flat stone walkway base ideas?

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devinsdad

devinsdad

Member
Sep 25, 2009
227
northern NY
I am planning a natural stone walkway from stones I have picked. They range from 1" to 6" thick. I hope to split some of the thicker ones in half but will use a few for steps up to my porch. My ground is pretty saturated all year long and the existing dirt path turns to thick boot sticking muck during snow melt. I have pulled all sorts of stuff out that has worked its way to the surface. (2 driveshafts,exhaust parts, breathers,garden fencing,chunks of cedar poles)you get the idea. mostly clay subsoil. Was wondering if I should put geotextile down or not. sand or stone dust? The debate rages online. Anyone have any insight?
 
I would dig it down at least 6 inches and put down a base of compacted crushed granular A. Then I would set the stone in a dry bedding mix of sand and cement. If the stones are small, yuo could use a wet mix but if working with large stones, the water will get wicked out of it too fast and you won't be able to level them.
 
I did a back patio at my old place. the ground was clay & rock.
I put down about 6" to 8" or 2B stone, then about 3" of pea gravel. Then the stone pavers on top.
Since you using different thickness of stones, it is gong to be difficult/tedious trying to get then all at the same top level.
They also make a sand now that has some sort of rubberized type of compound in it. You broom it in between the stone like regular sand, cept when it gets wet, the sand mixes with other stuff and supposedly seals.
Not sure what it is called. My uncle is a stone mason and mentioned it to me.
 
polymeric sand is what I think you're talking about. sweep it in like sand then wet it and it hardens up but with some flex I think. So the base would be item #4? #4 is a mix of 1" and smaller to dust crushed limestone. So no need for the geotext.?
 
Polymeric sand is usually just used to sweep into the cracks, not as a bedding sand. Crushed aggregate would be too hard to use for bedding. You need a bedding sand that can mold to the irregular shape of the underside of the stone slabs. A dry mix bedding mortar will mold to the shape and then set up rock hard so that the stones don't move.

I laid my patio in a bed of wet mortar but my patio stones were consistent in thickness.
 
I would go with the compacted base as suggested but then set them in stone dust. After the base [6 inches or so] I would put down an inch of stone dust and compact. Then set stones in dust. My buddy turned me onto setting the stones in wet stone dust. It really helps to get those stones perfect with no settling. Always tougher to set stones of different thickness...but that is part of the fun.
 
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