How to Do a Natural Slate Walkway

Determine the course for your walkway from the starting to end points. Insert garden stakes along the border every 3 feet, keeping the width approximately 48 inches wide for a main walkway and 30 to 36 inches wide for a secondary path. Stretch a piece of construction string around the stakes.

Clear the outlined course with a shovel and continue digging out the site until it is 6 inches deep. Make the bottom of the site hard and flat by pressing a tamper tool against the dirt.

Pour in 4 inches of gravel over the expanse. Spread it evenly over the entire expanse, and then flatten it with the tamper. Tamped gravel keeps the slate from sinking in dirt over time.

Line the inside edges of the expanse with restraints. Use 2-by-4 inch boards or steel edging to keep the slate from moving. With a hammer, drive 9-inch spikes into the edging holes to attach it to the ground.

Add an inch of grit sand over the gravel so the slate pieces don't slide. Grit sand produces friction between the pavers.

Place the slate in the sand beginning on one end of the walkway. If the pieces are irregularly shaped, fit them together like a jigsaw puzzle. Keep the gaps between the pieces as minimal as possible. Adjust each stone into the bedding until it doesn't wobble before moving to the next piece.

Sprinkle mulch, gravel or sand between the gaps, depending on the look you prefer. Tamp down the material between the pieces until the surface is flat. The material you press between the spaces will lock the slate in place and keep weeds from growing.