Stone Forest Materials, LLC

2501 South Main Street

Kennesaw, Georgia 30144
Phone: 770-590-1700 / Fax: 770-590-1728
www.stoneforest.biz

Dry Set Patio Installation

A dry set stone patio can be a simple project to add additional living space to your
outdoors. This project can be completed in a relatively short amount of time and does not
require special tools or expertise. All you need is a little elbow grease and a good
imagination.

Required Tools
Shovel (flat and pointed)
Wheelbarrow
Hard Rake
Hand Tamp or Plate Compactor
Level (torpedo, 2’ or 4’)
Rock Hammer
Rubber or Rawhide Mallet
Push Broom
Stone Saw (optional)

Materials Needed
Flagstone or Flat 2” Veneer Fieldstone
Granite Sand (M-10)
Crushed Stone Base
Landscape Edging (optional)
Landscape Fabric (optional)

Coverage Calculations
Flagstone: 1.5” to 2” thick, ~100 sq. ft. per ton.
Granite Sand: 100 sq. ft. at 2” depth per ton.
Crush Stone Base: 100 sq. ft. at 2” depth per ton.

Preparation
1. Please remember to call before you dig! Having to repair broken utilities will cost
you more time and money then expected. In Georgia call: 1-800-282-7411 or
visit: www.gaupc.com
2. Mark the proposed area to get proper measurements and a visual reference of
where your patio will be installed.

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 3. Measure the area. (link to sq. ft. calculator) Reminder: When purchasing material
account for at least 10% waste due to the shaping and cutting of the stone.
4. Keep in mind that patios need to drain rainwater. Slope the patio in one direction
at lease .25” for every 1’ of patio. This will keep water away from the house and
keep water from pooling on the patio.
5. The thickness of the flagstone, what type of soil is present, what the patio is used
for, and how well the surrounding landscape drains are all factors that will
determine how much base material is required.
• Lower traffic and thick flagstone (2.5” and thicker) should be fine with
~2” of Granite Sand.
• Medium traffic and standard thickness flagstone (1.5” to 2”) should use at
least 2” of Crushed Stone Base and ~1” of Granite Sand.
• Heavy traffic and standard thickness flagstone (1.5” to 2”) should use at
least 4” of Crushed Stone Base and ~1” of Granite Sand.
• We do not recommend using thin flagstone for dry set patios.

Installation
6. Remove the Soil where your patio will be built. Ex. 2” flagstone + 2” Crushed
Stone Base + 1” Granite Sand = 5” of soil excavated to bring the top of the
flagstone flush with the ground level.
7. (optional) Once the soil is removed, place landscape fabric over the excavated
area. This will help keep the soil underneath from mixing with the base material
and provide additional support. This step is highly recommended for areas that
don’t drain, as well as high traffic areas.
8. (optional) Set the landscape edging around the perimeter of the patio area. This
will ensure that the base material does not spread out under compaction and stays
contained where it belongs.
9. Spread and compact the base material. If you are using Crushed Stone Base, it
should always be the bottom layer and Granite sand should always be closest to
the flagstone. Using a tamping device, compact the base no more than 2” deep at
a time. Ex. If you have 4” of base material, lay down 2” then compact, then
spread another 2” and compact again. This may seem like a lot of work but it is
absolutely necessary to ensure proper compaction. Wetting the base with water
will also help compaction. For larger patios consider renting a plate compactor
from your local tool rental store. These compactors will drastically cut the time
and energy required for this step.
10. Granite Sand is used as the final layer for the base. This sand does not have the
large pieces of gravel that Crushed Stone Base has but it does have fine particles
that make it easy to level the flagstone pieces. The key to using this material to
your advantage is to make it smooth and level. A great way to accomplish this is
to lay 2 pieces of 1”OD pipe on the Crushed Stone Base, parallel to each other.
Spread the sand on the ground so that the pieces of pipe are just slightly buried.
Use a piece of 2”x4” to span the pieces of pipe and drag the board towards you.
As you drag the board, the pieces of pipe keep you from moving any material
under 1” thick and smoothing the base at the same time. Remove the excess sand
or add more to fill in low spots. Pull up the pipe up and repeat on the next section.

