How To Install A Flagstone Patio (Step-by-Step)

[@frednorris6277]

I wish I watched this video first! After struggling with the first few stones I now have a much clearer idea of what it takes to prep and place the stones. I agree with Glassman a step by step that makes sense!

[@lisazanghi]

Fred Norris 😞

[@robertocampoy1606]

No this is all wrong, don't listen to this guy, trust much better options out there ok, don't stop your education here!

[@artsaffron]

@@robertocampoy1606 Why is this a bad guide? Who are better options? What makes a better option? How do you determine a reliable expert & info?

[@jaredbozich9760]

@@artsaffron there is no need to cut stones

[@jantzenknight6734]

@@jaredbozich9760 what would you do instead of cutting? I’m guessing use a Mason’s chisel?

[@dianebaker7988]

Two years ago I got an estimate for a patio at my home and realized I couldn't afford it. This is the only video I watched before doing it myself. I was 46 year old female with limited budget and my only help would be my 17 year old son. We watched this video and followed his advice to a tee. Today that patio is still flat as a board and used every day, it's beautiful and people often ask who did it for us. :)

[@StayHandy]

Good work Diane! That’s awesome to hear.

[@xiaoqiaoxie]

You go Diane! I am 43 and I am building a flagstone patio as well. I am lucky to have my husband's help. Before we start I forced him to watch this video, the how to cut flagstone video, and the retaining wall build video (we did that as well). We are three weekends into the build and looking forward to completing the project before Christmas!!

[@clayton6899]

​@xiaoqiaoxie how did the build go?

[@KosmicKaren]

What was your estimate?

[@dianebaker7988]

@@KosmicKaren $4200

[@domwells2569]

This is the best DIY flagstone patio video on the internet. I built a 12x14 flagstone patio in only 3 days all because of this awesome step by step guide. First two days was spent digging/leveling on my own and on the last day had one person help me out with moving the flagstones. We got 2 tons of large 2" - 2.5" thick pieces which covered our 168 sqft area (with only 3 pieces to spare). Using the largest pieces around the outside first and working your way in with the smaller pieces was a huge piece of advice taken from this video. I also chose to do a square patio to limit the amount of cuts we had to make, and my cheap Ryobi angle grinder (with diamond blade) was enough to score the flagstones. We then put the scored flagstone on a 4x4 and used a sledge hammer to break it at the score line - not perfect but works 95% of the time. Taking your time with leveling the road base (type 2 gravel) and sand as best as possible definitely made it a lot easier in the end when you're laying the flagstones. It got most of our pieces pretty level without having the need to add/remove sand as much. Lastly, we used an additional layer (100lbs) of poly sand and worked it in between the stones to help seal the stones together (similar to how he was doing it @14:04) and it produced a super nice gray finish in between the cracks. Thank you Handyman Startup for saving me thousands of dollars on labor alone and for giving me the confidence to do it!

[@StayHandy]

You're welcome. Glad to hear the project went well.

[@tomosterholt2712]

Stan- you're a breath of fresh air as a speaker, easy to understand, NOT saying um every sentence. Great useful content, thank you!

[@StayHandy]

I appreciate that! The names Dan though.

[@ljhoule3394]

Not a novice DIY guy but, no experience with Flagstone patios. Outstanding instructions with excellent comments from other viewers. Thanks!

[@StevenStillman-k6k]

We're trying to figure out what type of patio to use coming off our new wooden landing. This gave me a much better appreciation of what it takes for me, or anybody I hire, to do the right type of work for a quality result. Great video, and I echo another reviewer's comments about the excellence of the audio. Thanks.

[@chrisjarvis1962]

This is the best tutorial explained for The Diy'er first timer or those who need the real answers period of materials measures amounts in installing flagstone & hands down shares skills techniques tools for the materials un selfishly you will appreciate the length as well. This guy covers it. The wall in this video Same thing has a video on it. This is how you can spend / $ave money on your home & enjoy the parties to come You can do this. It does take time so dont rush it and dont skimp on materials ever & the labor of love will be more than bragging rights family n friends will be amazed at your skills. Its an Art....

