The ultimate guide to Flagstone Patio building!

[@llabdem]

I’ve wondered if screeding the bedding layer is worth doing or not. I’ve screeded it before like we do with pavers, but the stone varies in thickness so much we still have to pull out material or add more for most of the stones to keep them from being “tippy or trippy.” Cutting isn’t so bad, it’s the leveling and stabilizing part that tests my patience the most. You guys are one of the few out there that do dry laid flagstone right! There’s not many of us left.

[@thebackyardexpert]

Over the years several people have asked the question. The screeding process takes maybe 20 minutes. Since we choose our material to have no more than 1/4" variation in thickness the end result is no more than a few handfuls plus or minus for each stone which is still way faster than doing each stone independently. Same with the fact that it gets displaced from walking on it. It never relocated so a simple smooth of a hand fixes that. In the Guide video the stones were gauged so the variation was no more than 1/8" so it was almost a drag and drop scenario.

[@TH3_D3ADLY_DILF.]

after putting the stone base in and leveling it off I usually use a couple sections of pvc pipe spread out in 6 - 8 ft intervals and than start laying my sand in 4” lifts, screeding it out to the top of the pipes to keep my level, tamp it and repeat the process until you get to the top layer. On the very last layer I don’t tamp just screed that way when you lay your stones you can tap them down to the proper height with a rubber mallet to get an even finished surface. After everything is said and done I use my poly sand and sweep it in between all my joints and lightly spray it with a garden hose on the shower setting than let it dry for a day. Screeding vs. not screeding makes a huge difference trust me it makes for A LOT less stones having to be adjusted, picked up and re set in my opinion not to mention it saves your back a lot of unnecessary pain lol

[@georgemaxted2957]

Very informative, high quality workman ship 👏

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching!

[@olivierbrisson454]

What is the name of the tool that you’re using at 18:30 ? To redefine the edges.

[@Kushert]

I love my zip level

[@thebackyardexpert]

They are great. People are always like “wtf is that?”. At that point it’s a done deal.

[@Kushert]

Amazing how tight you get them joints

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching!

[@michaelgreene5525]

well i just did a very poor job on my house i guess

[@cayugawolf1]

Beautiful, what is something like that worth?

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thank you for watching! You can always find up to date investment levels in our Buyer's Guide www.sierralandscapemanagement.com/buyersguide

[@regulardude2011]

20-30k

[@thebackyardexpert]

@@regulardude2011 around $100 sq ft

[@regulardude2011]

@@thebackyardexpert wow, way more than I thought. That’s nice though. I wonder how you charge for excavation. Per cubic yard or how many hours it takes. I’ve been doing some research on how to properly charge for patios. Do you think charging $200 per cubic yard excavated too much? Doing a 500sq ft patio would mean roughly 10 yards would need to be excavated or $2000.

[@thatboyjosh73]

@@regulardude2011 wow. That is insane for something that size

[@bryanmilne]

@18:29 what is this tool? Is it chipping the edges so there is a slight chamfer to make a more natural edge? I used to do that with a 3 pound hammer and chisel and it took forever... I'd love to understand what tool he is using and more about it. Looks good and amazing how fast it comes together, but honestly for my aesthetic I prefer all natural pieces without any (or as few as possible) sawcuts, but that takes way way more time and way more pieces of stone to choose from.

[@oakridger11]

This is beautiful, but not at all DIY. Beautiful, but very high dollar.

[@karlmarx7511]

I mean dude legit built this with a base layer utilized commonly for heavy industrial/commercial footings. He could have just done about 5 inches of 3/4 crush stone and Tamp it and have been fine.

[@bryanhill1406]

I am planning to do exactly this but twice as big, by myself, over the next year. I'm almost ready to start. Its a little different, Im using cobblestone edging though and I'm not using blue stone, so my flagging stone depths vary. You can do it!

