(Edging) (Patios
& Paths) (Garden Walls)
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EDGING
Fast Find Links:
Measure
Estimate
Get Ready
Installation
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MEASURE
Determine the length of your edging area. For curved areas,
use a hose or rope to mark off the space and then measure the
total length of your measuring tool. |
ESTIMATE
***When the length, width, and height of the edging material
varies from stone to stone, the most effective way to determine
the amount of material needed is to hand select and physically
lay out stone prior to purchase. For cobblestones or other precut
material, estimating is a little easier. You can use the following
estimation chart as guide. Don't forget to estimate the other
materials you may need such as sand.
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Estimated Linear Foot
Coverage Per Ton:
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| Ashlar 3-4" Rise 120-140 |
River Rock/Chalet 90-110 |
| Ashlar 5-8" Rise 75-100 |
Small Building Stones 40-80 |
| Cobblestone 4" Length 80-90 |
Cobblestone 12" Length 60-65 |
| Cobblestone 9" Length 70-80 |
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Space between stones will affect coverage per ton.
A base of 2" of stone dust is recommended
to promote drainage.
You will need about 15 lbs. of dust per linear foot at a 6"
width.
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GET
READY
 Stone
for Building
Stone
Dust
Tape
Measure
String
Line and Marker Stakes or Hose
Wheelbarrow
Work
Gloves and Safety Glasses
Pick
and Shovel
Rubber
Mallet
Carpenter's
Level
Spade
Since adding stone edging
to your landscape involves repetitive lifting, you should
consider wearing a back-support belt and practice safe lifting
techniques. Work gloves will help protect your hands and safety
glasses are recommended if you will be shaping your stone.
Always use caution, care, and good judgment when following
the procedures described here or with any do it yourself project.
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INSTALLATION
The following demonstrates the installation techniques for garden
edging constructed without mortar. While edging can be mortared,
many people prefer the flexibility of being able to move edging
material as their gardens grow or change shape. Mortaring edging
for patios, walkways, and driveways is a more complex project
and will require additional labor, materials, and time. The
following demonstrates the technique for installing edging material
in an in-ground application without mortar. Many people choose
to simply lay their edging material directly on the ground,
therefore no installation is required. |
(1) Prepare the site
If you are not working against an existing surface, establish
the line of the edging by setting a string line or marking
the area with a rope or hose. Remove all surface vegetation.
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(2) Prepare the foundation
Dig a narrow trench about 4-6" deeper than the path,
patio, or flower bed and wide enough to accommodate the
width of the stone. The depth of the trench will depend
on whether your edging material will be flush or raised
with respect to the ground or landscape. |
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(3) Add the base material
While this is an optional step, a base material of 2"
of stone dust is recommended to promote drainage and make
placing and leveling the edging much easier. Dig your
trench deep enough to accommodate this additional layer.
Rake the dust flat and smooth. |
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(4) Set edging material
Work from one corner and against the string line. Make
sure stones are solidly placed and do not wobble. If they
do, remove stone and dig away a bit of the stone dust
until the stones are flat and evenly spaced. If desired,
use a carpenter's level as you work. Spacing between the
stones is optional and can be filled in upon completion
with sand, dirt, or plantings. |
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MEASURE
Determine the length and width of the finished space.
SELECT
Flagstones are a wonderful material for patios and paths -
they're beautiful, durable, and can achieve a variety of effects,
depending on whether pattern, irregular, or tumbled stone
is used.
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ESTIMATE
Estimating your stone needs is relatively simple, and we've
provided some basic guidelines for the different types of flagstone
available. Purchasing a few extra stones up to 1/4 ton more
than you think you will need will save extra trips to Luck Stone
and allow you to pick the best stones as you build. Extra pieces
can always be used in another project or scattered around your
garden as landscape accents. Don't forget to estimate other
materials you may need such as stone dust.
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For Irregular / Tumbled
Flagstone, Calculate:
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L ' x W ' = ___ Square Feet
___ Square Feet ÷ 100 Square Feet = ___ Tons Needed
Tip: Irregular and Tumbled Flagstones average 100 sq.
ft. per ton; coverage will vary depending on product selected,
joint size, and installation technique.
