Landscapers of the OT: Is It a Pain in the Butt to Build a Flagstone Patio?

Depends on your yard.

Sometimes it can be done with fabric on top of bare ground, sometimes you have to dig down.

Price wise it will cost you about the same for concrete and flagstone when all materials are factored in.

dig out the area for the flagstone to a depth of min. 4"....more is a natural slope (or you will need a retaining edger (wall) on the lower end of slope. You want a min. 2" level base of granular material (over filter fabric). Then lay your stone and piece together like a jigsaw. You will need a masonry blade to score and break pieces to fit. Keep a joint gap of about an inch but you can make it more or less. For the granular base, you can use sand but then you want a different, more attractive material for your joints. I would use Decomposed Granite for the base and joints. DG is a bit tougher to level but once level is easier to walk and work on while setting stone. I have done it both with sand and DG and prefer DG. For the flagstone, use the thicker 1 1/2" to 2" stones rather than the thin 1" stone which will crack if over a flexible (sand/DG) base. The price of the stone will be much more when you factor in delivery.

I've put it in projects in Dallas with a 2" mudslab

quote:

---

I've put it in projects in Dallas with a 2" mudslab

---

This is possible in Dallas in a residential setting as long as the owner knows the joints will crack and there may be heave.

I laid about 450 sq. ft. It was a lot of work. But if I would have paid someone to do it, it would have been too expensive. It turned out great. As for setting it, I tried the decomposed granite but it wouldn't stay put. I redid it with Gator Dust and it came out better