How to Install Paving Walkways on a Half-Circle Raised Step

When you have a tight corner in the garden and it is difficult to install traditional steps, you can install a half circle paving stone walkway. These walkways are a perfect fit for curved garden beds or tight circles that lead to a doorway. Half circle steps are also a good choice of walkway style for a sloped garden, because they allow you to create winding paths that gradually lead up the slope.

Sand
Gravel
Paving stones
Compactor
Galvanized nails
Plastic edging for pathway
Sticks
Flagging tape
Measuring tape
Level
Shovel
Pruners
Pry bar

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the area where you want to install the path. Trace the circle of the path in the ground and mark the edges of the path with flags on sticks. Mark the beginning and the end of the path. Determine where each step-up will occur and decide how deep each step will be.
- 2
  
  Measure carefully to determine the materials you need.
  
  Determine how much paving material you will need. Measure the area of each step and determine how much paving material you need for each step. Add all of the steps together to get a total amount of paving material.
- 3
  
  A garden shovel will help level an area that is easy to dig.
  
  Begin leveling the ground before you add the paving materials. Remove three to four inches of soil to accommodate your base layer of gravel. Remove soil to accommodate the depth of the paving stone. Remove more soil to accommodate the desired depth of the step.
  
  This ensures that when the base layer and the paving stones are installed, the steps will be the desired depth. The ground does not have to be perfectly level. In fact, it is a good idea to tilt the step about one-quarter inch downward toward the base of the path so that water runs down the path and away from the house.
- 4
  Add plastic edging along the sides of the pathway. Push it down with long nails so that it is barely visible above the soil. This will hold the path in place when it is completed and prevent the gravel from coming out from underneath the paving stones.
- 5
  
  Add a compacted base layer for stability.
  
  Add a base layer of four inches of gravel. This gives the paving stones a semi-solid substrate and helps with drainage. Use a compactor to push the gravel down until it is fairly solid. Add sand and compact the base layer again.
- 6
  
  Good measuring prevents problems later.
  
  Measure the paving stones for each step. Since the steps are curving, you may need to place smaller stones into the steps to allow the path to curve more easily. Label the paving stones with a permanent marker so that you know which stone to use on which step.
- 7
  
  Your paving stone pattern can be simple or complex.
  
  Lay the paving stones in the pattern you determined above. Place them so that their edges are just barely touching. Place sand on top of the stones and sweep it into the cracks.

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