Patio Stone Installation Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide
It’s not costly or difficult to turn your outside space into a lovely, useful location. A do-it-yourself job, installing patio stones will improve curb appeal of your house, provide a pleasant outdoor living area, and raise property value. This detailed tutorial will help you through the whole building of a patio, pathway, or garden element.
Why Opt for Patio Stones?
Durable, adaptable, and in a range of sizes, colors, and textures, patio stones—also called pavers or slabs—are ideal for anything from tasteful garden walks to small backyard patios. You can also install them yourself—or leave it to the experts for a perfect finish—with a little bit of preparation and some elbow work.
SOS Exterior is generally agreed to be the best patio stone installation company in the area if you need professional assistance. Their knowledgeable staff provides excellent workmanship, meticulous attention to detail, and individualized service that realizes your outside vision.
You will need pavers or stones for the patio.
Measuring tapes
Stakes and cord
Spade or shovel
Ground layer, gravel or crushed stone
Methodical Installation Guide
First step: map out your design.
Choose first where you wish to have your pathway or patio. Accurate measurements and a sketch of the area help. Think through traffic flow, sun exposure, and drainage. Mark the space with garden spray paint or stiles and string.
Pro tip: Help avoid water gathering close to your foundation by slightly sloping away from the house—about 1/4 inch every foot.
Second: Clear the area by excavating.
Depending on your paver thickness and temperature, dig out the designated area to a depth of about 6–8 inches (deeper in places prone to freezing). Clear all trash, grass, and roots.
Third step: layer the base.
Lay 4–6 inches of crushed stone or gravel. This layer resists shifting and offers drainage. Even it and compact it completely with a plate compactor or hand tamper.
Tip: Compact in layers; compact midway through if adding more than 4 inches of foundation material.
Fourth step: lay a sand bedding layer.
Over the compacted base, cover with one-inch layer of sand. Level the sand uniformly with a large board—a screed. This layer keeps the stones level and facilitates correct settling of them.
Fifth step: lay the patio stones.
Start working your way out from one corner by putting stones. Using a rubber mallet, carefully place each stone then level it. Maintaining consistency in the pattern, use spacers or regular spaces.
Typical trends consist in:
Running bond—brick-like—
Herringbone
Basket Weaver
modular or random layout
Sixth Step : Look for and fix levels.
Check your work with a level once you have a few stones laid. Change as necessary by either adding or subtracting sand under individual stones.
Seventh Step : Complete the gaps.
After all the stones are level and in place, sweep polymeric or sand into the joints. When moist, polymeric sand hardens to lock stones in place and fight weeds.
Eighth step: final compaction.
With the plate compactor, gently level the entire patio; use a protective pad to prevent stone cracking. This seals everything together and drives the stones firmly into the sand.
Guidelines for Maintenance
Sand can help to refill joints as necessary.
Sometimes power wash to get rid of moss and grime.
If using sealant, seal every few years.
rely on the SOS Exterior experts.
Although building your own patio stones is fulfilling, hiring experts will save time and provide a perfect, long-lasting finish. Custom patio stone designs, expert-grade installation, and outdoor space renovations are areas of expertise for SOS Exterior.
SOS Exterior provides experience, imagination, and accuracy to every job whether your backyard is being rebuilt or a brand-new patio is being created.
About ready to realize your outdoor vision?
See SOS Exterior now for a consultation to learn why they are the best choice for installing patio stone!