[@sporadiccadence567]

Great video. The only thing I would recommend is sweeping in a polymeric sand in between the joints. Alliance Gator makes a polymeric stone dust that is specifically made for flagging just like this. Tighter bond in between joints, won't wash away, will prevent weed growth and deter ant hills.

[@KikitheBarber]

SporadicCadence thank you

[@ericsweeney4544]

Yea, but if the gaps are bigger, it sucks

[@sporadiccadence567]

@@ericsweeney4544 that’s why I recommended the polymeric stone dust, and not polymeric sand. The polymeric stone dust has larger granules and more polymers to fill in those larger gaps.

[@l2farm862]

This is so helpful. I have several family members that have mobility impairments. I think the close together stones are better for people that use wheelchairs.

[@jamesgoodrich8355]

I’ve watched many videos on flagstone installation and this is the best most complete instructional one out there. Nice job dude. I would suggest using a polymeric sand to fill in the gaps. Super easy to use and locks it in well. They usually offer a sand color or a grey color to suit your need. Thanks again for the vid.

[@williamjpellas0314]

How do you lock the polymeric sand in along the edges of the patio?

[@jessicaterzakis1430]

This was a great tutorial! We used this last weekend for a DIY project. Thank you for a quality video and explanation... as someone with NO experience doing this, I felt like this gave us exactly what we needed to do this (and actually make it look good!)

[@StayHandy]

Glad to hear it!

[@jasonbird6234]

Thanks man - super helpful video for noobs like me! 👍 I especially appreciate the discussion of the pros and cons of large vs small flagstones, and large vs. small spaces. Exactly the things I was wondering about. Thanks again!

[@SwankyBates]

Extremely useful video! I used this as a baseline to build a flagstone patio of my own. I used irregular flagstone by the pallet, so it required a hand held concrete saw to cut/fit each piece (he's not lying when he says it takes a long time). Also went with mortar sand over DG (preference) and Gator Maxx polymeric sand to fill the joints. Took a while but I wouldn't have had the confidence to do it if not for this video. Thanks Dan!

[@isaacdavis-dj8ou]

Professional here. Biggest tip I can give for leveling a flagstone patio is string, set two corners stone of your patio at the exact grade you want them to be. Lay the string across and you’ll be able to have a guide for the rest of your patio. Closer your cuts ( within reason and for enough room for poly sand) and the more level, the more professional it will look.

[@Joliesrealm]

I admire your hard work and patience

[@anthonydelorenzo1231]

Three days cutting?! a wow…you are a perfectionist indeed

[@annhan777]

My husband and I are planning to follow your video completely to create our stone patio. Thx!

[@markrogers2593]

I do this for a living and love this video. Best video i have watched.

[@queencitybuzz6394]

As somebody who has built a business in the hardscape industry, your video is spot on. Awesome work, man.

[@RayWilliamJohansen]

I have a landscape business and am interested in doing flagstone...how would I go about offering this service if I have no experience ?

[@mikecurry4057]

very complete video. Simple, Short, direct and most of all CLEAR. I'm in New England so a little deeper prep is necessary. We are doing a 650 +sq. ft. patio and the scope is a little daunting. 36K lbs of dense grade for the sub base, over 27K lbs (10 yards ) of stone dust (thus far) but it is proving to be a great bonding experience for our family. THANKS! I would say one thing about polymeric sand - for large projects it can be very expensive. No doubt a great product but expensive. can't wait to watch. your other videos.

[@StayHandy]

Wow that is a big project! Glad to hear it is going well. Thanks for stopping by to leave a comment, too.

[@michelleduncan9965]

You are one smart, skilled, & very talented fellow!! Your project came out fantastic & your step by step directions were awesome. This video will help many DIY'ers. I've always done our flag areas in a more free form way with landscape fabric over leveled dirt, then brieze for the mortar. The one flagged area in the backyard has held up fairly well. But the one in our front yard got so weedy, that the weeds could only be removed by taking the flagstone out. Now we have several pallets of that flagstone & are thinking about how & where to use it. We need a diagonal path through the lawn from the patio out to our shed in a far corner of the backyard. We are hesitating though - since were older now & that project is labor intensive. Plus - were pretty sure we would have to revise the sprinkler system a lot, so the path wouldn't be saturated with sprinkler water from May through Oct. It sure would be beautiful though & so great to have when going out to the shed.

