Thoughts on flagstone walkway
On yesterday’s post, I highlighted a video by This Old House on laying a flagstone walkway. For the average homeowner and do-it-yourselfer, this type of walkway is a great weekend project. But for those who want to take their weekend project to the next level, here are some questions to ask yourself.
Before you start a project like this, you need to define what your longterm goals are for the walkway. Do you want a simple walkway? Do you anticipate rolling a walker or wheelchair across the path? Will you run a heavy wheelbarrow over it? Do you want it to be a single person path or should it be wide enough for two people? Once you decide your goals and purpose, you will have a good idea what size and material it will be.
The filler stone is also another important choice to make. If you end up choosing a small pebble stone as highlighted in the TOH video, you should be aware of a couple things. First, the stones will likely blow out in the fall when leaves are blown and raked up. Second, the small stones will shift with heavy weights. Although the choice of design and materials can depend on geography across America, our crew will use larger stones with a minimum 1″ diameter.
The type of flagstone chosen is also another very important decision. The one problem with the flagstone used in the TOH video is that it is very thin. Thin flagstone doesn’t sit as deep in the filler stone and will thus shift easier when walked on. Thick flagstone set deeper in pebbles or stone will keep it secure and prevent it from moving. This is especially important if heavier weight will be on the walkway.
One last item, the walkway in this video was not built on a foundation other than the dirt. With a simple walkway like this, you shouldn’t have any problems down the road. But for a solid walkway with flagstone steps that won’t shift over time, it is recommended to have a foundation of packed screenings/crusher rock. Depending on the type of walkway it is, the foundation should be at least 4-6″ deep. Using this method, lay a 2-3″ thick flagstone directly on the screenings (level it as demonstrated in the video). Fill in the gaps with your filler stone (again, recommended minimum 1″ to prevent shift of flagstone steps).
Although not a flagstone walkway, here is an album of a job that has the packed 4″ screening base with 4″ blue hackett stone and 1″ Colorado river rock. It will give you a good visualization and comparison to the TOH video.
Best of luck on your weekend project!
|
2 Responses to “Thoughts on flagstone walkway”