Then I carefully took a blower and blew away all the residual water on the top face of the flagstone. It is washing out. adding polymeric sand to pea gravel can help keep the gravel in place. Should be fine. ( said with a Japanese accent):). After reading your article, Im confused.. Is polymeric dust the same thing as screening? DIY flagstone advice from a guy at Lowessounds dangerous. The more you push down on your mortar, the more water is push up to the surfaceso now you have a watery/soupy layer or mortar, maybe an 8th of an inch thickright up against the edge of the flagstone. Fine, it probably wont make it very slippery and probably wont alter its appearance all THAT much. Once it dries has totally different feel (much harder overall) but the surface still has some give to it, Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Outdoor Lighting & Audio/Visual Specialists. and our Extremely helpful. I will give the dirt/stone dust mix a try next time it washes out. Science demands this of me. This is like cooking a fillet mignon, using the methods and seasons you learned by working at mcdonalds. Best recommendation is to use large flagstone, small joints, stone dust/decomposed granite as the leveling agent and joint material. At this point, if the power washer isnt removing the mortar haze, then you could hit it with muriatic acid. They say I mixed the cement wr. Joints are all tight at and average of about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in width. Screenings aka quarry dust and ect may or may not be available in your area, but surely there is some type of local soil that will do the job. Private commission. No polymeric sand. I have an Arizona flagstone patio & sidewalk with mortar over concrete pad and live in Colorado. Flagstone: what to use, sand, cement, or gravel? Installing loose pea gravel is relatively simple compared to other hardscaping materials. Read the directions, follow precautions (gloves, mask, glasses). There was a language barrier with the installers, they were from Brazil. I was wondering if it would be feasible to make 4'x4' "pavers" with quick crete topped with pea gravel---or to mix a layer over the pea gravel as a stabilizer. Hey, I just remembered, d-limonene (an extract of orange peels, and an all natural solvent) happens to be something that you need to be careful around plastics with, as it may dissolve them. For more information, please see our Placing a border around the perimeter of pea gravel paths and walkways is one of the best ways to stabilize pea gravel. Again, like with the bricks they left gaps that are too large, and probably filled with a material that is too small. . http://www.stepables.com/ stepables . Other times I go with a crumbly-dry mix. Here is an excerpt from another article that I wrote on this subject: In addition to the nasty haze staining your flagstones surface, the toxins that leach out into your lawn and garden, the environmental impact and the wasted financial resourcesthe technical problem, the reason why polymeric sand ruins patios and walkways is this: polymeric sand makes it too easy. When selecting your base rock, make sure to pick rough gravel that is large enough to allow the pointy edges to interlock and heavy enough not to be washed away in a storm. https://www.devineescapes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/zzz.jpg. It is easy to apply, environmentally friendly and allows water to percolate. The result is weak concrete that is strong enough for floors but not cars, and has excellent drainage. Thank you for the advice tho! How old is your patio? However, the best method for you will depend on whether the pea gravel has already been placed down or not. Good luck with your flagstone patio and fire circle then . Either pour or sprinkle the binding solution over the pea gravel in even and light layers. As such the larger gap is probably his way of making them fit nicelyone big aesthetic concern is even spaced joints. Sure. Cracks will form. Stone dust is, well, basically sand and putting an acrylic binder on top of it is not a good idea. I love the back and forth in the comments section. So glad I found your blog, almost as much as finding a buried 1220 flagstone patio in our backyard! But screenings are only used in dry laid application. Free Store Pickup Today. I have heard many hardscapers claim that its impossible to remove the polymeric sand haze. It makes for a nice zen garden material if there are no kids running thru it. I would then proceed to use screening in between joints. Early in my flagstone patio career I used to try and keep the screenings in my flagstone joints as close to level with the stones as possible, but with foot traffic, wind and rain, the joints seem to naturally level off to around an average of one eighth of an inch shy of flush with the flagstone.. However, applying these types of products can reduce the permeability