To ensure the better quality of work, make the piles of sand on crushed limestone and use the method of screeding for leveling the piles of sand. It will give an extra strength to the foundation your flagstone patio.

1. Laying the Flagstone

Laying down the flagstone needs strategy and efficiency. Start laying the bigger size of flagstone around the perimeter and center of your patio, where most of the activities will concentrate. Add the smaller size stone inside the bigger size stone like a puzzle. And there is a valid reason to place a smaller size stone inside a bigger size stone because smaller stones will leave their places with the passage of time. Bigger size stones will lock them up. Moreover, it is advisable for you to hire a patio contractor for laying down the stones strategically and correctly.

1. Install Edging

Edging must be installed around the perimeter of your patio. Use the 10’’ long spikes to anchor the edging. Edging will provide the safety to your large size flagstone around the perimeter.

1. Level the Flagstone

After keeping the entire flagstone on their places, now, it is the time to micro-level the floor of your patio. Leveling the flagstone is very important task to follow, otherwise the flagstones will move from its places. The upper layer of sand is meant to provide an even floor for the stones but most of the flagstones are uneven. For keeping the flagstones on their places and to fill out their uneven spaces, there is a need to add some amount of GD (decomposed granite) under these stones.

1. Filling in the Gaps

This is the final step of flagstone installation and quite an easy step to follow. The materials use for the gap filling is, river pebbles, sand, soil or decomposed granite. Here, you can fill the gap with any material of your own choice. By using the soil you can plant any kind of vegetation in gaps. Moreover, using the decomposed granite will keep the weeds at bay. All these steps should be followed under the supervision of stone patio contractor long island.