How to Install a Base for Natural Stone Patios

In order to create a firm foundation for your stone patio, you generally have to start by digging. Sorry. Its almost inevitable. However, if you plan on creating a raised patio, you may only have to dig the base for the wall you'll use to raise it.

Before building your natural stone patio determine the best place for your patio.  Many patios are ajacent to the house. This allows for easy transfer of food and supplies from the house to the patio during dinner parties.  If you do choose to place the patio adjactent to your house, leave a few feet between the bulk of the patio and the side of the house. You can soften the edges of the patio and feather in the height difference between the house and patio using various plantings. Without plantings, this area could appear stark.

When determining your patio's position, consider various views: go inside your house.  Look out your windows. How will your patio look from inside?  How will your patio appear from various places in your yard, from yard entrances?  Your inside and outside vistas should be rewarding to view. 

What views will your flagstone patio offer?  Are there gardens or features that you would like to enjoy while sitting on you patio?  Will you add water features or planters that can be enjoyed from the patio?  Place your patio accordingly.  Spray the outline of your patio on the ground.  Draw another line 4" outside your patio outline. 

If you are going to create a patio more than one hundred square feet, you won't want to do this on your own. All soil gets heavy after a while. Clay, is horrendous.  Sometimes, it is easiest to till the soil before you remove it.  Remember, if you have to move the soil a significant distance, or need to dispose of it, you will need to load it into a wheelbarrow.  Don't overfill that barrow or you will tip it and have to reload it.

So, Time to Start Digging.  Dig along the outside line using a flat shovel, working from the area furthest from the soil's final destination.  You don't want to traverse areas you already dug out.  The wheels of you wheelbarrow will bog down in any loose soil and getting it out of the hole you've dug out will not be easy. 

Keep in mind, you have to put that soil somewhere. If you have any low spots on your property, consider using the top soil to fill these. Usually, the topsoil is only three or four inches deep. Anything below that level is usually useful only for creating raised areas, mix this soil with compost for planting, or filling areas in which you will never plant.

At my own home, I mixed the soil from the hole with compost to create a mounded garden bed.  This is preferable to removing the soil from the sight, if at all possible.

Finding a company that is willing to haul away fill soil, any soil not immediately useful for planting, can be a challenge because they need a place to dispose of the soil.  Disposal sites are limited.  If you must remove the soil from the site, look on craigslist.  I have found many people looking for free fill soil.  You just have to get it to their site.

Digging your patio or walkway base to the right depth and width is essential.  Determine the range of thickness of your flagstone.  Most natural flagstone comes in thickness between one (1) inch and three (3) inches. Generally, it will be sold in range between 1-1 1/2" or 2-3", with a wider actual range to be expected. It is always easier to handle thinner pieces because they are lighter weight. However, keep in mind, thicker pieces are less likely to break if dropped. In addition, the joints will set more firmly with thicker stone. Thin flagstone is best used in mortared applications. Most 2-3" thick flagstone covers between 60-90 square feet depending on the thickness

Add the greatest thickness of the flagstone (i.e. for 1-2" stone, you will use 2") to the depth of the road gravel or crushed concrete base, generally 4-6" deep and the depth of the bed of "chips n dust" or stone dust in which you will lay the stone (1-2").  Plan on digging approximately 8-10" deep.  Better to do the extra work now than to watch your hard earned patio collapse a few years down the road because the base was not deep enough.

I generally dig an area 4" wider on all sides than the finished patio will be.  This allows the crushed stone base to support the edges of the patio sufficiently.  Remember to slope the subsoil away from any buildings.  You don't want water collecting against the foundation of your house.  Make sure to eliminate any low spots that could fill up with water during winter and cause frost heave.  Use a landscape rake to level/smooth the foundation soil. 

Yes, this much digging can be difficult.  Especially if you are digging by hand or have to move the soil a significant distance in a wheel barrow.  The soil removed from a 100 square foot patio will be 2.5 yards or 3.5 tons, minimum.  You will be bringing in just as much material.  Don't let this discourage you.  Take your time.  Bring in help if needed.  The end result can be well worth the effort.

Once the soil has been removed to its new location, start bringing in the gravel or crushed concrete.  I prefer to use crushed concrete.  It is recycled material and compacts better than road gravel which has rounded stone.  Place 2-3" inches of crushed concrete evenly across the patio area.  Hose down the crushed concrete with a nozzle set on "shower".  Too much or too little water and the base will not compact properly.  You can tell when the base material is properly watered by taking a handful and creating a ball.  No water should drain out and the ball should hold together fairly well.