[@bryanhill1406]

​​@@karlmarx7511over designed you say. I'm cool with saving money. Built to last is nice, too, though. I was thinking it seemed a bit heavy duty, H20 loading. Maybe they are gonna park a fire truck on it?

[@bryanmilne]

OMG! Finally a no nonsense video that gets straight to it and provides just the basic information concisely and quickly! Thank you! Subscribed!

[@syjohnston6603]

Man this seems like overkill and a ton of money, but it sure is a nice finished product!

[@hanburgundy4317]

That's what I'm saying - every edge is an individual measurement and cut. Better have the time to spend.

[@maxwellperkins9647]

Fantastic video. Thanks so much for making this. It is by far the single best source of comprehensive information on this topic. One question. What is that drill attachment shown at ~18:43 which is used to rough the sharp, cut edges? I have never seen anything like that and can't find it with a Google search. Thanks again!

[@souldrummer818]

Hi from Australia 🇦🇺 what's the attachment you had on the grinder that you used to feather cut the sawn edges please? We use total different laying method here but we don't have to worry about freezing expansion, which I presume why you laid the dry method 👍

[@flip2flop]

Excellent work!! Its so nice to see that some people still do stone the right way and take pride in their work.loves the video, amazing job!!

[@rickvanderheide2732]

great video what was the tool you used for roughing up the edges Thank you

[@dflaggvt]

Aren't you supposed to use some sort of Edging to hold the patio in place

[@petergilchrist2805]

finally a great stone job on utube unfortunately you need a 3 in concrete base , go back in 5 years to find out grout stone like you would brick. add little color to grout grey is the lazy mans way wait 30 days seal with mineral base sealer matte finish then you are done

[@thebox100]

What tool is the guy using to beat the edge of the flagstone towards the end on the last tiny peice

[@someguy5927]

What do you put around the new patio to prevent it from moving? Cement? Plastic edging?

[@almaandres608]

Beautiful,I’m very impressed. I didn’t realize how much work you put into this.

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching!

[@porterandmjyoung4599]

excellent and complete how to video. as a builder/investor at times, have had good crews and yours seems as good as they come. taking bids at the moment on similar project and wish you were in our current market area.

[@StitcheryXPress]

100% confidence in this company! Intelligent design, masterfully carried out project!

[@brianizdepski9346]

Had to stop watching when you used buckets to move the sand… 3:43

[@carlosnovoajr.1637]

Very well done! loved the step by step process and recap at the end!

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching!

[@ginleonard66]

Fantastic organization of information. You hit all of the marks, and your work is amazing. Thank you for sharing your expertise.

[@tedtolentino8946]

Beautiful build. Thank you for sharing.

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching

[@regulardude2011]

Beautiful work. Flag stone patios look a bit harder/time consuming vs paver patios. I bet flag stone patios cost more compared to paver patios

[@thebackyardexpert]

correct. Paver patio gets pulled out in 15-25 years and flagstone done well lasts 30-300!

[@regulardude2011]

@@thebackyardexpert yea, that’s a huge difference!

[@ayelaii]

@@thebackyardexpert What factors contribute to flagstone lasting longer than pavers? What makes the stone last longer than pavers?

[@poorasslawstudent]

do you have a video for walkways?

[@Aninjasfart]

Fantastic video, professional & very informative. Thank you!!

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching!

[@justinwesley2423]

8"-9" of base for a flagstone patio? We don't even use that much for paver driveways lol.

[@thebackyardexpert]

Sounds great. Thanks for watching!

[@eagl0215]

8-9” from the top of the first step he said is what I heard.

[@jessenunez-hl1dt]

Nice work. Great video thanks for the step by step.

[@sheetmetalwork]

Well done! I watched every second.

[@thebackyardexpert]

Great! Thanks for watching!

[@Shawn-vk2fh]

Cost?