[@Metalking25]

40-50 secs in I knew this video would be a gem!

[@StayHandy]

Thanks!

[@SilverTreeSpirit]

This was such a great detailed explanation! Thank you!

[@StayHandy]

You are so welcome!

[@jamesc7925]

I’ve watched a lot of flagstone patio videos on KZbin and yours looks the best

[@dandeangeli9860]

Thanks Dan. Best video I gave seen on this subject. I appreciate your candor on the parts of the job that are hard such as fitting and cutting and giving ideas for shortcuts.

[@robbd44]

This is awesome. Now we know what to be sure of when we hire a contractor.

[@PR0L0]

I searched for months for a video to help me with my flagstone project. This is the first one to take me step by step through the entire process from concept to fruition. Excellent work and thank you so so so much!

[@feim185]

This guy is the greatest.

[@saranolen5521]

This is a wonderful video! Your initial explanation with the white board was was really helpful in planning for the patio. Thanks you for taking the time to explain the planning process.

[@StayHandy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joegenova51]

What to say thank you for doing it write look really good .I been doing flagstone for 25 years so I think I know when something is good nice

[@CoasterCrazyy]

That retaining wall is gorgeous!

[@sherryelise1]

I am so impressed by your talent and knowledge of these particular projects being as young as you are. You should be very proud of yourself:)

[@StayHandy]

Thanks! although I'm probably older than you think I am.

[@bradkuch4985]

Great video. I always hate video with a lot of fluff and information that is not needed. This video was great information and right to the point. Thanks for the help.

[@StayHandy]

You're welcome!

[@sarahestrada3211]

This was super helpful! Thanks. I built a patio last year with my boyfriend and we went with the grass in the gaps route. It turned out really nice, however, we didn't put down that gravel in the beginning and we used sand to level everything. We're going on year one and it's holding up pretty good through the winter, but I guess only time will tell. I am actually building a new patio soon, and I will definitely go with this design.

[@ipopa2000]

Why not post a picture if possible?

[@jose2226]

​@ipopa2000 how would they do that it's yt not insta

[@bretburgess1947]

Excellent job at explaining the natural stone patio building process! Thank you!

[@StayHandy]

Glad you liked it!

[@Person_Not_Known]

Built a 12*16 patio myself with your help. Thanks. Basically checked FB market place and Craigslist for flagstone until I found someone selling a 2.5k pallet for 500$ and then got some the rest from a mason yard and home depot cost about 1.2k after everything but beats out the 6 k quote I got.

[@GenX2.0]

This is the best instructional video I've seen for this project! Thank you so much!

[@StayHandy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@peterkomorowski3680]

Great video, thank-you! Very clear and easy to follow. Really liked the diagram and discussion at the beginning. Also liked the way you showed how to setup the stakes and strings for setting the height and slope of the flagstone

[@tanadarko6991]

I'm gonna try this myself and have never done anything like it - thanks so much this is so helpful

[@user-vc5rp7nf8f]

thanks for the intro breakdown, that was really helpful. nice, clear, concise tutorial

[@captaincoyote1792]

Dan, outstanding project video. I am considering a similar patio/fire pit of goshen stone, here at our home in western Massachusetts. I was a bit surprised that you oriented the “low point” towards the house/deck. Maybe because it appears (by that beautiful long shot at the video’s end, “toward the hills” that you live in an arid part of the country. I would caution others - particularly where rain and snow are significant - who are considering a similar project to set the drainage-low point away from your home. At 65, but still active, I hope my knees and back are up to this. Again, Dan, Bravo-Zulu, well done on producing a great educational DIY video!

[@StayHandy]

It's actually graded to drain through my yard and around the side. You aren't supposed to drain off the back of your house in most cases.