Next, compact the first layer of crushed concrete.  It is best to use a plate compactor.  Tamping by hand can be exhausting and leave your arms and shoulders hurting for days after.  In addition, most people can not muster enough strength to compact the stone sufficiently.  You may still need to use a tamper in areas the plate compactor cannot go: corners and tight curves.  You can rent a compactor for four hours at most tool rental places including Home Depot.  Run the plate compactor over the entire area, starting along the outside and working your way in.  Repeat this 2-3 times. 

Lay down the second layer of crushed concrete and repeat the compaction process as mentioned above.  Make sure to eliminate any dips in the stone base.  To fill dips, use a shovel to add crushed concrete.  Raking with the tooth side of a garden landscape rake will sift the stone and separate the larger and smaller particles.  Avoid this.  Once all the dips are filled, run the compactor over the patio base two more times.

Install aluminum edging along the outside of the patio area, remembering to move the edging in 3-4 inches to allow for proper support of the flagstone.

Finally, spread two inches of chips n dust or stone dust.  Compact this layer as well.  As you lay down individual pieces of flagstone, you will need to remove or add to this top layer according to the thickness of the pieces. 

Coming soon: How to Install Flagstone.

Good luck.

Pictures will be added soon.

If you have any questions, or would like assistance in designing or installing your patio and live in the Grand Rapids, MI area, feel free to email me at omegabrickandlandscaping@hotmail.com or call Brent at (616) 328-3258.
 

Curb Appeal - Front Yard Transformation in EGR

East Grand Rapids Home Before Landscape Transformation

Planning to sell your home soon? Don't just clean up that landscape. Transform it.

 

If your home landscape hasn't recently been updated, you should really consider replacing outdated plantings.  It makes sense to keep mature, well placed trees and shrubs, assuming they have not become too over grown to be effectively prune without constricting your options for transformation.  Proper pruning can turn healthy trees and shrubs into prime focal points. 

Here I added PJM Rhododendron, Endless Summer Hydrangeas, Chocolate Eupatorium, Huechera, Hanoke Grasses and Hostas - Color interest is assured through use of "evergreen" foliage of various colors, as well as steady flowering of different plants from season to season.

Once you have determined what trees and shrubs can remain with careful pruning, remove other worn out plants.  Make sure you have removed all roots from old plants without damaging desirable plant roots. 

Having removed old perennials, shrubs and trees, it will be necessary to add garden soil or compost to fill the vacant spaces.  Spread four inches of compost over the area you are renovating.  In small areas, mix the compost in using a shovel or garden fork and rake.  Large areas will need to be mixed using a tiller. Just don't damage tree roots in the process. Alternatively, mix compost into individual planting holes at a 1:1 ratio.

Ground cover such as the Periwinkle seen here can be very effective for large areas.  However, it needs to be used in moderation.  The above area lacked height and color variation making the overall look pretty boring.  Overgrown Yews had previously been removed from beneath the windows (good move) leaving only Pachysandra.  Dull.  Most ground cover overwhelms other perennials and shrubs, so if you plan to keep the ground cover, be sure the plants have enough space to become established and not be choked out.  Also, choose plants that sufficiently tall and whose leaves naturally emerge higher than the typical 6-10" height of Periwinkle and Pachysandra.

Here we have another "before" view of the home we transformed in EGR.

And here is the after view.  Notice the colorful display.  I removed the existing Pachysandra and Periwinkle to make room for new perennials, including 'Candy Hearts' Bleeding Heart, 'Brise D'anjou' Jacob's Ladder, Burgenia and a variety of Hostas.  Also included in this planting area: a weeping Japanese Maple and 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea, repeated from the other side of the house.

 

This gently curving path is NY Bluestone set in Slate chips.  Another walkway that stands out and creates a unique feature that makes the landscape a stunning masterpiece.

 

This home in EGR beat the market by selling in a matter of weeks, not months. 

 

Believe it or not, this house sold at the asking price. 

 

Major selling point:

CURB APPEAL.

 

For assistance in designing a unique landscape for your home or business, or help creating that CURB APPEAL for the house or business you need to sell

 

Call Brent @ (616) 328-3258.

Building a Raised Paver Patio

Creating a landscape design with a raised paver patio, built against a wooden deck, requires careful consideration to ensure long-term success, stability of the project. The first detail to tackle is the question of how raise the paver patio.

 

 In this project, we chose to use large (800-1500 pounds each) Michigan boulders.

Landscape fabric was attached to the deck using 2x1's and draped against additional 2x12 treated boards to retain the crushed stone we used as a base for the patio.  Landscape fabric was also used to retain the stone behind the boulders. 

