So when we moved in, this is what the front patio looked like: super cute, with a fairy-tale vibe, but way too overgrown for our liking. Plus, with all the growth between the flagstone, it was A TON of maintenance pulling weeds all the time and I just couldn't keep up with it!
Step 1: Level the dirt.
We dug out about 3 wheelbarrows full of dirt to get the level down about 2 inches below the cement line, that way, when we put the sand and pavers in, they would be level, as shown in the diagram below.
If the limestone pavers are not flush with the cement when the job is finished, it could be a tripping hazard.
Tip: using a wide rake and a level makes leveling MUCH easier! Also, a string and a 2x4 are a great way visualize the the level over large areas.
We were lucky to already have a layer of river rock below the dirt subsoil, so after we were done leveling the dirt, we were ready to lay the next layer.
Step 2: Lay the weed barrier cloth over the dirt subsoil.
Using a weed barrier makes maintenance much easier in the future.
I chose to use fabric pegs rather than staples because they just seemed easier to me, but you could use staples instead.
Basically you just hammer them into place approximately 2'-4' apart to hold the fabric in place.
Step 3: Lay the coarse grit plaster sand over the weed barrier cloth.
We again used the wide rake to distribute the sand evenly, this made it really easy! We needed the sand to be a base layer under the flagstone pavers to make them set into place and be even with the concrete, as I mentioned before.
In our front patio, we covered about 180sqft with a full yard of the coarse grit plaster sand. In some places, the sand needed to be much thicker than others, but it was about 1-3 inches thick throughout.
Once it was raked out, we again used the 2x4 board and a string to check the level of the sand.
Step 4: Prep the pavers.
We used a pressure washer to clean off the existing limestone pavers in order to give them a new, updated look!
Soooo gratifying!!!
Step 5: Lay the pavers.
This step seems like it would be he easiest, but it really takes a lot of time. For us, our pavers were all different thicknesses, which created a problem with trying to keep them level on the sand. I really like the random, mosaic style pattern too, so this took a while to make perfect. An organized chaos, as they say ;)
After they were set into their places, we brushed them off and watered down the sand in order to compact the sand.
Step 6: Lay the rock around the pavers.
Finally, the last step! We needed to take a trip back to the sand and gravel supplier (the dirt store) to get a half yard of the half inch minus or quarter inch minus rock to lay between the pavers.
When we got there, the guy was talking to us and told us we would be better off getting a little smaller grit, so instead of listening to my Dad, we listened to the guy at the store and came home with decomposed granite.
We used buckets and a push broom to distribute the rock evenly, and this worked perfectly!
The decomposed granite worked, but it definitely compresses more than I was hoping, more like dirt. If I did the project again, I would have gotten the half inch minus or quarter inch minus rock instead.
When we sprayed it down with water to rinse off the stones and compact it, it kinda turned to mud ... 😳 oops.
We thought we ruined everything, but it's ok. As the decomposed granite compresses down with time and weather, we can add in more of it to make it more solid.
Don't make the same mistake we did though; always listen to your dad 😜😂
I love the final result, definitely makes the space much more usable and livable!
My new study spot 😍😍😍
