A patio can be your space to relax, socialize, and enjoy if you design it well.
With patio stones, you get a patio with a long-lasting design and an increased value of your home.
These are cost-effective and low-maintenance solutions that significantly increase your home appeal.
If you are considering beginning the project yourself, you should fully understand what you are getting into.
Here is a guide on how to lay patio stones to build a durable area to complement your home.
Main Types Of Patio Stones
Many types of patio stones are easily available in the market. Here are three common types of stone patios:
Natural Stone: You may pave almost anything with natural stone, including patios and stone walks. Natural stone paving is frequently made of travertine, granite, slate, basalt, and cobblestone.
Brick: For thousands of years, people have laid down brick pavers composed of clay. Brick can be a wonderful alternative if you want to pave a driveway because it’s strong enough to support the weight of cars.
Concrete: Concrete pavers are one of the cheapest and most versatile options. Many homeowners get them because they can be changed in colour to match the rest of the house.
How to Lay Patio Stones: A 12-Step Guide
Below are the steps on how to lay patio stones properly; follow these steps in the same order as written:
1. Calculate the Required Material
Decide how much sand, equipment, and patio stones you need to buy. To find the total square footage, divide the length by the breadth.
Some of the material will also be wasted for various reasons, so keep that in mind when you purchase the material.
The number of patio stones depends on the pattern you choose and the area of your lawn.
2. Take Out Any Grass
If you are searching for how to lay patio stones on grass, this step is specifically for you.
Make sure there is no grass or other vegetation. When removing grass, it is crucial to use a spade and dig deeply enough into the earth to remove both the grass and its root system.
If you leave any remaining roots, they may eventually sprout new grass in the spaces between the patio stones.
Additionally, you can transplant the grass you cut to the bare sections of your yard, so there’s no need to waste it.
If you have sod on your lawn, here is a guide on how you can remove it.
3. Use Fill Dirt
To ensure that your patio stones line up precisely, install them on flat ground. Then, use clean fill dirt to level your area.
The use of fill dirt for land levelling or foundations will not work if it includes organic material that decomposes over time.
This is also a difficulty when it comes to levelling land, even if you manage to fill a low place and bring it level with the surrounding area first.
Due to the dirt’s shifting volume, the low point will eventually reappear. If there are low points, your patio stones may settle unevenly.
You can’t use dirt from another area of your yard because of the organic matter.
You cannot ensure that the soil in your yard will permanently level out because you have no way of knowing if it does or does not include organic matter.
Creating a sturdy, level base will make building a patio that will withstand the test of time easier.
4. Lay Out the Space
Laying out the space where you want to place your patio stones comes next once you’ve chosen them.
Mark the path, the patio, and the driveway after you plan and make a design.
To label the areas where you want to place patio stones, use string.
Or, if you’re laying out a path or any other irregular shape, consider using spray paint, which is simpler to apply on curves.
In addition to that, you can use grade stakes, which resemble foot-long pencils, to mark the area.
5. Tightly Compact the Ground
You should apply another thin coat of fill dirt after levelling the entire area that will become your patio.
Level the soil on the upper surface with a tool like a hand tamper to ensure the surface is even and thoroughly compacted to lay patio stones.
The more compact the fill dirt, the more sturdy the base you will get. This phase is essential to building a solid foundation that will support your patio for many years to come.
6. Use Geotextile Fabric For Soil Protection
In this step on how to lay patio stones on dirt, you need to use a geotextile fabric.
It is made of synthetic materials and is porous in nature.
You should cover the ground with geotextile cloth for the following reasons:
- To strengthen the base
- Enhance drainage
- Prevent weeds from sprouting between the patio stones
Spikes can be used to secure the fabric’s edges and keep them hidden. Don’t neglect this step if you want to keep weeds out to avoid any obstructions.
7. Establish a Gravel Base
Using a shovel, lay gravel to build the patio’s base.
A gravel base is beneficial due to the following:
Stability: Over time, the compacted gravel distributes the weight of the patio stones evenly, preventing movement and settling.
Drainage: Water can easily flow over gravel, preventing water from collecting and lowering the chance of erosion or freeze-thaw damage beneath the patio.
Using a 2-inch gravel crusher, evenly spread them onto the landscape or geotextile cloth. Use an iron rake to smooth the layer.
Tamp down the crushed gravel until the base is quite firm. The patio stones will settle more evenly after this.
Next, add two more inches of gravel and tamp once more.