When choosing a landscape fabric for use in hardscape projects, be sure to find a product that has a 25-30 year guarantee.  You don't want the landscape fabric breaking down and ruining your patio or wall prematurely.  Landscape ideas need to be executed with care and quality products.

Brickwork: Making a Lasting Impression

I cannot tell you how many times I've been called to a home to consult a client on repairing their brick walkway or patio. It is not unusual to see brick pavers that have shifted away from their original position by one, two, even three inches. Multiply that by the number of joints in a project, and you can see how dangerous, and down right ugly this could get.

Shifting patios inevitably result from two major mistakes with the initial installation. First, the project was probably laid without a proper base. It is not uncommon for pavers to be laid on a one or two inch sand base. That's probably OK of the first few months, but come winter up here in Michigan, the ground starts freezing and thawing and heaving. The problem is that sand doesn't retain its original position, so when the sand shifts, so do the bricks. Never lay a brick/paver walkway or patio only on sand!

The second problem: no edging. Without some type of edging, the bricks can shift outward. When this happens, the bond between the bricks loosens and causes the general structure of the walkway or patio to fail.

In areas prone to harsh/cold winters, it is essential to start your project with a proper foundation. This means digging approximately seven inches deep for areas receiving only pedestrian traffic or ten to twelve inches deep for areas receiving vehicular traffic. In addition, you must dig approximately four to six inches beyond the area of what will be your finished patio. Thus, if you intend to make a patio that is twelve feet wide, you will dig the hole thirteen feet wide, six inches wider on either side of the patio.

Next, order crushed concrete or gravel to fill four inches deep for a pedestrian area, and six inches deep for a vehicular area. To figure out how much crushed concrete or gravel you need to order, use this formula:

Crushed Concrete

Pedestrian Area:
Area square feet/27 cubic feet/3 * 1.10 * 1.4 tons = total tons of gravel/crushed concrete

Vehicular Area:
Area square feet/27 cubic feet / 2 * 1.10 * 1.4 tons = total tons of gravel/crushed concrete

Dump and spread the gravel/crushed concrete to half of its final depth, two inches for pedestrian area, three inches for vehicular area. Spread as evenly as possible. Don't worry about leveling perfectly.

21AA Road Gravel

Compact using a tamper or plate compactor. I would advise you to use a plate compactor whenever possible. Plate compactors compact more thoroughly and more quickly. They also save you a lot of labor. Believe me, after using a tamper for half an hour, you will feel sore for days. If you do use a plate compactor, you will still have to tamp some edges by hand. You can never get into every nook and cranny with a plate compactor. Failure to compact all of the base will result in eventual collapse of the improperly compacted area.

Once you have finished compacting the first layer, add the remaining crushed concrete or gravel, this time take your time to get the area leveled. If the paver patio or walkway will be against a structure, you will want to ensure proper drainage by sloping the gravel away from the structure.
Half an inch slope for every four feet of distance is plenty.

Once level, compact again. Don't forget to get into those corners. You will probably have to rake and shovel to get the proper slope/level. Get this level as close to perfect as possible.

Now you have your completed base.

Take a can of spray paint and mark out where you would like the edge of your finished patio/walkway. Don't forget, you need to leave four to six inches of compacted crushed concrete/gravel around the outside of your patio. Step back. Take a look from several different places. Try to envision how the patio will look once it is finished. Make sure your lines mesh with your vision. Cross out the lines if you don't like the look. Try again until it looks just right.

Now, time to install that edging. I generally use a plastic or aluminum edging, staked in place with ten or twelve inch spikes. I prefer to be on the safe side and use approximately five spikes for every eight linear feet of edging. This way, the edging tends to shift less. Run the edging along the outside of the line you just made. Brick restraint edging is generally "L" shaped. Face the horizontal part of the edging outward, away from where the bricks will go. Spike the edging in as you go. Remember, you don't need to put edging along any hard edges such as a structure, concrete or asphalt driveways, or sideways.

I have occasionally used landscape ties as edging. However, this only works for straight-edged areas, and the wood tends to rot rather quickly, usually within five to ten years. That means, you have to replace the edging eventually, thus disturbing the brickwork. Not really worth it in my opinion.

I have seen poured concrete curbs used as edging. Again, I think you are looking at a lot more work than its worth. Like most poured concrete, a concrete curb is inflexible. Therefore, if you do not put in a proper base and pour deep enough (i.e. below the frost line which could be 18" or more), you will eventually end up with cracked concrete. Just like those driveways you see all over Michigan. You don't want to replace that and mess up your brickwork. Stick with aluminum or plastic brick restraint. It will last as long as your brickwork so you won't have to replace it.