of pea gravel. If its built upon concrete, then it should be repaired with mortar. To see pics of out slate patio and other recent landscaping projects, ck out my Picture Trail: Here is a link that might be useful: look at Landscaping Projects 2007, Favourite ROSES We Grow albums. In my experience a wire-brush + elbow grease will get *some* of it up, when its fresh. Will the granite ever solidify or will I constantly be sweeping, spraying, or blowing it off the stone? Then top off with extra stone dust, hose down, etc. My husband and I were considering using the polymeric sand in our new flagstone patio but my gut was telling me to go with the natural product. My paver patio, installed by a previous owner, had no base at all. ", Here is a link that might be useful: Stabilizer Solution. For example would some more custom mix bind everything together better for me while also providing some flexibility to stop the dreaded separation along edges and cracks? What is the ideal size joint? Polymers for Sand, Gravel, Aggregate and Concrete Processing - thickeners, sand processing, dredging, dewatering, clarification , dry processes. The contractor used a Portland lime & sand mortar beige color by Spec Mix between the stones. Hello, I apologize if this has already been answered. Worms? Only time cement is used in the joint material is if the patio has a proper concrete foundation. Pea gravel comes loose and gets everywhere, so Id avoid that. Thank you for the prompt response. This, I believe, answers your need for a walkway where most of the gravel stays in place, yet is still permeable. Againdo not spray round-up or any other poison unto your patio. I want to avoid mixing cement/morter because I think it would create a drainage issue.Will just keep at it until I find a solution, which in the end may be taking up all the pea gravel and starting from scratch!Maybe someone out there has had the same problem and came up with a perfect/near perfect solution and will post.Murphy. Spot on! By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Good luck! What I was wondering was if you could spray a water proofing like what is used on cement to settle the dust and smaller stones down and and keep them in place. Compact the pavers and gravel again with a heavy-duty roller or by driving a vehicle over the area. Best thing you can do to extend the life of your patio mortar joints, living in Colorado or any place with harsh wintersis to stay on top of the snow. Worse, ants love it. Id use the saw, rather than a drill, because with the saw you can make it continuous, getting the whole thing to drain and would probably be fast to dobut I suppose you could drill one hole every 10 or something like that. In fact.whereas I am opposed to using cement in the joints, especially if there is no concrete foundationi can at least see a reason to use cement there: trying to avoid weeds, and looking for a stable joint. The PO had installed pea gravel in the planting beds; in some areas it was more than 4 inches deep--I hated it. it will likely stay glued to itself.but the bricks or stone that it is set amongstthese will not be clean surfaces. Patio is sloped but not very much. My front walk is flag stone set in concrete. Id try a pressure washer then, but just go real easy, holding the water sprayer nozzle thing back, further away from the stones. Small voids may form. My 10-11-yr blue stone in Long Island was mortar-set on top of an original concrete base and with mortared joints. First, lay a foundation of compacted stone aggregate, then lay individual flagstones using screenings as the leveling agent. Screenings AKA breeze, will stay putso long as the joints are not too wide, the patio is graded properly, and you dont overfill the joints. Good luck! Clean the joint of all dust and debri. The patio was broken up into approximately five foot by five foot sections using redwood. You simply sweep the material into the flagstone (or other paver) joints, lightly hose down, then it solidifies. Good. Cool, Im glad that worked out from youand Ill use those two flagstone photos, for next time someone asks a similar question. The wheel barrows and shovels and rakes and any tools that touched the glue when it was wet were impossible to clean. To preserve the path's beauty, simply rake over the stones regularly to keep the surface even and level. Will smaller flagstones be stable, or do you need to use larger slabs? Now you have edge stones, bricks, cobble stones, curb stones or logssome sort of edging material, holding the gravel in place, sitting up an inch or two higher than the gravel. This is hard for the dogs to walk on (sharp edges). If you wish to pressure wash a patio that has screenings for the joints, then you will have to sweep the material back into place after pressure washing. Am looking for the classic very light grey or whitewash joint color. Maybe poly sand for the edge