Nice Cookies

I want to install a flagstone patio on the back of the house… in the planning stages now.

Has anyone done it? Input? Thoughts?
we just put abunch in our garden out front and it looks great

Pics?

Tips?

Ill take some pics later today when we finish it
set a level line around the perimeter of the area, dig down 4" for a crushed concrete or crushed stone base, another 1/2" for sand and the thickness of your stone.

install 4" of your base material (the crushed concrete or stone) rough level it with a rake then tamp it down. then spread some sand to help you level the pieces and then lay out your stones, dont bother leveling until you get them in the way you want. Once you have the pattern you want level the peices with each other and then sweep in stone screenings, bonding sand or just plain sand to lock the stones in. Then if desired pour milk on them to promote moss growth.

something small we did last year (and yes I had to cut that stone to get the moon shape)

Nice. Do you find the sand washes out at all, between the stone?

I’m in Florida – LOADS of rain. Daily..
not if you use bonding sand or they may call it stabilizer sand. google polymetric bonding sand.

it looks fantastic. and you make it sound easier than it probably is. how far in the hole did it set you back?

didnt cost me anything, thats at a job I did so I made money on it

If that’s directed to me, the answer is no.
I used blue dust as the base with sand on top for slate patio and brick walkway. It’s a bit finer than other materials but it packs down real nice and gives you a solid base under the sand. Just be sure to pack it down real good. Most nurseries have it.

If this is going to be against a house or other structure you will want to be sure to use a level and leave a very slight slant away from the house to prevent water from pooling against the house. In general it’s a good idea to do this wherever you build it.

yeah about an inch pitch per every ten feet is good for paved surfaces.
It’s not hard.

Use mortar though..

The one in the picture is pretty shitty looking.

You don’t need a saw for that stone, just a Rock hammer.

1- if you want to use motar in the joints its going to crack unless you set the stones on concrete (which is not a DIY type of job) not to mention the mess an amature trying to joint stone will make.

2-he’s trying to make it look natural and nothing looks more natural than flagstone jointed with motor.

3-show some pics of your work. I did that area with stones that were on the job and had about 2 left over not to mention thats a tight fucking space to try and lay something out and trying to keep the shape of the gazeebo.

Oh you used what was onsite… ok.

Yes I know it would crack, but I figured he would lay a foundation underneath.

I just went by the first sentence " I want to install a flagstone patio. "

I wouldn’t know which pics to take… my company does residential / commercial masonry… and we probably do about 350-400 flagstone patio’s a year on some of the custom contracts we have.

I’ll see where we have done some and get some pics…

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