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11. Let the jigsaw puzzle begin! Placing the stone can be the most challenging part of
this project. These instructions and tips will help guide you:
• Lay the stone out around the area, not in it yet. It’s always a good idea to
be able to visualize the material you are working with so you can spot that
perfect piece.
• When placing the stone, press it firmly into place while wiggling it side to
side and slightly rotating. Air pockets under the stone are your enemy in
this case. Air pockets and voids mean there is no support under the stone
leading to cracked stones in the future.
• Start around the edges of the patio. Search for pieces that already have
straight edges and place them on the straight sides of the patio. This will
reduce the number of straight cuts you have to make during the extent of
your project.
• Watch your joints. As you place the flagstone in the patio, you want to
keep your joint width to a minimum. Recommended joint size is 1.5” or
less. The larger the joint, the more it is prone to washout. You can chip or
cut the edges of the stones to reduce joint size.
• Make sure you break up the joints through the overall patio. Long
consecutive joints will create a highway for runoff water, washing your
joint sand away.
• Don’t spend too much time on one piece. The rule of thumb is: “If you
have to turn or flip the stone more than 3-4 times and it still does not fit,
toss it to the side and try another.” It will fit somewhere else.
• Constantly check the level of the stones with the torpedo level, and how
level they are to each other with the 2’ or 4’ level. If a stone is out of level
you can always add or remove Granite Sand from underneath it. A rubber
or rawhide mallet will help you tap it into alignment. Rawhide is great
because it does not leave marks on the stone, while some rubber ones will.
• Reshaping some pieces of stone will be required. Use the rock hammer or
stone saw to shape them to the desired contour.
12. Next, fill all of the joints with granite sand. This can be accomplished by tossing a
few shovels of Granite Sand on top of the joints and using a push broom to move
the sand into the voids between the stones. If you want to make sure the joints are
packed well, you can use the handle end of your shovel as a tamp. Most people
just soak the Granite Sand with water, which will produce the same results. Note:
• Stone Forest does not recommend mortaring any joints on a dry set
flagstone patio. It may give your patio a finished look at first, but over
time the mortar usually cracks and becomes hard, sharp edges. This is
caused by the base under the patio being made of “flexible” material and
settling of the ground over time. If you are interested in mortared joints,
please see our guide on Mortared Flagstone Patios.
• Stone Forest also offers Polymeric Sand. This is specially designed joint
sand for pavers and flagstone patios that have joint widths within certain
tolerances. It contains polymers that allow the patio to retain the joint sand
much longer than traditional Granite Sand, yet it allows the patio to stay
“flexible.”

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Options
• If you don’t like the look of a Granite Sand joint you can always substitute
small gravel or a stepable, low growing plant and some top soil in its place.
o Gravel to consider: (Note: This option is not as stable as Granite Sand,
but offers a unique appearance.)
ƒ Slate Trail Mix
ƒ Slate Mini Chips
ƒ Crimson Stone – Walkway
ƒ Standard Pea Gravel

o Plants to consider: (Note: This option is not as stable as Granite Sand,

but once established will hold tight.):
ƒ Dwarf Mondo Grass
ƒ Blue Star Creeper
ƒ Creeping Jenny
ƒ Ajuga
ƒ Irish Moss
ƒ Creeping Thyme

Maintenance
• Over a period of several years the joint sand will most likely wash out
slightly from rainwater. This can be easily remedied by adding and
wetting additional Granite Sand when needed.
• Be careful not to pressure wash the joints as this will remove the joint sand
in a matter of seconds and leave a mess. A garden hose is recommended
for regular cleaning. For more intense cleaning try using a stiff brush and
water.
The Fine Print
Please be aware that each project is unique and may pose different obstacles and
circumstances that this guide cannot foresee. It is intended as a reference only.
Most of these installation techniques are great for our geographic location here in
Atlanta, GA. Soil conditions and climate play a large role in how each project is
constructed. For example, if you live in the Northeast you will have to use a
deeper base material to account for the freeze/thaw cycle that is notorious for up
heaving patios. Stone Forest cannot be held liable for any damages incurred by
the use of this guide.

Please seek a professional contractor’s advice if you are uncomfortable with

undertaking a project you have not completed before.

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