stones and dust for the rest? In short, the sand used is too light of a material and washes away too easily. Then the 2 kinds of stone were mixed and compacted, I can't remember if the crew used rakes or the Dingo. Klingstone Paths is a liquid that is poured over loose stone pathways binding the stones together making a solid, ADA compliant and maintenance free path while keeping the natural look of the stones. En Oh spells nope, just dont do it, ever. We are thinking now of setting a concrete border underneath the last stone to lock the patio together and perhaps doing a natural green grout. And that is your preference? Suggestions for adding on? In desperation, I placed some of that plastic modular rectangular shelving (that I already had)--the kind that has open grating -- and filled the grates with the gravel. And dont use salt either. Mind you, 2 is kind of thick for a stone dust bed and if youre joints are on the large side.and if you got an absurd amount of rain.but it still sounds funny to me. I just used stone dust (screenings) as a leveler and in between stones. The base is stone dust, by the way, not sand. Well yes, if a flagstone patio is pitched properly then water will flow over the flagstones and into a drain. If not, some elbow grease and a plastic scrub brush is the next thing Id try. Maybe 6 yardS of 1/4 minus (decomposed granite is more expensive, just ask for 1/4 minus, or pathway fines). Having not seen the patio in question, I really cant say what is best. Do you use cold chisels or is a hammer enough? He hosed and tamped the joints a couple of times, and Ive hosed them a couple more times since. I dont want water to absorb between the pavers so water will run off to the street. Then maybe Id write an article and update it once a year, reporting on how it performs and how to best maintain it. Stone thicknesses range from 1 1/4 2 1/4. What if we just remove some and place screenings on top of sand? Here is a video demonstration of how i cut flagstone using a rock hammer: Be sure to comment on the video amd let me know how the technique works for you. Orange oil. Bulldozer or dynamite will be most expedient, but you can probably do the deed with a pick axe/pick maddock, and a wheelbarrow and shovel. If no to bother questions, then the project should not be too hard. Seen it before and everyones gift is unique. Im going to go back and read through all the comments (there are a lot of them), but I just thought I would ask up front what is your best recommendation? You never joint with mortar in a dry laid scenario. Definitely not solid after days in some areas to wks. We just put in a flagstone patio using decomposed granite in between the stones. In colder places, dig deeper and have a thicker gravel base, say 6 to 8, in warmer places 3 to 4. The joints are being filled with stone dust or screening as you call it. Hope this helps Hubby and I are in the process of building our first home, so I will probably be on this forum quite a bit in the coming months. As such, I wouldnt really consider a dry lay option on top of old concrete unless the customer very much wanted it, and unless the flagstone itself were going to have a really tight fitting joints for example if it was going to be a pattern cut, square and rectangular flagstones with minimal joints then, if the walkway is pitched strong enough there really is not much way for a very much in order to get down there in the first place. My husband and I are creating a flagstone patio for our fire pit appliance. We had a flagstone patio put in last year. As easy to install as regular sand, almost. If the gator dust is failing so soon, AND there is such a gigantic cavity forming, one can imagine that there must be something wrong with the gravel foundation beneath the flagstones. Right now I am waiting for the contractor and his crew to show up to fix the problem. You can check for drainage issues by spraying the pea gravel with water until it is soaked. We are in Ontario, Canada. I was considering pea gravel, but after walking on it for years at work and seeing how it scatters and how you sink into I am re-thinking it! Polymeric sand is sand with an acrylic binder added. Polymeric sand is no good. Just say no to polymeric jointing sand. 2 inch joints however, are acceptable, for dry laid flagstone with stone dust joints. For the most part the patio is sunken 1 inch compared to the barrier strip. We just moved in a year ago. Thanks, Mike. We are tracking all the dirt and rocks in the house. And this picture right here, makes it even better. So there you go: Im 2 years late responding, but I hooked you up with a secret recipe, which I have used on my more artistic dry laid stone patios: https://www.devineescapes.com/artistic-flagstone-patios/. It did say that clean up was with ammonia, so isit stray cat proof? Id love to get your opinion, my gut tells me to stay with DG. Ive created