How to Install a Flagstone Walkway
If your pathway looks weather beaten and not so aesthetically-pleasing anymore, here’s one great solution you can try: install a flagstone walkway. It’s a beautiful and long-lasting pathway which you can make with a few tools, some flagstone and a strong back. Follow these steps.
What You’ll Need:
Flagstones
Garden hose
Water
Sand
Wooden stakes
Masonry string
Round-point shovel
Metal rake
String level
Flour or inverted marking paint
Tape measure
2×4 foot board
Garden spade
Rubber mallet
Chisel
Carpenter’s level
Broom
Safety glasses
Edging (optional)
Procedure:
Measure your path. You’ll need to know how much sand and flagstone you’ll have to order. Remember this before you make the purchase: one cubic yard of sand will be sufficient for 160 square feet that’s at least two inches deep. A ton of flagstone is enough for 100 to 120 square feet area.
flagstone walkway
Determine what’s the width and shape of your path. If you opt for just a straight pathway, put stakes at the start and end points, on either side, then tie a line between them. You can use flour or inverted marking paint to transfer this line to the ground
If you’ll have a curved walkway, you can use a garden hose (since it’s flexible) so you’ll see the boundaries. Mark the walkway edges on the ground.
Once you know the shape and width, you can now stake the path. Get the wooden stakes, then drive them at different points, at least a quarter of an inch above ground on each stake. This marks the final height of your pathway. Use the masonry string and tie them around each stake at them mark. A line level will help you make sure that the string level stays even.
Prepare your walkway’s foundation. Install the edging, afterwards dig out and take out the sand and sod between the strings. You’ll get a constant depth of 2 1/2 inches, coming from the path’s base to the string line. Rake the ground, smoothing it. Tamp flat.
Spread 1 1/2 inches of sand evenly all over the whole area. You can use the 2×4 board to smooth the surface. Tamp flat afterwards.
When the ground is already compacted, lay down the flagstones on top of it, using a carpenter’s level to make sure you have an even surface. Piece the stones together, as if you’re working on a jigsaw puzzle, except you’ll have to leave 1/2 to 1 inch gaps between the stones. These are for sand or planting.
When you get to awkward areas, break down stones with the chisel to the shape you needed. Use safety glasses when doing this.
If necessary, take out or add sand beneath the individual stones, to maintain levelness. Position each stone by covering with your 2×4 board, then tamping with a rubber mallet.
Sprinkle generous layers of sand all over the walkway, sweeping some into cracks. This will fill in your gaps. Turn on your hose and spray the walkway lightly. Keep sprinkling sand and sweeping until all gaps are filled.
If you want to give your space a softer look, plant sod into gaps or in some high-traffic ground cover.
Installing a flagstone walkway can be tiring, but all the hard work will be worth it once you see the final results. So what are you waiting for? Work on that boring pathway this weekend!