Flagstone Patio – Lincoln, MA

At this home in Lincoln, MA we are building a new flagstone patio.  Flagstone is the common term for any irregular, flat stones used for paving.  The most common variety in our area is bluestone flagging.  This flagstone patio will be dry laid with tight joints <1″.

Flagstone Patio – Prep

We prepare for the patio by first digging out a base, compacting the subsoil, and then laying crushed stone.  The crushed stone provides a good base in that it compacts well and doesn’t hold water.  Next a thin layer of fine gravel is used to level the stones.  The fine gravel also drains freely to eliminate puddling on the patio or frost heaving beneath it.

Flagstone Patio – Installation

In order to achieve 1-2″ – 3/4″ joints the flagstones will need to be cut and shaped to fit.  Our goal is to achieve a tight fight without making it obvious that the stones are cut.   This means we won’t make too many long straight cuts, or overly geometric shapes.  This gives the patio a more natural appearance.

Flagstone Patio – Installation

The process of fitting and leveling every stone is fairly labor intensive, but yields very nice results.  Once all of the stones are laid, we sweep the fine bedding gravel into the joints and the patio is ready for use.