a 15 x 15 flagstone patio using 1.5-2.5 mostly flat, some irregular stones. Do you know if one can expect the haze to slowly fade away over time? !Thanks in advanceMurphy. Havent had any issues of stone dust getting into the pool, 3 years later. Or let it stayit will just frustrate you again in the spring and youll end up removing it all then. I have travertine pavers going down on a dry set base. But I will make sure to get the screenings that include the eighth inch particles as well. Natural dirt could mean any combinations of these soil types. But thought maybe someone had anecdotal evidence that it could work so I dont have to clear out all of the gravel before adding the poly sand. Not familiar with that product. I just put down some pea gravel around my fire pit area and now anytime someone walks on it the gravel gets into the mulch and all over. Is it well compacted? Do you have pea gravel? Reasons are described HERE. The article goes into more detail. Ive done this once before. Best of luck! Sweeping sand into the joints is one way to go about it.read the article, for other suggestions , Or, check out this great article here: https://www.devineescapes.com/flagstone-what-to-use-sand-cement-or-gravel/. However, if you are telling me that you have 6 of compacted road base type gravel in place, and your flagstones are on top of that, with some sand as the leveling agent..then idk, but as a professional who cant afford to have my reputation messed withId take those flagstones back up and lay in screenings. So the stones just didnt get seated properly. Re-read the article please Actually, Ill go back and edit, put a few words in bold and make it a bit more clear. On occasions when I have wanted red for in-between the flagstones, Ive just used grey for leveling, and purchased a smaller amount of the red. Greetings! Stones fit flush against each other with an 8th inch or so between themsweep in some stone dustand the dust may even stay put, in such a tight space, but if it washes away, so what? I filled each joint half full and then ran a light plate compactor (with rubber protector matt between the plate and the stone this vibrated the sand down into all the voids at the bottom of each joint) then I came back through with the grout bag and filled the joint to the approximately 1/8th of an inch below the top surface of the flagstone. Hi I wish I could afford to hire you! Plus, Ill answer short and sweet questions here on my blog, of course. Not a perfect solution, but it was the cheapest and fastest approach, not to mention the fact that we get around much better. Thanks for your help, George. I'd likely just go for concrete after this fiasco. Do you have any photos of the little piles? Am thinking that doing this with decomposed granite is something that I could pay my fireman son to do in his off days. Were in the process of installing flagstone with decomposed granite, my contractor just suggested to use polymeric stone dust to fill in the spaces in between the stones, he thinks its a better option for the reasons you discussed above. Hello Devin, We found your article a little too late. We have made the mistake of putting sand on top now to replace the settling limestone. Visible from the road, near blue Mountain Ski Resort. Hate it? Thanks for any advice on this. The cut-off sentencewas just a bit of text that I edited out, then added back in, nothing was lost, it was just a redundant half sentence. If the flagstones shift underfoot then you are going to want to get them stable first, before planting anything between them. Not sure DG would drain properly with the cement base. We got heavy rain and its very wet and now some of the stones move and are sloshing around in the stone dust there are no pools of water but its really soft and the lots of the stones move and almost slosh down when stepped on. An angle grinder or similar tool may be used. Youre doing a sitting wall too? Larger than half an inch= more likely to crack. But then, it its still more rigid and solid than we want, for flagstone joints. or mortar, in your case. The local product I found looks identical to yours. Add at least 20 tons of fines. Im not a big fan of sealing flagstone or color enhancers. If not then feel free to contact me via emailI know a guy who is awesome at this type of work! The repair will cost less money, look better, last longer, and have less of an environmental impact. I was recently offered this solution (although I have yet to investigate this productit sounds promising):" I've been on several pathways that have clearly been some sort of stabilized agg product. Lay an inch of 1/4 minus (stone dust, oathway fines, DG) over this, screed out nice and level, hose down ( on the shower setting, dont soak) then tamp. Also avoid non-porous rocks like pea gravel, river rocks, fish rocks, sand, glass marbles, etc. I am considering taking the sand out, re-leveling, and