DIY Stone Pathway - Quikrete Walk Maker Follow-Up Q&A

[@EverettDiane]

Regarding burns, I also learned the hard way how dangerous it can be. I made the mistake of using the same gloves for a few days without proper washing. Because concrete continues to burn for days, using a vinegar rinse to neutralize can prevent some of that damage. It was recommended by a doctor to use a 1/2 water & 1/2 hydrogen peroxide soak and pack the wounds with Manuka honey and sterile covering. It was a very painful burning that took days to calm and weeks of wound care to heal. Thank you for your warning to help others prevent injuries. Beautiful pathways!

[@joyceterra2265]

I used this for a driveway pad. We poured the concrete for the driveway pad, tgen while it was still wet, pushed the form down about 1 inch into the cement. It formed the stone look but did not compromised the integrity of the driveway pad. I has lasted 30 years so far. A little wear and tear but that is expected with concrete. We lived in an area that temperatures would get to negative 10 with lots of snow. It handled the snowblower as well.

[@mysticmeadowshomestead6209]

I think it looks like 'crazy pavement,' with the one exception of not having colored pavers. IOW, each time your wife is filling in a form, a side bucket could have enough cement in it (taken from the main mixture) and enough cement color (for example, red) to add one red paver per form. Each time she lays a form a different paver could be selected from the last selected paver to be the red one. That would add visual interest. And I would suggest a two-bucket system: one red and one yellow. Each form would have a yellow and a red and then, ofc(ourse), seven 'regular' stones. Make sure that the red and yellow look randomly placed. The advantage in coloring the cement mixture over painting stain would come years from now when you have to pressure wash the grime that inevitably comes to all cement pavers. Stain would be pressure washed away, but the color in the cement mixture would be like a 'real' crazy pavement in which the homeowner paid top dollar to have an actual different colored stone scattered randomly (that's why they're called 'crazy').

[@becomingauthors2639]

Actually, we put the concrete- dry- in between the crevices (similar to grout) and then lightly watered it and it is solidified and NO WEEDS! 🙂

[@RogueSmithersCouple]

Coconut fiber, ground asphalt, playground sand, brake lathe shavings, volcanic ash (SW WA), they all work for crack filler. Brake lathe shavings solidify into a concretion when it's wet and will oxidize rust red with time while adding iron to the soil. It's great for rose gardens and I've heard tomatoes. It's been a staple for the city rose gardens in my area as well as those with home rose gardens.

[@susanmyer1]

Wow!! That’s awesome. You guys did a great job.

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi @susanmyer1 . Thank you for reaching out to us and thanks for the compliment. Glad you liked the video, it really is a great DIY system. If you liked that video, be sure to check out the original video. You can see it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4K3aHubfpJmnqcsi=_moRbzQNBeiLGEo1 . Thanks for watching! Jackie and Dan

[@robintranchina6588]

Another wonderful video! You are an excellent teacher! I’m so very glad I found your KZbin.

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Robin: Again, thanks again so much for your kind words :-) Thank you so much for watching and being a Subscriber. Thanks Jackie & Dan

[@JustSomeGuy009]

If you really hate weeds, you can reduce this burden by laying entire slabs of concrete and use the stone form as more of a stamp instead. You don't have to put hardscape or other stuff in the gaps then. The groves won't be as deep but it still looks really good. You can find this method on KZbin as well.

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi JustSomeGuy ;-) Thanks for the tip. We use actual soil because we like the look. Unfortunately, you'll always have the problem of weeds if you go that route. Thank you so much for watching!

[@mariad.6373]

What’s the best wording to search for those videos?

[@sdp6404]

awesome video as usual and great idea to be able to hear answers to questions I had too. Very helpful-thank you!

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi SD P: Glad that helped. We re-did Garden East this year where we have these pavers and made a video showing how to reuse existing ones. You might want to check out that video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4i3dnWKiLqBgKM . Thanks for watching! Jackie & Dan

[@leslie6189]

Thank you for going over those questions.. I had also wondered about many of those, so it was really helpful

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Leslie: Glad that could help you. We also just re-did Garden East using some of the existing stones, if you want to check out that video - we think you'd find that helpful too. Check it out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4i3dnWKiLqBgKM If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to us. Thanks for watching! Jackie & Dan

[@leslie6189]

@@jdgardensnj4563 how do you reach out to a you tuber.. I have never been able to figure that out. I often watch videos from companies or folks I'd like to reach out to, but no idea how to contact.

[@hillarypatz7616]

Thank you guys so much for answering my questions so thoroughly!! I'm loving watching your channel! I watched your composting series, so now I have another goal to add to my summer list!

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Hillary. Thank you so much - that's so sweet of you. That's really a nice compliment. If you do want to get into composting, you don't have to do a giant setup the way Dan has. There are all kinds of compost bins that are smaller and easier to manage that can help you produce great compost. The following are links to a couple of different compost bins that we've used in the past: amzn.to/3MeQ4OC or amzn.to/383yqi5 Thanks for watching!