[@chozn614thekiller8]

I’ve never seen a retainer wall up against a privacy fence. Pretty cool

[@sherrieblake8674]

Best tutorial I’ve seen on this! Thanks

[@StayHandy]

You’re welcome!

[@georgetilton7914]

This is exactly what i wanted to understand. IT was clear and concise and exactly what i was seeking. I am going to give it a try.

[@jeffreydecker3189]

Great video, I now know I need to hire someone to do it for me 😂

[@BillyMogensen]

😂WAY better than learning the hard way!

[@amberjay5361]

Thank you so much for this video! It’s the most in depth and informative one I’ve found. I think taking the extra time to cut the stones was so worth it because your pattern is perfect! Thank you!

[@StayHandy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@iknowsitall]

Thats beautiful work bro

[@StayHandy]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@chescomommy7253]

I love your tutorials! Very informative and makes me feel like I *can* actually tackle tasks I have been nervous to try out on my own! Thank you!

[@evertong3658]

Thanks for sharing, I’m about to tackle a walkway with this same concept. I am pumped, confident and ready to go.

[@reenegovender2167]

Amazing work and good teaching can help me to my project God richly bless

[@Musicstet]

Love it Professor great job!

[@StayHandy]

haha, thanks!

[@daniellejaeger6329]

Looks really amazing! Thanks for showing me a glimpse of how much work this was. I don't think I will be using natural flagstones

[@FlyingAceAV8B]

Great job man. That is a lot of work you did and it will last decades.

[@jorrba3934]

I have a very small yard. I'm thinking of removing my lawn and adding some flagstone. Hauling dirt away could get expensive. I think I could do this. Your Video helped me understand it more. Thanks

[@Yessssz]

Absolutely beautiful. I was looking at the portfolios of local landscapers (Co Springs,) and their patios all have a few spots where you think 🤔 . You patio looks amazing and you put a lot of time and effort into it and it shows. I don’t think I could realistically pay a company to do this kind of work but thank you for the explanation.

[@MStewart733]

Not shown in video - the tedious and heavy lifting process of lifting larger pieces out for leveling. Large pieces that have jagged bottoms and take multiple attempts even by professionals to get correctly set. If it's a larger patio area, it's worth paying professionals to do (and definitely make sure they have experience because flagstone can be incredibly tedious.

[@daledawson8309]

Your video inspires me to take on a 6 x 8 ft flagstone project! Thanks!

[@Axiomatic75]

Superb video, well explained, neither too short nor too long. Thanks a lot!

[@UdderChaos79]

Thanks for taking the time to make this great video!

[@kredding5000]

Thank you so much this video. After watching I was able to complete my own project!

[@worganyos]

14:35... Nice job! everything about the landscape is very nice.

[@gordonhuestis828]

Excellent presentation in every way

[@christianm.3106]

This turned out so pretty!!

[@mlady204103]

Beautiful design!

[@Carlos-ke3pj]

I was looking for this video for months! Thanks a lot

[@louisth]

I really appreciate your video, it has helped tremendously. Those other videos I explored ....well some were fine but if not industrial they were commercial or just not as thorough enough...as yours. This is my first...EVER...planning a flagstone patio and your instructions helped me first class!.

[@tesslorraine7002]

Great video! We needed this to feel confident in our own abilities.

[@StayHandy]

Thanks!

[@BuildItCoach]

I know this is an old video however, it is excellent. Thank you.

[@boomer2095]

2023 here… bought a house and the prev owner had decided to put in his flagstone wirh grout. It was 3yrs old and it was cracking and buckling and I had to have landscapers come in and redo it just like the video

[@free_at_last8141]

Beautiful, well done.

[@jonathanpruitt7393]

man that looks great

[@philruiz2462]

Excellent video I definitely know what to do after watching this!!! Super Thank you

[@StayHandy]

You’re welcome and thanks for commenting!

[@greggb3079]

Excellent video sir...! Short and to the point. Thank you very much.

[@johnfisher4910]

Great video. Thanks for putting this together.

[@elenanoumilelini3930]

thank you so much for informative, detailed step by step videous.

[@StayHandy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kandismueller7716]

Gorgeous patio and great explanation! I am inspired!