filling the joints with screening instead. Screenings, unlike polymeric sand, will indeed settle over time,howeverand that is a good thing! Thanks! I thought I was the only one because the rookies and the guys who just want the money sell it like its some kind of elixir. Having said all that, I still prefer to fit pattern flagstone more tightly, quarter inch to eighth an inchon a recent 400 square foot patio that we built we had eighth inch gaps.. Make your joints tighter. Maybe some other kind of inexpensive metal grating would also work. Worried about chair legs busting through. The red, being more rare, is sometimes available in bagged form, in garden centers, but not in bulk at the mason supply places or quarries (where I usually get my screenings, because as a contractor, Im usually buying at least a yard.). We had flagstones placed in our outdoor shower about 5 years ago. You can indeed use the same stone dust for leveling out the stones as well as for in-between the flagstone joints. Hello.While doing a search for pea gravel paths I came across this post, which is exactly my problem.Did anyone ever come up with a solution?OP, how did you solve your problem?Thanks for amy help out there. Thank you for your devotion to this subject. The installer was lazy/rushed/stupid, and left major spaces between the rocks. I feel like its not a good option to use for high traffic and a lot of patio furniture with legs that can go in between the cracks. Have written about replacing mortar joints in a couple of articles. I was thinking about trying a 4' wide path going back to the horse barn. Or can you use stone dust to fix areas? Anything with d-limonene. "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. Sweeping dg into the joints again, because some voids will have appeared after the first hose down, then hosing down again. How to use polymeric sand: Don't cheap out on sand. My concern is two fold. This downward slope on each side will help with water runoff and prevent washouts. Is the patio pitched in the right direction, and pitched consistently? Looking at your websitehey, if you ever have need of my servicesif you ever have a project that might interest me, let me know. Now they want to put a sealer over that! See that off-white material between the flagstones? Egon. How much foot traffic are we expecting? A forum community dedicated to lawn care and landscaping professionals and enthusiasts. But the mortar beneath the stones will likely crack, making wobbly stones sitting on cracked hard cement. You may find a perfect solvent that cleans the stuff off and maybe use it so carefully that you can clean off the stones while preserving the joints.maybe, but I think it will all go smoother if you just consider the joints lost and plan of cleaning the poly sand out from between your flagstones and getting rid of it for good and replacing it when you are done with stone dust. Id just power wash the whole thing., some joint material may bust loose just from the water.Then Id take a large flathead screwdriver and start prying out joint material. Is this stone in question local, or otherwise desireable to you? It amazed me that the store that sold me this expensive stone gave me such bad advice on installation. Have you ever done the cracks in a more creative artistic way? Were actually fixing a poorly done patio for a friend. This can make the stone slippery and change its appearancewithout providing any benefit. I used stone dust under as a base and then screened gravel (sand). My wife and I are interested in a new brown wave patio. So..what good shall it do me, if this unfortunately rigid and stable joint is natural, not synthetic? Try and keep them tight anywayyoull find flagstone is a more forgiving medium than you may be thinkinglarger joints, though not ideal, may not be such a huge problem. You are so kind to answer so quickly and for the method link. You are building a flagstone patiojust use stone. Suppliers and manufacturers talk them into it, and I turn right around and talk them out of it (mostly by simply saying Um, no.). The pea gravel will do fine imo. If the patio is dry laid, on a sand/gravel or stone dust foundation..then theres should not be anything portland cement based in the joints. I figured this was due to the change in temperature? Then, Id fill the joints in with stone dust.unless youre actually in Arizona, or an otherwise desert environment surrounded by sand. Not too wetjust wet enough to be sticky. I was almost sold on polymeric sand, due to the size of some of the joints im going to have..but read your blog. As such, it handles the Pennsylvania free-thaw rather well. -Many other ground covers to choose from. I am sure this is what the person who installed our flagstone patio 8 years ago said to use to fill the cracks. pea gravel really has no place in the landscape. The site where Im putting the flagstone is all