[@Edisito]

Good job but personally I don’t like how many small accent stones there are and I know it probably wasn’t your choice for the material but I call that baby jumbo real jumbo flagstone is 3-4 inch thick imo

[@dustinnye9858]

Any chance you can share where you get the step setter chain deal?

[@thebackyardexpert]

pavetool.com/products/quick-e-tumbler?_pos=1&_sid=fd0ecadcb&_ss=r

[@dustinnye9858]

@@thebackyardexpert appreciate the quick response! I saw you had the link to that but I mean the chain that hooks to your excavator that helps pick up the big pieces of flagstone. Great videos man!

[@thebackyardexpert]

@@dustinnye9858 Same company has vacuum lifters

[@crownfire86]

This was super helpful, I came to the comments for the same info.

[@mayatt04]

Beautiful job. Do you compact the base and also the bedding material?

[@thebackyardexpert]

Only the base. Bedding gets compacted went the stones are set. In this video we used hammers. We have since started using a roller compactor. Thanks for watching!

[@laurijorgenson6683]

Wow, you guys do gorgeous work! Loved the details you provided and your presentation of the video. I wish you were near me. I would hire you in a heartbeat. Thanks for educating us on what is the proper way to have the job done or how we should do it if we are DIYer’s. I appreciate it.

[@nelsonsandoval1383]

Hello Robert, good job, if I find myself in all the rush that I was doing heavy work for 60 dollars a day, no dude👍😂

[@jc-kn5bq]

By far the best video on explaining how to do it and the job turned out amazingly beautiful

[@Tangaroa1dollarway]

What is that rough edge machine?.

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching! pavetool.com/products/quick-e-tumbler

[@kevinlombardy2388]

Fantastic video and tutorial. Definitely learned a lot from this!

[@user51264]

What is the tool that you are using to rough the edge of the flag stone? Thanks!

[@rexgreen3410]

Where do you get the drill attachment to get the rough look after you make a cut I can’t find the attachment anywhere

[@thebackyardexpert]

Tumbler from pavetool.com

[@rexgreen3410]

@@thebackyardexpert thank you

[@johnsimoney2035]

This is an excellent example of great craftsmanship, but overkill in base layer design for a flagstone patio that’s only gonna see pedestrian traffic. 8-9 inches of gravel base layers is like preparing to pour a concrete sidewalk or pavers where vehicles will be driving over. For pedestrian traffic, only about +/-6” is needed, followed by the bedding layer (DG/Decomposed Granite, Stone Dust, or stone dust/cement bedding layer, which is strongest). I hope whoever the homeowner is never finds out that he was overcharged for labor/material that wasn’t needed 😂

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for sharing. Yea we definitely overbuild, and also sleep very well too. LOL. We’ve built in several different states across the country and base depth’s definitely vary in different areas. 8” is standard in that area because of the clay and harsh winters. Glad to hear it’s a little easier your way! Thanks for watching.

[@ArturoMontor-dz5nf]

Nice video boss man thanks because your video 📹 is step be step nice be safe

[@GorillamansGarage]

at what cost

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching. The patio portion of this project used approximately 250 man hours. You can multiply by hourly rate and materials to come to your level of investment. The minimum level of investment to work with us is 100k.

[@formdog9861]

just subbed great job learned a lot from this very detailed work and explanation of it thank you

[@cherylkleffer4095]

Maybe I have not read far enough but how do up get the slaps perfectly level if there is a few that are wobbling.

[@thebackyardexpert]

At first its trial and error. Eventually installers get good at knowing how much material is needed.

[@markrogers2593]

Very nice job. I do love working with natural stone so I started my business 22 plus years ago. I do not have to advertise, more work comes my way than I can do.

[@thebackyardexpert]

Sounds great! Thanks for watching!

[@almaandres608]

How much usually is this size?

[@thebackyardexpert]

Great question. There were quite a few moving parts on this project. You can choose your size and features in our buying guide here: www.sierralandscapemanagement.com/buyersguide

[@vikingsfan9002]

Way to go. Thanks for sharing! Wow!

