Flagstone/Bluestone Patio – Lincoln, MA

December 29, 2015 by admin with 0 Comments

Rebuilding a Flagstone Patio in Lincoln, MA

At this home in Lincoln, MA the existing flagstone patio was badly overgrown and out of level. The original flagstone patio had apparently been laid directly on the soil with wide joints. Being it a sunny area, weeds grew rampant and the patio had deteriorated considerably.

Original Flagstone Patio – Lincoln, MA

Original Flagstone Patio – Lincoln, MA

Original Flagstone Patio – Lincoln, MA

To solve this problem the plan was to take up the existing flagstone, excavate the soil, lay weed block fabric, base material, and re-lay the patio with 1/2″ joints.

In order to achieve tight joints the stones must be cut and pieced together. It is a labor intensive process but the results are attractive and potentially make it harder for weeds to take root. To make up the difference in area that we lose with tighter joints and cutting waste, we purchased a couple additional pallet of Irregular Bluestone to match the existing patio flagstones. The larger section of the patio is made up of the existing flagstones, the smaller portion of patio beneath the Japanese Maple is made up of the new flagstone that we would usually use.

Assembling the Flagstone Patio – Lincoln, MA

Assembling the Flagstone Patio – Lincoln, MA

The base material consists of ~4″ gravel and ~2″ of stone dust. The gravel base is sturdy and drains well, the stone dust (fine crushed up stone) is workable and lets us level each stone. Gravity holds everything in place while the patio remains flexible to minor movements in the ground. This method is more cost effective than cementing the patio stones and there is no risk of visual cracks in the cement if things eventually shift.

The flagstone patio is complete in time to enjoy a lovely autumn in New England:

Flagstone Patio – Lincoln, MA

Flagstone Patio – Lincoln ,MA

Flagstone Patio – Lincoln, MA

Irregular Bluestone Patio – Marlborough, MA

June 5, 2015 by admin with 1 Comment

At his home in Marlborough, MA an old concrete patio had shifted and cracked and was pitching water towards the house. Knowing something had to be done, the homeowners decided this was a great opportunity to liven up their outdoor space with a new and improved patio.

existing concrete patio. windows boarded in preparation for demo

existing patio

We remove the concrete with a machine and then proceed to dig out the base for the patio. The granite step is saved to be used for the new patio, and plenty of stones come out of the ground that we save for the upcoming fieldstone wall.

concrete removed

For the steps we purchase some additional granite. We picked out antique granite steps to match the existing one and also some additional fieldstone for the walls. Next we set the steps in place, fill the patio base, and set our base stones for the raised bluestone patio.

patio fill and granite steps

Next we build the wall that will run one side of the patio. We use stones that came out of the ground and some supplemental fieldstone from the stoneyard. The client is looking for a quaint, farm house wall with rounded stones.

fieldstone wall

Fieldstone Wall

Wall and Steps complete

After the wall and steps are set – we fill in the rest with irregular bluestone. Irregular bluestone makes a nice patio. There are many different ways to fit and cut the stones. We try to fit the stones fairly tight without letting it look like we made the cuts. This gives it a consistent but natural/authentic look.

Irregular bluestone patio

Bluestone patio, fieldstone wall, granite steps

The following season a new patio door goes in, and some plantings and patio furniture bring it all together.

new patio with furniture

Patio with furniture

Phase III – Walkway + Gardens – Westford, MA

June 3, 2015 by admin with 0 Comments

In the next phase of this project we rebuild and reshape the garden walls and lay a new walkway/patio. The existing gardens were badly overgrown and the walls were falling apart. The paver walkway was deteriorating and overgrown with moss.

Existing Front Wall

Existing Walkway

Existing Garden Wall

Existing Landing

Then by dismantling the front stone wall it leaves us enough stone to rebuild that wall as well as rebuild/extend the garden wall.

Extending the Garden Wall

Next we lay the walkway. For this we use a unique type of flagging called Goshen Stone. It is quarried locally in Goshen, MA and has a silvery, lustery appearance.

Goshen Walkway + Landing

Along with the stonework we weed and prune the gardens and transplant desirable plants as needed. The hillside is also planted with a variety of perennial ground covering plants and a few select shrubs. Fresh topsoil is also spread over the whole yard and hyrdro-seeded.