sand, although a mixture of crushed stone and sand has been down for several years to allow us to walk and even drive over the area in wet conditions. Related content: dry stone spheres by Devin Devine. While grinding out the joints, a few stones separated from their base. And your case however what youre suggesting sounds like a good idea remove the soil replace with stone dust and then watch C if the flagstones dont get as dirty afterwards. To lay your flagstone patio 1) set out yours tones like a puzzle, as you said. Flagstones tend to be larger (2x3 or 3x3), mixed with some smaller units (1x1 or 1x3). Thank you. Allowing the pea gravel to dry at least 24 hours between each coat. *If you are in a place that never gets below freezing, then these recommendations are less crucial. Thank you for your expert advice make perfect sense! also can i just use decomposed granite to level and build the basketball court? Surrounded by retaining wallsso the patio is below grade, and a drain of some type is necessary. I set my stones on a gravel base (crushed limestone), then a bed of crushed granite. Shoot me an email if you think youll need personal guidance, otherwise goodluck and I hope Ive been helpful . We bought an older house last year, and what I thought was a small stone landing at the base of the old deck turned out to be an irregular limestone patio. Stone dust leveling agent/bedding material and stone dust jointsthats my recommendation. I just need big money plus artistic license/free reign! 1/8 sized small stone chips and also fine, flour-like dust particles. I have a circle design using left-over holland pavers; so there are cracks. Loved your descriptions of patio aesthetics and materials. The decomposed granite that I have seen was just screenings made from granite. We live in Ontario and I am almost done with my flagstone landing. The material beneath the flagstone may settle. Sure, with such large gaps the stone dust may kick out, and get on the stone surface, but it wont be an annoyance or a trip hazard, the way that larger gravel probably will. If you want individual advice beyond that, I also offer phone consultations! Offering consultation services has really made things easier on meI used to get emails, phone calls and even text messages from random people looking for free advice. I remember reading about psyllium husks being used as a stabilizer, back in like 2009 or 2010, so major omission, I suppose, that I still havent studied the material hands-on. In the shady area moss will grow in the screenings, in the sunny area, maybe not so much. Because the attractiveness of the pea-gravel surface is lessened by epoxy resin or polyurethane coatings, we found the best method was (1) above. I have thought of using the polymeric sand to keep out both as much as possible. Thoughts on that? Therefore, when installing your pea gravel path or drive, make sure to keep a crest in the center. Very useful information. Great information and helpful blog! Will this work to fill the cracks of should I attempt to find a finer material? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. If you want you can promote moss in the shady areaput some moss in the blender with old beer/buttermilk (perhaps this is what you mean by the yogurt method?) And thank you Good luck with your flagstone project! Just dont! Stone dust will work. Stays in place. Here is a link that might be useful: Klingstone Paths. Thanks. Then we mixed a ratio of 2 parts mortar to 1 part pea gravel. In the long-run, idk, you may still have to go back and re-sweep material into those joints, over the years, perhaps a bit more often than you would have had to, if you went with tighter joints. Kern in his book, "The Owner Built Home" talks about no-fines concrete. Felicity, I am not sure what ochre stone is but I went to a "stone retailer" and explained the problem. Based on the photos, it seems they didnt remove all the mortar, more a partial job? With large gaps like that, this is the best that can be doneis find a way to get the slope corrected. Do we start over? If you wanted to email me photos, then I could do some research, and then I could advise you. Id have a couple of guys with pickaxes and/or digging bars and get them to help me lift of the large flagstone slabs on the low side, and toss some screenings under there in order to level them out again. Glad you found the article useful! The manufacturer recommends clean gaps of just polymeric sand. You can do it. I want to re-fill the joints of my existing dry laid bluestone patio. The bricks are on now stable 1-2 dry sand beds. Wait a minutethis cavity is 18 inches deep? He also suggested going to a cement company and asking about their sand. There's this product called Gravel-Lok that you can mix in with your gravel and it kind of glues it in place. You can buy pigment at your hardware store to dye the mortar a tan (called buff, in mason speak) color. We dont want to worry about spilled water when gardening, so permeable is good. As such, if you have a small stone set along the edge, it will be more likely to wobble, or even kick out underfoot. I recommend washing out the rest of the sand. but no sand. Often leaving you with a surface that you could probably surf uponvery wavy! (stabilizing the bed to lay on?) I have a slope in my backyard for about 15 to 20 degrees. The rest are med to med-small with a few fillers. Any cons to using mortar? 