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For Pattern Flagstone
Estimations:
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Simply determine the square foot coverage
of your project. Pattern Flagstones are sold by the square
foot and are available in different sized squares and rectangles.
| Pattern Flagstone Sizes Available:
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| 12"
x 12" = 1.0 sq. ft. |
18"
x 24" = 3.0 sq. ft. |
| 12"
x 18" = 1.5 sq. ft. |
18"
x 30" = 3.75 sq. ft. |
| 12"
x 24" = 2.0 sq. ft. |
18"
x 36" = 4.5 sq. ft. |
| 12"
x 30" = 2.5 sq. ft. |
24"
x 24" = 4.0 sq. ft. |
| 12"
x 36" = 3.0 sq. ft. |
24"
x 30" = 5.0 sq. ft. |
| 18"
x 18" = 2.25 sq. ft. |
24"
x 36" = 6.0 sq. ft. |
Tip: Sketch out your project on graph
paper first to design the pattern of your patio or walkway
and then determine the different sizes of flagstone you will
need.
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For Base Material Estimations,
Calculate:
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L ' x W ' = ___ Square Feet
___ Square Feet ÷ Coverage Per Ton = ___ Tons Needed
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Square Foot Coverage Per Ton:
| 1"
Deep 218 |
| 2"
Deep 108 |
| 3"
Deep 72 |
| 4"
Deep 54 |
| 5"
Deep 43 |
| 6"
Deep 36 |
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Flagstone
Clean
Crushed Stone
Stone
Dust
4"
x 4" Treated Lumber or Other Edging Material
Hand
Tamper or Tamping Machine
Weed-Proof
Fabric
Since building a patio or walkway involves
repetitive lifting, please consider wearing a back-support
belt and practice safe lifting techniques. Work gloves will
help protect your hands, and safety glasses are recommended
if you will be shaping the stone. You will be on your knees
a lot while placing the stone; knee pads or a kneeling pad
is recommended. Always use caution, care, and good judgment
when following the procedures described here or with any do
it yourself project.
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INSTALLATION
The following demonstrates how to install a patio or garden
path without mortar. Unless you are planning a very elaborate
patio design or want a mortared surface, you probably will not
need to hire an outside contractor. Mortared patios are laid
in a mortar bed on top of a concrete pad and require more advanced
installation techniques and time to complete. |
(1) Prepare the site and foundation
Use stakes and string, rope, or hose to mark the desired
size and shape of your patio. Excavate the surface vegetation
and soil and then remove 8-10" of soil in the designated
area, taking care not to hit any underground lines. You
may need to install drainage or grade your area so that
runoff will not collect where it will cause problems -
against a house foundation, for example. If drainage or
runoff may be a problem, consider consulting with a landscape
contractor or architect. |
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(2) Form the edges of the patio
Use sturdy edging material, such as cobblestones or 4"
x 4" treated and predrilled lumber, secured with
rebar. For irregular or curved areas, use heavy vinyl
or aluminum edging. Refer to Luck Stone's Edging Brochure
for more information on installing edging materials. |
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(3) Add the sub-base
For increased drainage and reduced settlement, add a 3-4"
layer of clean crushed stone. Tamp firmly. Check with
local county codes for sub-base requirements or recommendations.
As an optional step to help prevent weed growth, lay down
weed-proof plastic. Puncture it every foot or so to assist
with drainage. |
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(4) Line the excavation with
damp stone dust
Place 1-2" of stone dust in the area. Wet and tamp
the dust as you go to within 1" of the top of the
border material. |
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(5) Set the stones
Start laying the stone beginning at one corner, along
the side of the edging, and then work evenly across the
patio. Vary the size of the joints between stones to accommodate
the variance in the stone pieces. Try not to slide the
stones onto the stone dust - you'll displace the dust
from the bed and trap it between the stones. Lightly tap
each stone into place with a rubber mallet. Level stone
by adding or taking away stone dust to adjust height and
use a carpenter's level often to check whether the stone
is level. Keep joints close and fairly uniform for a like
appearance. |
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(6) Fill joints
Finish by sweeping stone dust into joints and wetting
them down. Repeat the process several times until the
dust is completely settled and about 1/4 inch below the
tops of the stone. Leave edging in place for a border
and mowing edge. |
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MEASURE
Determine the length, width and height of your wall. You can
either measure the space or make a drawing of the project and
calculate from the drawing.
SELECT
There are several different products that can be used to build
a garden wall. The finished look you want to achieve will
help determine what product you should select.
ESTIMATE
Estimating your stone needs is relatively simple and we've
provided some basic guidelines for garden walls.
L ' x W ' x H ' = __Cubic Feet
__ Cubic Feet x 125 lbs.* = __ lbs. Needed
*Stone averages 125 lbs. per cubic foot.
__ lbs. Needed ÷ 2,000 lbs. = __ Tons Needed
On average, 1 ton of material will construct
a wall 1' wide, 1' high, and 14-18' long.
