DIY Network

Outdoor Zen Spa, Part 2: Stone Path, Patio and Rock Sculpture A junk-laden, overgrown backyard gets turned into a seaside spa retreat. See more outdoor-room creations from DIY's Indoors Out. From "Indoors Out" episode DIND-101

The newly installed flagstone walkway.

In this Indoors Out project, Dean Marsico and Derek Stearns transform a little-used backyard into an outdoor room for meditation and relaxation with the addition of a stone-path, seating area, sculpture and an outdoor shower. The second phase of the project: installing a patio and stone sculpture.

Dean and Derek add a dramatic flagstone walkway and seating area, complete with a one-of-a-kind stone sculpture that (with the help of a concealed steel rod) creates the illusion of stones balanced on one another. Below is a summary of the basic steps as seen in this Indoors Out project, as well as a list of materials and tools used and some installation tips.

advertisement

The completed patio.

Tools:

track loader (if extensive demolition is required)
chipping hammer
landscaping rake
rubber mallet
2-foot level
hammer gun with 3/4" carbide bit
trowel

Materials:

irregular flagstones (bluestone)
3/4" gravel or crushed stone
concrete sand
boulders of different sizes
3/4" rebar
hydraulic cement

Note: The quantities needed for each of these materials vary with your own particular application. For your specific project, Dean and Derek suggest taking the dimensions to a local materials supplier, where they will calculate the amount of each product needed.

Safety Alerts:

• Make sure to wear safety glasses when drilling or using power tools.

• Don't over-do it when it comes to lifting. Get help when moving and lifting the heaviest stones.

Figure A

Path and Patio Installation

Steps:

• Clear out the area for your patio, dig down about six inches, and roughly level the space. If you have a large area or existing stone or masonry structures, a track loader will help you out. In this project Dean and Derek had to remove an old asphalt walkway (figure A).

• Bring in three to four inches of 3/4-inch gravel or crusher run for drainage and compact. If the patio is built near a house, pitch the foundation away from the house for water drainage. Top the compacted gravel with an inch of screeded concrete sand.

• Bring in the irregular flagging. Irregular flagstone comes in broken pieces and can be pieced together or cut to fit. Aim for joints between stones that are no larger than an inch or so. Use a chipping hammer to shape the flagstone until it is the correct shape for the area you want it to fit.

• Level and set each stone, using a rubber mallet. You can use the handle of the rubber mallet to pack the concrete sand firmly around the edge of the stone.
  

  	Figure B
  	Figure C

• Set the flagstone in the desired pattern. Individual stepping stones can be set in the same fashion – just create an individual footing for each one.

Sculpture Installation

• Start with the largest boulder: Use a hammer gun with a 3/4-inch carbide bit drill about six inches into the stone (figure B). Then insert the steel rod.

• Drill holes in the rest of the stones. Carefully stack them up, sliding the boulders through the rod (figure C).

• Using a trowel, secure the stones with hydraulic cement.

RESOURCES :

Resources for Indoors Out, episode 101:

Dreamscape Landscaping
Website: www.dreamscape.cc

Balboni's Plymouth Reprocessing
Website: http://balbonilandscape.com

Katsura Gardens
Website: www.katsuragardens.com

Republic Plumbing
Website: www.republicsupplyco.com

The Boidleau Boys Carpenters
Kingston, MA
Phone: 508-208-3284