[@freewheelburning8834]

staining the edges like a frame would look nice I think that's what I'll do also I think I like to put down the mats without dirt or anything in between 👍

[@larrycastillo9089]

Here is a tip for keeping your mols clean ( if you use a cooking / save the used oil and wipe the in side of mold to prevent the concrete from sticking

[@alcg3981]

About those weeds, they will grow on sand! I have pavers with 2 layers of weed barrier and then a little sand and then a little gravel then granite chips. Weeds grow on top/in between the granite and adhere to the sand and into the barrier if left too long. I'm constantly picking them out. The wind, birds etc do a good job of scattering weed seeds. Nothing grows up from the ground that is as follows: dirt, weed barrier, a little sand to level 40cm (15.5") cement pavers, a thin layer of gravel, granite chips. it's all surface weeds. I'll be adding another 2" of granite chips in a few weeks, hopefully that will cut down on the different weed sprouts. Alysen

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Alysen. Yes, weeds are a BIG nuisance. No matter what medium you have in the gaps/cracks something eventually is going to grow. We enjoy the natural look with the soil so we're willing to put in that extra effort and picking out the weeds. Worst than that - when we were growing celosias in that garden, along with our cannas - those seeds went everywhere. We were constantly picking out new celosia plants, they grow almost as fast as weeds. This year, we are devoting Garden East solely to cannas - no companion plants. And let me tell ya - we have ALOT of them. :-) Thanks for watching!

[@jdgardensnj4563]

@@hhjhj393 Hi hhjhj: Yes, weeds are relentless. They can grow in any kind of powdery gravel. I find that for the few instances we use it, the Ortho works alot better and longer than Round Up does. Thanks for watching! Jackie & Dan

[@LauraKlemme]

How did you line up the mold when joining with the existing stones? It looks perfect.

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi @LauraKlemme . Thanks for reaching out to us. The mold is designed that way. You can either keep it in a consistent pattern like I did or turn it 90 degrees, to get a different look. Each side is equal to the other. It's a very simple template to use. The hardest part is mixing all the concrete ;-) . Thanks for watching! Jackie & Dan

[@orphanannie4521]

Thanks for this lovely video. This is such an inspiration for a beginner like myself. I went from being born and raised a city girl to now living in country setting on a few acres. Currently working on planting a small orchard and some general landscaping. Your Garden looks like it was done by a professional. I like that your willing to share prices because so many people just show their gardens and projects but dont break down the cost so people can get idea for budgeting. Your weed barrier explanation makes sense. I love the idea of moss and stone stain. Do you have a recommendation for product to control poison ivy and kill unwanted brush?

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Ann. Thanks for your warm comments. Yes, we like explaining to people the monetary realities of gardening so they don't get blindsided when they're starting a project. Believe it or not, Garden East was an overgrown area LOADED with poison ivy. Several summers ago when we decided to clean it up, Dan got poison ivy 4x, I got poison ivy 2x, and our son got it 2x as well. Alot of hard work to get rid of big areas of poison ivy. First, you'll want to use a good poison ivy killer so maybe you WON'T catch it lol (Ortho makes a good product: The Scotts Ortho Max Poison Ivy Tough Brush Killer) , Second, you pretty much have to mow/chop down all the poison ivy plants, dig up as many as you can because they grow back quickly. Make sure you wear ALOT of protection and DON'T touch your face with your gloves! Lastly, you'll want to use some kind of vegetation killer ... Ortho also makes a good product: (Ortho GroundClear Vegetation Killer Concentrate). Good Luck with it all. As always ... Thanks for watching! :-)

[@cheryllucas5486]

Hey guys.. love the look of your paths. My concern is my path need to curve. I have a straight route for most, but I want a gentle turn back to join the driveway edge. Is it possible to do this path without the 90 degree L or T connections?

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Cheryl: Absolutely! We've actually uploaded some drawings Dan made to our FaceBook page showing you exactly that. See link: facebook.com/JDGardensNJ2/photos/pb.100064206032981.-2207520000./353542040075579/?type=3 We also have another one, if you want to do a gentle curve. See link: facebook.com/JDGardensNJ2/photos/pb.100064206032981.-2207520000./362748692488247/?type=3 But these schematics are for the Country Stone template that we use in our videos. Come the Spring, we're going to do another video showing how to make these turns and bunch of other tips when using the Walk Maker. Glad you enjoyed the video. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to us. Thanks for watching! Jackie and Dan

[@steveday6961]

Question: Could a person lay some thick plywood down as a type of subflooring to help achieve a more level area and use the walkmaker on top of this subfloor?

[@cvalle9436]

I believe you have provided a solution to my yards major malfunction. The two questions I had were the first two answers. Now I have a third question. if I want to enlarge the small concrete slab out my back door by surrounding it with the walk way. should I dig up the grass, add top soil/filler, tamp it down to the hight of my existing patio, then cover all with the walk way? Or do you have a better solution?