A base of 2-4" of stone dust is recommended
to promote drainage. You will need about 25-28 lbs. of dust
per linear foot.
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| GET
READY
Stone
for Building
Stone
Dust
Tape
Measure
String
Line and Marker Stakes, Rope or Hose
Wheelbarrow
Work
Gloves and Safety Glasses
Pick
and Shovel
Rubber
Mallet
Tamper
or Vibra-Plate Compactor (available from a rental store)
Carpenter's
Level
Since building a stone wall involves repetitive
lifting, you should consider wearing a back-support belt and
practice safe lifting techniques. Work gloves will help protect
your hands and safety glasses are recommended if you will
be shaping your stone. Always use caution, care, and good
judgment when following the procedures described here or with
any do it yourself project.
|
INSTALLATION
The following demonstrates the installation techniques for a
retaining garden wall constructed without mortar. While walls
can be mortared, a traditional drystack stone wall requires
no mortar or footings as long as the wall is less than 3 feet
high. Stone walls more than 3 feet high may require special
construction techniques and permits and are best left to an
experienced stone mason. |
(1) Prepare the site and foundation
Use a string line, rope or hose to layout the wall location
and mark with chalk, sand, or marking paint. Remove and
discard all the surface vegetation and dig a trench about
6-8" deep and level the ground about 18" wide
or 4-6" wider than your largest stone. The base of
the wall should be 1.5 times wider than the height. Stockpile
the excavated soil nearby and set aside small stones as
you unearth them. You can later use these pieces as part
of the backfill. If building against an existing bank,
remove the soil to 4 inches behind where your wall will
stand and sculpt the bank so that the foundation for the
wall pitches backward, toward the slope. |
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(2) Add the base
material
While this is an optional step, a base material of crushed
stone and/or stone dust is recommended to promote drainage
and help with placement of the first course. Stone dust
will also be used throughout the project for backfill
and leveling. Two to four inches of base material should
be placed and compacted with a hand tamper or a mechanical
vibratory plate compactor. Check for level. If you are
adding a drainage system, it should be installed before
building the wall. |
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(3) Lay the first course
Select the largest and flattest stones and lay them in
the trench to create a sturdy foundation. Position the
stones with the flat side upward. Adjust the stones in
the dust to mold them into place, and use small shim stones
to stabilize wobbly edges. Fit the base stones together
as tightly as possible end to end, especially near the
ends of the wall. You can stack stones of varying thickness
in the middle sections of the wall, but use your largest,
bulkiest stones at ends or corners. Set aside additional
flat pieces for wall capping. Before laying the next course,
fill the area behind the first course and in every crevice
with stone dust and small stones. The stability of your
wall depends largely on the stability of the base course.
Check for level from front to back and from side to side.
Irregularities in the base become bigger as the wall stacks
up. Minor adjustments may be made with a rubber mallet
or shim stones. |
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(4) Work your way up
Always begin at edges or corners and orient a flat edge facing
out and a flat surface facing up. Fill large gaps left between
stones with small pieces of stone to help prevent soil from
washing out beneath the wall. Continue laying stones on top
of each other, using a variety of small and large stones to
break up continuous horizontal and vertical joints. As in brickwork,
the principle of overlap is important. As you work, be sure
that the vertical joints are staggered; there should always
be an overlap with the stone above and the one below. Keep in
mind the stone mason's basic rule, "one stone over two,
two over one." Each stone should be laid so that it will
stay in place without mortar. Always check for level and fill
gaps as you go. To adjust the stones' angles or position, add
or remove stone dust or shim stones. |
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(5) Add remaining
courses and backfill
As you proceed, batter or slightly slope the wall back
toward high ground so that the stone tilts inward about
2" for every 12" in height. Every other course,
turn a long "bond" stone into the compacted
soil to act as an anchor. Place small flat rocks underneath
unsteady stones. Periodically check the batter of the
wall and examine the composition that is emerging as the
stones are placed together. If a section doesn't look
right, take it down and restack it. You don't need to
stop and add backfill as you lay each course, but do pack
stone dust and small stones behind the wall after each
6 to 8" gain in height. If you wait until you are
almost finished to backfill, it will be difficult to pack
the dust and soil in firmly and you may end up with weak
areas behind your wall. |
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(6) Finish the top
When finished, use flat pieces to cap the wall off on
top. Like the base stones, the stones you use for the
top of your wall should fit together tightly end to end
and be broad enough to completely cover the top of the
wall from front to back. Be flexible. |
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