How to Lay a Sandstone Patio

Mark the patio area out on the ground using a bottle of landscaping spray paint.

Remove the grass and soil within the spray-painted area to a depth of 6 inches. Slope the base of the excavation 1/4 inch every 10 feet away from the structure that you travel, to allow for adequate drainage.

Compress the base of the excavation by packing it down with a tamper, until the ground is level and compact.

Add a 3-inch layer of gravel to the base, and compact the material with the tamper. Maintain the slope throughout the gravel layer, using a carpenter's level for assistance.

Cover the gravel layer with a 1 1/2-inch layer of sand to bed the stones. Compact the sand with the hand tamper, and level it off with a wooden screed.

Place each stone panel into position onto the sand. Lay the stones in place where desired to create the pattern desired. Take care not to drop the stones as you place them. They may break, or destroy the sand bed if dropped. Cut any stones if needed with a dry saw. Mark a cutline onto the sandstone with a crayon, and then align the marking with the saw blade. Push the stone through the saw blade to make a clean cut. Place the cut stone as needed. It's essential that you wear safety goggles and work gloves during this step, to avoid damage from flying stone particles.

Create a definitive edge for the patio with edging strips. Lay the strips along the sides of the outside stones, and then plant the strips into place by driving a 8-inch steel pike through the edger base in the holes indicated.

Make certain all of the sandstone panels are level, using the carpenter's level. Adjust the stones by pushing high ends further in the sand and applying additional sand beneath low ends.

Cover the stones with polymeric sand. Use a push broom to push the sand between the stone joints to fill them to the stone level.

Water down the tops of the stones and the joints to settle the sand, and then apply more. Repeat the process until the sand no longer settles and the joints are filled. Allow the sand to dry into a hardened substance for about three days before using the surface.