The Art of Building Stone Patios

People often marvel at the intricacy natural stone patios exhibit. They are especially amazed as they watch a pallet of flagstone transform into a work of art. "I could never do that," seems to be the mantra of most people. I tell them, it is much like putting together a puzzle, only the pieces don't have predetermined positions. Each piece must be placed according to the vision of the builder. Not everyone has the patience and eye to put together a puzzle as complex and physically demanding as a flagstone patio Not to say you shouldn't try. If you are capable of and you enjoy putting together puzzles, by all means, give it a try.

Perhaps it is more accurate to say that creating a stone patio is akin to creating a work of art. It takes an eye for form and color, texture and flow. Like any art, there is also a measure of skill involved. Great artists seldom lift a paint brush and create a masterpiece on their first try. Practice and patience is required. Likewise, becoming a skilled and proficient stone artisan/craftsman often takes years. And it definitely takes patience.

When I first began building stone patios, walkways, and walls, it was not unusual for me to begin a section, spend several hours placing and setting the flagstones, only to realize, after stepping back and taking a break, that the pieces just didn't gel. Too many small pieces in one area. Too much of one shape or texture or color in another. One must always keep an eye on the "big picture". Remember, your art is often viewed from a distance. Few people get down on their hands and knees to look at your work, so step back and see how things look from different points of view.

Keep your eye on the goal. When you are sore and tired, keep your vision in mind. You are striving to create a work of art, a lasting creation that can be enjoyed for many years to come. This is a task that requires patience and skill as well as inspiration. So, it you start to get tired, or frustrated, step away for a while and come back when you are rested and ready to invest yourself again. Conversely, if you are on a streak. Don't stop, its during these times of inspiration, that the greatest art is created.

Coming soon.... Building a stone patio that lasts: from start to finish.

Landscape Design: Harmony

Harmony in the landscape refers to the way in which various elements in the landscape are organized to create a sense of unity or continuity within individual garden areas as well as between areas within the overall landscape. There are many elements that can be used to create harmony within a landscape. Each element adds a different dimension of unity and can be used in combination with the other elements to create an overall sense of harmony within the garden and landscape. Among these harmonizing elements, I would like to emphasis the following: Color Schemes, Repeated Hardscapes elements, Repeated Forms, and Green Spaces. Let’s look at some of these various elements in detail.
Color Schemes are probably the most easily identified harmonizing element in a landscape, and therefore the most habitually emphasized of these elements. Color Schemes usually rely on specific color combinations that can make or break a garden. For this reason color schemes must be chosen with care. However, the most exciting combinations are not always planned. Feel free to experiment with new partnerships. Choose an individual color or several contrasting or complimenting colors to be used throughout the landscape (see the color wheel).
Color partnerships can be separated into two categories: contrasting colors and complimentary colors. When contrasting colors are combined, they tend to draw attention to themselves through explosive relationship. Tension is created, heightening our senses and drawing our eyes to this place. By standing out, these dissonant color combinations further emphasis the more harmonic color combinations. Seizing our attention, these contrasting color combinations can highlight transition between two areas in the landscape. Beware: too many dissonant color combinations can destroy a garden. Our goal should then be to limit these contrasting color combinations in order to emphasis the overall unity of the garden or landscape.
It is easy to focus exclusively on flower color. However, flowers come and go. They blossom and fade with the seasons’ change. Foliage, however, is longer lasting and thus, perhaps, the more important producer of color choices in the landscape. I would, therefore, encourage you to try basing your color scheme on the foliage of one or more specimen plants. You may even consider the color found in other elements such boulders, tree and shrub bark, a garden sculpture or paver brick.
Hardscape elements repeated in the landscape can also draw together a disparate landscape. Thus, when you are dealing with various themes such as formal and informal areas or perennial and annual gardens, Consider using common hardscape elements such as stone or brick. Both of these can be used in a number of applications. For instance, granite can be used to create a very appealing patio or walkway as well as retaining walls. Perhaps you could use granite to create a unique water feature such as a fountain surrounded by granite pebbles.
Repeating a particular plant such as a Rhododendron or weeping Japanese Maple could also add another unifying element.
Try using Redwood or Cedar in both your fencing as well as your decking application. Match the brick in your front walkway to the brick on your house. It may be difficult to match the paving brick exactly, especially if your home is more than a couple of years old. However, there is almost always another brick that will coordinate with the existing house brick