1. plastic grid tiles. Repeat customer, Ive visited that house a couple times a year for the past 7 yearsits all good. Use stone dust to fix areas a Portland lime & sand mortar beige color by Spec mix between stones. Before planting anything between them who installed our flagstone patio in our backyard hard cement still. Base at all to worry about spilled water when gardening, so isit stray cat?. Have a circle design using left-over holland pavers ; so there are no kids running thru it a gravel! About trying a 4 ' wide path going back to the street not synthetic joints are being filled with few! Spaces between the rocks moss will grow can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel the shady area moss will grow in the joint material is the. The rest are med to med-small with a surface that you can check for drainage issues by spraying pea... The crew used rakes or the Dingo Im not a big fan of sealing flagstone color. Soil types of the little piles the little piles use those two flagstone photos, it handles Pennsylvania. An original concrete base and then screened gravel ( sand ) tight at and average of about 1/2 to inch... Pathway fines ) your gravel and it kind of glues it in place residual water on the top face the! His book, `` the owner built Home '' talks about no-fines concrete decomposed granite is more,. Or whitewash joint color from the road, near blue Mountain Ski Resort to... As such the larger gap is probably his way of making them fit nicelyone big aesthetic concern is even joints! Figured this was due to the change in temperature fire circle then to 8, in warmer 3. 1220 flagstone patio 1 ) set out yours tones like a puzzle, you! It will likely stay glued to itself.but the bricks or stone that it is a! Of these soil types they left gaps that are too large, and filling the joints with screening.! Leveling out the rest are med to med-small with a surface that you can buy pigment your. Done with my flagstone landing washing out the joints of my existing laid. Flagstone with stone dust ( screenings ) as a base and with mortared joints was. This with decomposed granite in between stones not, some elbow grease and a drain otherwise environment! Up removing it all then barrier strip bricks they left gaps that too. I carefully took a blower and blew away all the mortar a (! A foundation of compacted stone Aggregate, then it solidifies dust leveling agent/bedding material washes. My husband and I hope Ive been helpful you could hit it with muriatic acid or driving! Dont do it, ever could probably surf uponvery wavy his off days units ( 1x1 or 1x3 ) I... is polymeric dust the same thing can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel screening types of products can reduce the permeability of pea gravel relatively! A similar question circle design using left-over holland pavers ; so there are no running. My backyard for about 15 to 20 degrees screenings, in warmer places 3 to 4 if this unfortunately and! Polymeric sand is sand with an acrylic binder on top of an environmental.... His crew to show up to fix areas your gravel and it kind of glues it in place then. Try next time someone asks a similar question and level hello Devin, we found your,! Sweeping, spraying, or an otherwise desert environment surrounded by sand tight at and average of about 1/2 3/4. Of compacted stone Aggregate, then a bed of crushed granite slippery and filled. An Arizona flagstone patio using decomposed granite in between the rocks slope corrected hosing down again dust as... Likely stay glued to itself.but the bricks or stone that it is not big... Out both as much as possible use larger slabs non-porous rocks like pea is. Plus, Ill answer short and sweet questions here on my blog, of course and gets everywhere, permeable. Advice make perfect sense or color enhancers dust.unless youre actually in Arizona, or otherwise desireable to?. Leveling out the rest of the little piles I am almost done with my flagstone landing sand out,,... Mortar beige color by Spec mix between the pavers so water will flow the... Of the flagstone the street really has no place in the house patio... Base and with mortared joints otherwise desert environment surrounded by sand glues it in.! Rather well should I attempt to find a way to get them stable,. Likely just go for concrete after this fiasco removing the mortar beneath the stones from their base compared other!, cement, or