8. Use the Sand Bedding Technique
Sand is your second layer that comes on top of the cloth. The purpose of the sand is to hold the patio stones.
It’s the layer that sits between your base and the patio stones and acts as a cushion for the pavers.
Moreover, it smooths out the base layer’s fissures, creating an even, level surface.
To create an even surface, add roughly one to two inches of sand to the top of the base and level it out.
This is how you can use sand:
- Put down a layer of sand
- Then, two-level sections of metal pipe should be positioned at the same surface as the top of the sand base
- Shear off any extra sand from the pipes using a straight board
- After removing the pipes, add sand to the empty spaces
9. Lay the Patio Stones
Put the smooth side up and lay the patio stones into the sand bed.
Give them a little twist to ensure the stone is securely in touch with the bed.
Next, use a rubber mallet to tap the patio stones firmly into place at both the middle and the edges.
The edges of the stones must be on the same level as the adjacent stones. The marked areas will help you ensure you are laying the patio stones in the right area.
Using a square shovel, pull up a stone to correct it for pitch and flush, and then use a trowel to add or remove the wet mix.
For the next stone, follow the same shovelling, laying, twisting, and tapping steps, leaving a 3/8- to ½-inch space between each stone.
Before the wet mix has time to dry, give the stones a quick brush and rinse.
Don’t walk on recently laid stones for a day or until the bed has solidified. Otherwise, you will disrupt the position of the stones resulting in an uneven look.
10. Cut Them to a Perfect Size
Using an awl with a carbide tip, scribe the cut line after marking it with a pencil on the upper face. Choose a level to cut the entire length of the stone and make straight cuts.
Place a piece of wood behind the cut line to elevate the edge, which will be chopped off so that it doesn’t move.
While you do it, make sure you put on a dust mask, safety goggles, and ear protection.
Set the saw blade to a ½-inch cutting depth, turn it on, and move the saw slowly along the cut line to score a slab (make a shallow cut as a deeper cut).
After that, adjust the blade to 1 inch and perform one last pass.
If you choose solid premium-grade bluestone, which is less prone to chip or flake, you just need to score half or three-quarters of the way through.
Just use a hand sledge for breaking off the waste side. The cheaper, lower-grade stone needs to be completely cut because it is more likely to fracture.
11. Fill the Joints
After you lay the patio stones, use a broom to push sand into the spaces between the stones.
You need to create a stable and even surface with the sand. You can use a plate compactor or hand tamper.
Jointing sand or polymeric sand comes with a fine-grain combination and is the most suitable option for patio stones.
This material has an extremely potent bonding agent that binds concrete components together forcefully when it comes into touch with water.
With polymeric sands, there is less possibility of ant infestation and weed growth.
Therefore, it is a durable option that lasts long without changing the look of the stones.
12. Finish up with Final Touches
Finally, to settle and activate the polymeric sand, lightly spray the patio stones with water.
After that, dust the stones’ surface and remove any extra sand.
Sealing your natural stone pavers can improve their inherent colours and patterns while shielding them from stains and other harm.
Sealers come in a variety of forms, such as solvent- and water-based varieties.
Additional Tips
Edge restraints should be put in place to stop the stones from moving over time. Edge restraints are usually fixed into the ground along the patio’s edge and can be built from a variety of materials, including plastic, metal, concrete, or wood.
Water drainage can be facilitated by ensuring that the patio is slightly sloped away from any nearby structures.
Replace the sand in the joints from time to time and keep an eye out for any stone movement or settling.
FAQs
How should I cut the patio stones?
To cut patio stones, use a chisel and hammer, a wet saw, or a stone cutter. To obtain the required shape and size, measure the stone, mark the cut line, and then carefully cut along the line.
What should I do if the patio stones gradually sink or become loose?
Take out the damaged stone and examine the underlying substance. After levelling it out with more or less gravel and sand base, return the stone and use polymeric sand to fill in the crevices. As needed, compress and water the joints.
What is the best way to lay patio stones?
Starting from a corner will provide an even and well-organized pattern throughout the patio. It also makes changes easier and guarantees that the patio’s edges are straight and in line with the rest of the design.
Summary
These are the steps on how to lay patio stones in your yard perfectly. The process requires accuracy and planning to create a tight pattern with the patio stones.
If you are planning to do it yourself, consider your safety. Make sure you have all the protective gear, such as gloves and glasses.
If you need assistance, feel free to contact Falcons Landscaping. We can help you with the design and build an attractive patio that complements your home.