[@barberv1802]

Beautiful!

[@angetodac]

How deep u have to excavate

[@DinkyDingus]

This guys constant fb mom camera angle is so distracting

[@thebackyardexpert]

Great feedback. That's a new one. Thanks for watching!

[@hiddensprings4195]

Great job, I got some good ideas

[@joshuamcguire4832]

instead of the 3/8th inch atone chip...can you use paver base and lay the flagstone on top of that?

[@thebackyardexpert]

Paver base is a very generalized term. Can you be more specific?

[@joshuamcguire4832]

@@thebackyardexpert at the big box stores they got this thing called paver base and another one called paver Sand. They say to put the paver base down first It's like thicker sand and the paver sand on top.. I think the paper base just thicker granules

[@shoadurant9469]

Thank you man

[@telesforolopez4738]

Do the video to see the work you do. Don’t show you face

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching!

[@notdeadnetwork]

Love this, what does something like this cost?

[@notdeadnetwork]

Really want this flagstone style patio around our place! ( We are in N Delaware)

[@thebackyardexpert]

We can possibly help with that. Typically goes for around $100/ft. You can also come to one of our workshops to learn how to do it. StoneWorker.org

[@MrBigboytoys]

Where can i pick up the chaining tool

[@thebackyardexpert]

@pavetool

[@MrBigboytoys]

@thebackyardexpert okay awesome also man i really loved this 1/4" gap i also dont understand how you guys are getting so much a sqft on your jobs. I wish people would pay those rates in my area of pa

[@samalfellah2066]

Very well done 👏

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching!

[@nathanappleby8678]

what type of edging do you use for your flagstone? Mortor, snap, permaedge, something else?

[@thebackyardexpert]

Depends. If it is a patio we put large pieces on the edge and no edging. Never an issue. If it is more likely to get abused like a walkway or the pieces are smaller we use concrete of some form, again depending.

[@trevorgreycattleco]

My man, you’re craftsmanship is top notch. Top notch. Why not landscape around the patio though? Some grasses and some perennials with some color would set that beautiful patio off. Maybe some solar lights too

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching.

[@TheAlpine49]

Pretty good job. I know it's subjective. I personally think the largest stones set the first day are too big and out of scale with the remaining stone. Your joints look good. Almost too perfect. Its taken away the natural stone look because it's too geometric. Way to many saw cut straight lines. Thank goodness you followed the three-corner rule for the most part. Try to remember you're installing natural stone outside for a patio that should not look fake or man-made. But, overall, a nice job.

[@jmbuckley3]

Very nice looking work! I build fireplaces in the Adirondacks in NY. I was wondering what the drill attachment is called for roughing up the stone edges and where I could find one? That is a very handy tool!

[@thebackyardexpert]

You can purchase through PaveTool.

[@jmbuckley3]

@@thebackyardexpert Thank you!

[@fraserhayes15416]

@@thebackyardexpert Would you be able to provide a link? I'm having a hard time finding it. Thanks in advance!

[@thebackyardexpert]

@@fraserhayes15416 pavetool.com/collections/quick-e-tools/products/quick-e-tumbler

[@bigmule35]

I work by my self a lot and I was wondering how many sq feet of flag stone should one man be able to put down in a day .? The stones I lay are right on the edge of two man stones down to small. Thanks in advance for any info , I have really enjoyed your video's .

[@lilsushi5833]

I’ve done 100sqft of flagstone in a day. but it took me the day before to excavate/prep. so i’d say it depends on how big of a pad you’re doing

[@bigmule35]

@@lilsushi5833 , I have been doing about 40sq' a day and prepping as I am going . ( walk way ) . Cutting stone and fitting as well. 100sq' is moving compared to me.

[@TreeNinja1]

This is awesome workmanship!!! Really awesome skills. !!!

[@thebackyardexpert]

Thanks for watching!