[@steveavery90]

Impressive, outstanding how to video..thank you

[@mdacosta7013]

Great video very informative I learned a few things I didn't know I needed to know

[@StayHandy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@nazs3332]

Thank you for explaining it step by step.

[@jeward1024]

A brilliant demonstration! Cheers 👍

[@rulerofgods215]

I'm a helper on a flagstone job tomorrow thanks for the information cuz I have no experience but at least I'm not going in blind now

[@shannonstrong1817]

Best how to flagstone video I have found! Thank you and great job!!! The combo of eraser board detail and actual real work timeline was exactly what I needed!

[@KL-jr1qd]

Excellent video !

[@StayHandy]

Glad you liked it!

[@odahowe635]

Great video. We r looking to install flagstone patio this summer. I did already done digging the ground . Will let u kno how it went. Thanks. Btw love your retaining wall video too

[@dareblack7265]

Great video Dan

[@angieinscore4536]

This is awesome!!! Thank you for being so concise with the steps!!

[@StayHandy]

I do my best! I personally hate watching videos with lots of fluff.

[@tylerhall6455]

Damn man. Nice job with that backyard!

[@charlieo4489]

Very nice video!! You did a great job with the patio and the video!

[@chuguelcom5456]

Love it man!

[@patanderson3078]

In the Northwest, we don't have DG. Instead, we use 1/4 minus with fines and dust. It fills in spaces of the 3/4 minus gravel base and it compacts very well. Spaces between flagstones are filled with polymeric stone dust aka polymeric sand.

[@jdcap75]

Ill definitely do this on my backyard ... thanks

[@cldavis33]

Absolutely excellent Dan! I have seen people pay for very very bad flagstone patio's that really don't stand the test of time.

[@rdhudon7469]

Excellent video

[@drysilk]

2020. Yes brother this is labour intensive. I'm creating a patio using man made slabs. Unfortunately I have to break them up and the bits are smaller than I'd like. I have my case of Corona chilling in the fridge so I'll be just fine! 😂 Thank you for this video! 🇯🇲🇬🇧🙏🏽❤️

[@robertjames-life4768]

Excellent presentation!

[@rynopete]

great step-by-step and easy to understand. no weed fabric? great stuff, thank you!

[@djayg9898]

finally i found a step by step I can understand! excellent video! Do you have a video on stone borders?

[@vezworkaholic8690]

Great video , amazing skills ... keep going!!!

[@StayHandy]

Thank you! Will do!

[@mM-vg4jn]

LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!!! Very easy to understand and follow your directions. Quick and efficient.

[@maureenlavallee1319]

wow, what a fabulous patio! thorough how- to, wish i could handle all that work. thanks!

[@whomeye2168]

Never done anything like this. But the labor costs are too much. I'm removing the deck for this type of patio. Hopefully, one month will be enough to get it done. 😅 I just have to remember to call before I dig. Thanks for putting this info out. It's getting to the point where we gotta learn this type of stuff because it's too expensive to hire out for. 😊

[@laughinggas5281]

I am now in a similar situation. I have a ground level wood deck that is practically rotted away because I've been procrastinating on replacing it for so long. I've watched this video and several others and have pretty much figured out that I can do a patio by myself to save money. But then my wife steps in and says why don't we just replace the deck with a trex deck? She likes being a few inches off of the ground I guess. I had already considered that but it seems that the materials for a composite deck would be far more expensive than just buying the stone and gravel, and the carpentry and Design skills are sort of beyond my abilities and my tool set. I'm wondering if you considered the same thing.

[@steveraymond6169]

Yes, as others noted, you made an excellent instructional video. My one question is that I live in Maine, so winters and potential frost heaves. You appear to live in a hot climate. I'm wondering how that might change my ground preparation to avoid cold climate issues. I'll do more research, but thank you for what you provided here.

[@StayHandy]

That's an excellent question that I'm not certain about. I believe the frost line is like 24" deep there or something crazy. Doing a base that deep seems crazy to me.

[@steveraymond6169]

@@StayHandy Thanks, I asked the pros at my local stone shop, they said a 9-12” base is the standard here.