Flagstone Patio

We just finished a flagstone overlay for a previous client of mine. We put in the concrete about six months ago and now came back to lay (mortar) flagstone onto the concrete. I think it turned out really nice. I'll give most of the credit to brothers Tim and Dave who spent almost two weeks working hard in the heat.

If you ever thought about putting in your own flagstone patio or walkway, all you need is money, time, strength, and energy. There are a few different ways to laying flagstone, some more expensive and time consuming then others.

Option 1: Lay flagstone on dirt. This is a good option for garden pathways or a rustic patio. All you need is to level the dirt and use sand to level each piece of stone to one another using a level or a straight board. Instead of mortaring the joints between the flagstone pieces, one could fill with dirt and plant herbs, moss, or some other type of ground cover. Please note that not having the joints filled with a hard material will not make it easy for patio chairs as the legs fall into the joints.

Option 2: Lay flagstone on a compacted base-rock footing. Compacted base-rock, which consists of a mixture of angular rock, gravel, and sand, creates a solid surface when compacted. 3" of compacted base-rock with 1" of sand over the top for final leveling is a great alternative to a concrete base. Installing compacted base-rock can save you more than half the cost of concrete. One can find really great deals on recycled base-rock from landfills that grind up old concrete, rock and asphalt. To fill the joints, decomposed granite rock or polymeric sand can be used to provide a solid surface. Polymeric sand is so easy to install; just sweep into the joints, brush any remaining material off flagstone and lightly moisten with water. It creates a solid, yet flexible surface and bond.

Option 3: Lay flagstone on concrete. Concrete is a hard and solid surface and is the only one of these applications where the flagstone can be mortared to the sub-surface. This is the most expensive application due to the cost of concrete and mortar, and the amount of labor required to mortar and lay all the flagstone pieces. The joints can be filled with mortar or polymeric sand.

No matter which option one chooses, it can take a lot of money, labor, and time to put in flagstone. Usually a sales associate at a rockery can help homeowners figure out quantities by square footage for all the materials needed. With almost anything I'm doing for the first time, I research by reading and talking with others, then I try to have a positive attitude and not give up!