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi C Valle. That sounds about right. You definitely don't want your pathway to be higher than your concrete landing/slab... that would make a tripping hazard. So by prepping the area for your walkway, the way you spoke about, would make a more seamless transition. Best of luck. We hope it comes out great. Thanks for watching! Jackie & Dan

[@reginawells5189]

Very Informative!

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Regina. Thank you so much! We try hard to explain everything we can. We're re-doing Garden East and we're going to show how to reuse existing stones from the Quikrete Pathmaker. So keep an eye out for that video this week. Thanks for watching! Jackie and Dan

[@5j5u9l0i4e1w4o1o1d]

Great video. I was looking for the homemade weed killer recipe but I couldn’t find it. Can you please let me know what the recipe is thank

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Julie. Our apologies for not including the Home Made Weed Killer Recipe in the video description. We've now added it to the original video. You can see it here: DIY Stone Pathway - Quikrete Walk Maker 2' X 2 ' kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4K3aHubfpJmnqc . Thanks for noticing and also thanks for watching! Jackie and Dan

[@5j5u9l0i4e1w4o1o1d]

@@jdgardensnj4563 thank you so much. I appreciate it so much.

[@jdgardensnj4563]

@@5j5u9l0i4e1w4o1o1d You are truly welcome!

[@Bionephilim]

How many molds can you make with just 1 bag?

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Raul, each form 24 x 24 inches takes one 80lb bag of concrete. Thanks for watching Jackie & Dan

[@MrDuncan526]

If something happens to a section are you able take it up and lay a new template.

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hey Angela: Absolutely! Even if only "1" stone gets damaged or mis-formed, you can replace it. That's the beauty of the system - it creates individual stones. We're actually going to be coming up with a new video when we re-do Garden East and we show you how to move whole sections around. So keep an eye out for that. Thanks for watching! Jackie & Dan

[@charlesecrowdersr3251]

Could you mix in water based paint in concrete to color it ?

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Charles: I would not recommend that at all. It would probably mess with the curing process of the concrete, causing it to crack in the future, and none of us want that. A good way to add color if you don't want to mix it into the concrete is to use a concrete stain. You can get them at Home Depot or Lowes or we've added some Amazon links for you below in the description of the video. Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to us. Thanks for watching! Jackie & Dan

[@TTmawaza]

Hello, is this strong enough for a car to drive over? I want to do it on the driveway

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi @TTmawaza . Thanks for the comment. Sorry for the delayed response. I wouldn't recommend it. The Walk Maker is meant as a DIY project that requires very little surface prep. Whenever doing a true paver walkway or driveway, there's a lot of surface prep required. There are several inches of crushed stone that need to be compacted to get a solid base and then another inch or two of stone dust compacted to get a level surface. This sturdy surface helps to stop the pavers from cracking. Also, the pavers that you would be making with the Walk Maker, is concrete that you mix yourself. So it won't be the same quality that you would get from an engineered paver, like from Cambria. These pavers are mixed with special materials and kiln dried so that they're cured perfectly. A totally different animal than what you would make at home. But they are great for walkways and patios that won't have thousands of pounds of a cars weight rolling on them. I hope this makes sense. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to us. Thanks for watching! Jackie and Dan

[@csjr9]

Can you dry pour these...?

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Chuck: Thanks for the comment. You could but we wouldn't recommend it. We think it would be very difficult to get inside all of the corners and gaps of the template. You obviously don't want to make your concrete mixture too soup-y because when you pull off the template all the stones will just lose their shape and if you have it too dry, it's going to be very hard to work with. After you do about the 2nd or 3rd template, you'll know what works for you and it'll be a breeze. Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to us. Thanks for watching! Jackie and Dan

[@dawnmiller6899]

What is a canna garden

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Dawn. That's blasphemy that you don't that, haha. ;-) Canna is short for canna lily which is a kind of tropical plant with numerous varieties both in color and sizes that we grow. Garden East, where we filmed the DIY Stone Pathway video, is our showcase garden where we grow them. If you want to see what they look like, take a look at our Walk Through of showcase Canna Lily Garden 2021. Thanks for watching!

[@bobbyjuice3935]

My property is clay, drainage issues, I'm thinking I need to do 4" of stone underneath. Do you see any problem with stone underneath?

[@jdgardensnj4563]

Hi Bobby. The only problem I see with using the Walk Maker on stone/gravel is that you would be laying wet concrete right on the stone so it would all dry together. If you feel you need the 4" of stone for drainage then try to tamp it down so you get the smoothest/flattest surface possible before you use the template. Good Luck and Thanks for watching!

[@bobbyjuice3935]

@@jdgardensnj4563 Thank you

[@jdgardensnj4563]

@@bobbyjuice3935 You're very welcome!