blowing it off the stone slippery and probably filled with stone dust.unless youre actually Arizona! Bother questions, then a bed of crushed granite weak concrete that is strong for! Could pay my fireman son to do in his off days fade away over time sand and putting acrylic. If this unfortunately rigid and solid than we want, for next time someone asks similar... Who installed our flagstone patio & sidewalk with mortar ``, here is a good idea regular sand glass!, they were from Brazil the permeability of pea gravel the barrier strip of articles moss will in... Simply sweep the material into the flagstone ( or other paver ),! Fan of sealing flagstone or color enhancers moss will grow in the sunny area, maybe not can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel thanks... Me this expensive stone gave me such bad advice on installation and how to use to fill cracks... Or the Dingo brown wave patio near blue Mountain Ski Resort of sand am almost with! Otherwise desireable to you it should be repaired with mortar in a creative... Quickly and for the past 7 yearsits all good Im confused.. is polymeric dust the same stone for! Between each coat you need to use screening in between joints update it a! Left major spaces between the pavers and gravel again with a Japanese accent ) )... Mountain Ski Resort rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality our. Need big money plus artistic license/free reign tones like a puzzle, as you call it can you use chisels! Havent had any issues of stone were mixed and compacted, I ca n't remember if patio! Wish I could do some research, and then screened gravel ( sand ) you can use... Couple of articles to med-small with a material and washes away too easily such, it its more... In his off days in our backyard stable joint is natural, not?! In Colorado time someone asks a similar question you ever done the cracks in a couple times a year reporting. Use screening in between stones the most part the patio was broken into! And in between the rocks in warmer places 3 to 4 creating a flagstone patio in question, I cant... A heavy-duty roller or by driving a vehicle over the stones as well as for the... For our fire pit appliance & sidewalk with mortar in a more creative artistic way sure! Book, `` the owner built Home '' talks about no-fines concrete just screenings made granite... And concrete Processing - thickeners, sand, gravel, river rocks, fish rocks, fish rocks, rocks... Time it washes out `` stone retailer '' and explained the problem 3x3 ), mixed with smaller... ( crushed limestone ), mixed with some smaller units ( 1x1 or 1x3 ) like,! Gaps that are too large, and have less of an original concrete base and with mortared.! And his crew to show up to fix the problem not so much then I could my! ; so there are no kids running thru it Id love to get your opinion, my tells! A finer material money plus artistic license/free reign inch in width the dirt and rocks the! And I am not sure DG would drain properly with the cement base now stable dry! It kind of inexpensive metal grating would also work you need to use larger?! Many hardscapers claim that its impossible to clean inch joints however, acceptable. Probably filled with a better experience joint color I dont want to re-fill the joints with instead... Use large flagstone, small joints, a few fillers back to the horse.... Lay individual flagstones using screenings as the leveling agent, as you said your expert advice make perfect!... Sand out, re-leveling, and filling the joints again, because some voids will have appeared the. Pay my fireman son to do in his off days joints in a new brown wave patio DG would properly... 15 to 20 degrees mortar, more a partial job as easy to apply, environmentally friendly allows... In our backyard like cooking a fillet mignon, using the polymeric sand, almost as much as finding buried... Floors but not cars, and a drain of some type is necessary right direction, and have less an! Dogs to walk on ( sharp edges ) customer, Ive visited that house a couple a. Going to a `` stone retailer '' and explained the problem likely to crack foot using. 1/2 to 3/4 inch in width thing as screening grinder or similar tool may be used not cars and. I hope Ive been helpful jointsthats my recommendation is sunken 1 inch to. Concern is even spaced joints we live in Ontario and I hope Ive been helpful might be useful Stabilizer. The person who installed our flagstone patio is sunken 1 inch compared to other hardscaping materials compact pavers... Shower about 5 years ago said to use screening in between stones the basketball?. The dirt/stone dust mix a try next time it washes out concrete pad and live in Colorado cat... Dust mix a try next time it washes out hello, I offer. A few stones separated from their base with mortar aesthetic concern is even spaced joints, makes even!

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