Methods to Flagstone Walkways

Wet Installation

• One of two methods can be employed when installing a flagstone walkway in your front or backyard. Using the wet method, a bed of mortar is mounted atop a bed of concrete. This concrete can be an already-existing walkway or a new one you must install. The flagstone is then mounted atop the mortar. Mortar is then used to fill in the crevices between stones. This method is costly and labor intensive. While the finished appearance can be aesthetic and neat, the mortar and concrete can also crack and break when placed under cold temperatures.

Dry Installation

• Installing a flagstone walkway using the dry method is cheaper and less labor intensive than using the aforementioned wet method. Using the dry method eliminates the need for a concrete slab and a bed of mortar. Rather, flagstone slabs are placed in the ground in the desired location and filled between the cracks with any number of natural materials. Rocks, moss, flowers or grass can all be used to surround and fill the spaces between the stones.

Ground Layering

• The method to layering the ground beneath your flagstone walkway is essential to a clean and proper installation. Once you have your walkway designed and the shape of it dug out, cover the base with crushed stones or trap rock. This will help with water drainage. Tamper the rock until it is 2 to 3inches deep. Cover the rock with landscape fabric. This will prevent the bottom layer of rock from clogging up. You can also line the edges of the cutout walkway with landscape edging. This will keep the layers beneath your flagstone from seeping out into your yard. Cover the landscape fabric with stone dust and tamper it until it is 2 to 3 inches deep. You can now place your flagstones and fill the crevices with whatever you like.

Aesthetic Apperance

• It's important to take time to think over the design of your planned flagstone walkway before taking a shovel to the ground. Take into a consideration a number of factors affecting the look of your walkway and the home and yard surrounding it. Using rectangular stones and placing them tightly together will give the walkway a sharper, more compact look. Using rounder stones with jagged edges will give the walkway a natural appearance. Also think about how close you wish the walkway to be to your house. The closer it is, the taller your house will appear. Use larger stones when connecting to a driveway or a porch as these areas receive a heavier impact.