How to Install a Blue Stone Patio

Contact the local utility company to schedule an appointment for it to check for any underground wiring in your desired work area. The utility company will spray lines in your yard to indicate areas where you should not dig.

Mark the edges of your desired patio area with wood posts and tie a rope around the outside. Measure each of the sides to ensure the dimensions are in line with what you're looking for.

Purchase your blue stones from a landscaping or home improvement store. For a 10-by-10-foot area, buy approximately 1 ton of loose stone and 450 pavers that are 4 by 2 by 8 inches.

Dig out a 6-inch deep hole in the ground in the area you want to build your patio.

Install the flexible edging on the outer border of the entire area. Use a rubber mallet to tap the edging down so it's firm on all sides.

Compact the soil with a plate compactor or hand tamper. Rent either of these pieces of equipment from a hardware or home improvement store.

Place a tarp or mesh screen on top of the soil to ensure weeds do not grow up through the patio.

Layer 2 inches of gravel on top of the mesh screen. Rake the gravel until it is smooth and uniform over the entire surface.

Compact the gravel with the hand tamper or plate compactor. Place a piece of wood on top of the gravel and set a level on the piece of wood. The slope should be just tilting away from your home so the drainage does not cause water damage.

Spread approximately 4 inches of sand atop the gravel and level it out by dragging a 2-by-4 across the sand.

Set your blue stones on top of the sand and wedge them into place until the stones are tight and level. For loose blue stones, you should have about 1 inch of space between the stones and no more than 1/8 inch for blue stone pavers.

Pour a little bit of sand into the all of the spaces between the blue stones and use a broom to spread it out evenly so the sand fills all the cracks. Compact the stones with the hand tamper or plate compactor. Rinse the surface with a hose.