How to Get the Perfect Stone Walkway

Garden walkways always look fantastic. These paths offer a sense of charm and whimsical to any garden area and they are very functional for keeping people off your lawn. Walkways are also great for keeping your feet nice and dry when your lawn is all soggy from watering or from rain. They are especially handy for keeping your home clean because the chances of stepping into pet doo-dah are a lot lower when you have a walkway to step on.

There are lots of different materials that you can use to create a beautiful walkway. But stone walkways are the absolute best because they offer natural charm, they are remarkably durable and they create a sense of luxury and class in your garden. To install your own walkway, you can consider the following handy little guide. 

Measure Your Walkway

Before you can buy materials, you need to know how much materials you will need. Consider how wide your walkway should be and the shape it should have. Straight walkways are shorter and will require fewer materials but curved paths always look much better. It can be good if you can draw out the area and measure the surface so you will know exactly how much materials you will need. Drawing out the walkway lines is also great for getting a good visual perception of what your path should look like.

Choose Your Materials

There are quite a few different types of stone materials that you can get for a walkway. Some people prefer large stones that they can lay out on the turf as stepping stones and others choose smaller stones that they can install closely together for a firm path. Some prefer naturally shaped rocks and others choose stones that are cut to specific shapes and sizes. 

Stones that are cut to size are easier to install compared to naturally shaped stones because you need to puzzle these raw pieces closely together to create an even surface. 

Thicker stones are also better because they can handle more weight and they tend to be more durable. You should also consider the surface. A natural surface offers lots of traction but smoothed surfaces do tend to be a bit slippery when wet. 

If you are looking for the best stone walkway materials then you should shop from Stone Edge Landscapes. These professionals deal in all sorts of natural stone products. When you buy from them, you are guaranteed to get the best quality products.

Lay Out the Walkway

Once you have your materials, you need to lay out your path using string or coloured sand. It is important to plan the layout properly so your walkway will have a perfect shape.

Excavate the Path

You should now excavate the entire path. Remove all vegetation and roots and dig about 5 inches deep. Flatten the surface, compact the soil and form a perfectly level and smooth path. 

Lay Your Plastic

To keep weeds from sprouting between your rocks, you should lay a sheet of garden plastic. The sheet should cover the entire area and can slightly protrude at the sides. 

Install Edging

This step is optional since some people prefer a more natural look for their walkway. You can use different types of materials for edging. 

Some prefer brick edging, others choose pavers. Some choose galvanised metal. It all depends on the type of look you want.

Add a Layer of Sand

Before you lay your stones, you should add a smooth layer of sand. Level the entire surface of sand for a smooth and even surface.

Lay Your Stones

You can now start laying your stones. Be careful to lay your walkway carefully so there are no big gaps between the stones. You should also have a mallet at hand so you can lightly hammer the stones into shape for a firm and tight fit.

Fill the Gaps

Fill the gaps with sand or gravel. You can also use concrete to fill the gaps. If you want to grow plants in your walkway then you should consider adding pot soil but this can only work if you don’t have landscaping plastic in place.

Installing the perfect walkway is a lot of hard work and if you don’t do it right, your walkway will look messy. For a professional finish, you can outsource all of this hard work to an affordable landscaping company like Stone Edge Landscapes.