Natural Stone is a beautiful paving choice, but one that requires experienced installation. Two landscape contractors share their stone expertise.

Surface Preparation

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To achieve the proper pitch, use a level on each individual stone as it is placed. When grading compacted base materials, set the site for level, then design a two percent pitch downward to accommodate runoff from sprinklers and rainwater. Check the slope with a laser, which will indicate how far grade is from ground zero. PHOTO COURTESEY ESSENTIAL LAWN AND LANDSCAPING

On top of the compacted stone base, installers have the option to seat the stones in two inches of sand. Instead of sand, Shecter prefers to batter the underside of the stones with two inches of mortar to seat them firmly on the crushed stone base. This will allow for adjustments and seating of each individual stone. Because stones differ in thickness, you?EUR??,,????'?????<

Achieving Proper Slab Pitch

Another element landscape contractors need to plan is the proper slope of the final surface. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Choosing and Placing the Stone

Shecter uses natural limestone or bluestone for most of his stone patios. Limestone or grindstone is used for walkways and steps. For patio design, the stones can be random pieces or very formal pieces, as long as each piece is generally the same thickness. Not all natural stones are flat, so make sure you can slide a chair across them. Shecter?EUR??,,????'?????<

A limestone two-tiered patio enhances the beauty of a lakeside residence. The stones are installed tightly, with a gap of one-half inch or less, to minimize accumulation of debris in the cracks between stones. PHOTO COURTESEY shecter LANDSCAPING inc.

Placing the stones can be like putting a complex puzzle together. The standard gap in between the stones should be about one-half inch, asserts Shecter. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Filling the Joints

After the stones are seated, the cracks between stones can be filled with different materials depending on the ?EUR??,,????'?????<

If vegetation is not desired between stones, sweep in slag sand (an environmentally benign by-product of steel-making), which will minimize plant growth.

Another tip from Schecter?EUR??,,????'?????<

Creating Steps with Natural Stone

In preparation for natural stone steps, Shecter doesn?EUR??,,????'?????<

Planning the proper pitch is vital to the proper execution of stone landscape steps. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

To minimize erosion, steps and pathways are built with a subtle two percent downward pitch so rain water and sprinkler runoff will flow downhill, instead of getting caught behind the stones. PHOTO COURTESEY shecter LANDSCAPING inc.

The proper rise on steps is between six to eight inches. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Ted Drooger, owner and president of T&S Enterprises, a Fennville, Mich. landscape contractor, gives LCN his tips on achieving lasting stone aesthetics while dealing with site challenges.

Creating the Base

To create walkways and patios, Drooger starts by excavating enough soil to accommodate four to six inches of compacted gravel base. After compaction, he sets the stones in two inches of sand. The sand allows workers to manipulate stones of different thicknesses, burying thicker stones deeper in the sand to create a flat paving surface. All stones are set with rubber mallets to pound the stones in?EUR??,,????'?????<

A winding stair of large, smooth grindstones creates a beautiful balanced walkway that blends in with the surrounding flora. The proper rise on landscape steps is between six to eight inches. Sometimes grade changes will necessitate that the steps be raised out of the ground and a matching stone retaining wall built to minimize erosion. Project by Shecter Landscaping Inc.

Filling the gaps between the stone joints is a matter of preference. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Compaction is Key?EUR??,,????'?????<

The most important element in good stone paving is in the compaction of the gravel base. To compact the gravel base, Drooger uses a gas powered tamp supplemented with a hand tamp. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Creating Natural Stone Steps

Drooger uses flagstone from a local quarry for his landscape steps. Each step is installed with a seven-inch rise. Finding the proper rise/run ratio to flow with the grade is a skill that gets easier with experience. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Natural flagstone, in shades from sand to rust, cover a teardrop patio surrounded with plantings that aid in erosion control. A flexible metal edging restraint is installed around the outside edge to hold the pea stone within the paved perimeter and keep grass from creeping into the paved area. Project by T &S Enterprises

Installing an edging border can minimize erosion around stones that break grade. Drooger uses timbers manufactured in Canada by recycling old auto interiors. The auto interiors are melted down and injection molded it into six-by-six by eight-foot timbers that are backed by a 100-year guarantee against deterioration. The timbers are used at the end of a walkway as a cross member?EUR??,,????'?????<

Around curved paths or round patio edges, Drooger stakes an edging restraint around the paved perimeter because it?EUR??,,????'?????<

Common Installation Mistakes

Problems Drooger has seen? ?EUR??,,????'?????<

A round flagstone patio with walkway and paved dining area is the perfect outdoor retreat. To keep weeds out, the pathway stones were swept with sterile soil and planted with ground cover. The patio was swept with pea stone to virtually eliminate plant growth between stones. Project by T &S Enterprises

Another pesky problem is weed control. Some contractors will sweep their stones with ordinary topsoil to fill in the cracks between stones. If they do that, says Drooger, ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The most important part of good stonework is applying a compacted base and working every stone with a level to keep the slope right. The majority of stone is laid out into puzzle pieces before installation, depending on the gap sought between the stones. If a tight gap is sought between stones, stone cutting will be required.

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