Granite Edging for an Outdoor Walkway

Description

• Granite is more expensive than many other types of stone pavers, but it's among the longest lasting and most weather resistant. As a volcanic rock, granite has an eye-catching crystalline effect. Polished granite retains its polish for decades. While the stone comes in the full spectrum of colors from white to black, the rarer a color is, the higher the cost. Yellow, rose, black and gray are the most common colors while crimson and mauve are two of the hundreds of color variations available.

Preparation

• While granite edging provides a durable barrier, it's advantageous to lay the stones over a gravel base. Gravel prevents edging from sinking in the ground and enables underground moisture to escape. To prepare the edging site, dig a trench along both sides of the walkway. The trench should be 5 inches deep for the gravel and sand base and another inch to partially bury the paver.

Installation

• Granite pavers come in a variety of shapes, including hexagon, octagons and squares, but rectangles are a practical choice for edging as you can lay them end to end or side to side. Once the gravel bed is compacted in the foundation and covered with an inch of sand, place the pavers on the sand so the sides are flush against each other. Adjust each stone until it is level with the adjacent paver. Once the trenches are filled, secure the pavers in place by packing stone dust into the crevices.

Maintenance

• Well-laid granite pavers require little maintenance. If the stones rotate or lift due to a frost heave, the gravel foundation is not deep enough. Remove the pavers, and shovel out the gravel base. Dig the foundation about 5 inches deeper or below the frost line. Pack the loose dirt on the bottom with a tamper tool and refill the base with more gravel.