How can I create a smoother surface? Also, in your article about using gravel, can you use AB3 or Crusher Run? Free Store Pickup Today. Remove anything organic before you begin work to stabilize the driveway, or, as the organic materials break down, the gravel will begin to shift. The larger material will help to jam up the drainage-cut, making it so less fines settle down below the concrete, while still letting water drain. 1. plastic grid tiles. Video of the Day. Void formsstone sinkssolid joint sits above voidjoint cracks. Youre welcome, I hope my blog posts are helpful. 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? After grinding out the joints you water to broom up all the debris, then blow off all the dust, then hose off all the dust..and get those joints nice and clean. Polymeric sand, in the above scenario, will either crack up, or, worse yet, it may stay solid on top, leaving that void beneath, causing more problems until the poly sand finally does crack up. Maybe a channel drain, along the wall furthest from the house? &When i say irregular, i mean irregular. I dont know if it would do any harm though, but it might. It was inspiring, insightful, knowledgeable and overall great advice. Will this work to fill the cracks of should I attempt to find a finer material? There are some areas that need repair. Most solvents that will actually remove it will probably also stain the pavers anew, so theyre out. Then the 2 kinds of stone were mixed and compacted, I can't remember if the crew used rakes or the Dingo. - M.K. Also, are their any loose flagstones? Compacting the gravel will also help keep weeds from coming through. But I will make sure to get the screenings that include the eighth inch particles as well. or mortar, in your case. We are a team of passionate homeowners, home improvement pros, and DIY enthusiasts who enjoy sharing home improvement, housekeeping, decorating, and more with other homeowners! Thank you for the responses. As far as the gravel goes, crusher run is the stuff. Not familiar with that 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. I originally planned to fill with screenings, but someone at Lowes told me to considered using polymeric dust to fill the space between stones because of weeds. To lay your flagstone patio 1) set out yours tones like a puzzle, as you said. Finished with polymeric sand. I never recommend sealing flagstone. Great information and encouragement! The flagstones probably arent perfectly smooth on top and so its basically impossible to get the stone dust flush with the top of the stones anyway, so go an 1/8 to a 1/4 shy of the top. Did you set the flagstones in mortar/on top of a concrete foundation? ( said with a Japanese accent):). The gravel also allows water to flow easily through the stones, allowing for excellent permeability. Travertine fits together so tight, I think stone dust would be too big. Stays in place. Ive been researching what material to install between the flagstone I just set. Id really have to see what you are working with, what the flagstone looks likeand then it would be a matter of looking into what is available in your area. Maybe half of those patios also have limestone screenings as the leveling agenthalf an inch to inch and a half limestone screenings beneath the flagstones as well as an inch or so on either side of the stones (the joints)never once have I seen a freeze-thaw issue, or any cracked flagstones on any of these jobs. Required fields are marked *. Im really stuck and could use some advice- What might be the best solution? I read your article, thanks. It makes me crazy because when it rains or the wind blows, it seems to go everywhere. Do you have any comments on how to best drain this so it doesnt continue to settle after i install the flagstones? You can make plastic from plants.and that may be less toxic and better for our eco system, than petrol-plastic. Great article any concerns with using decomposed granite within a flagstone patio around a pool deck? Your sculptures are amazing by the way! I am in the midwest and that is the closest thing I can find that probably matches what you described in your article. It looks pretty cool as well. This is ideal for new pea gravel installation. I wanted something that would promote drainage and have a natural look. Effort PA. Southern Poconos. After excavating the area, pour in about three inches of a base layer of crushed rock. Devin, You are absolutely the best source of info concerning flagstone installation. This is basically putting an acrylic binder, liquid plastic, on top of the joints. or do I need to first bind the bottom of the blue stone to the old mortar base somehow - before I mortar the joints? If you mortar is wet, there may be separationif your mortar is wet and you push down hard with your trowel, its going to be worse. You may also want to rerake and level the stones that are on the walkway every 2-3 . When using a hand tamper on decomposed granite, it will stick to the bottom of the hand tamper in clumps. IMO this is a bad idea. Im not worried about your base very much if crushed stone has already sat there for years. Take your time planning.consider taking a workshop if theres one available in your area. Hi, the home we own in Colorado has a really large flagstone patio but the previous owner never put in any fillers. No acrylic, plastic, or polymers are required in your project. 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! Yes, I travel for work. And that is your preference? Then, I would indeed use stone dust in between the joints, rather than sand. Hello: I just read your article regarding polymeric sand use, thank you for your thoughts on this. Compare. Would you suggest minus (I believe here in eastern Mo. Compact the pavers and gravel again with a heavy-duty roller or by driving a vehicle over the area. The PO had installed pea gravel in the planting beds; in some areas it was more than 4 inches deep--I hated it. look at Landscaping Projects 2007, Favourite ROSES We Grow albums. I recommend screeningswhich are 1/8 inch and smallerand contain the very important finesflour-like, powdery stone dust. Maybe 6 yardS of 1/4 minus (decomposed granite is more expensive, just ask for 1/4 minus, or pathway fines). Irish moss, creeping thymeidk, what plant would be best for your local conditions. The sales guy who sold the glue mess to the general contractor (yes, I subbed, once upon a time!) Also, its toxic stuff were talking. Bummer. These surfaces are stable. The steps are currently on cinderblocks. I used stone dust under as a base and then screened gravel (sand). I had planned to use decomposed granite for bedding and also in the joints. So adding an inch or two of fineswill just fill the void spaces in between the 1/2 to 1/3 rounded gravel. Portland cement should not be used. This will stop the problem of decomposed granite clumping. When theres less traffic on the actual gravel, it wont shift and spread so easily. You may get away with 2 or 4 inch jointsbut it will work better with stones fit more tightly than that. I first started seeing this stuff about fifteen years ago. I am in South Texas and am planning a new backyard pool installation. Any ideas? And yes, I do prefer tighter joints, but dg should work for 2 joints. Well, if the foundation and pitch all seem decent, then Id simply suggest removing the gator dust and replacing with stone dust. Leave the hammer drill in the shed. No more cats, WOOHOO! The patio comes off the basement door and is surround on three sides by 4-5 retaining walls, and had a 4 drain in the pave patioit was sinking especially around the drain. You simply sweep more screenings into the joint and life is good, with no great worries at all. Beyond that, if you want to email me photos and receive personal guidance, Id be happy to help you. Youve also referred to it as crusher dust. I have to explain to them that I dont just go to the freezer and get food, I actually have expenses, commitments and work that they dont have and if they want free food, they can go out and buy a farm and do all the work for free! Other times I go with a crumbly-dry mix. Take your time and get out what you can. And be sure to not overfill your jointsthe stone dust/DG should be a bit shy of the tops of your flagstones. see if it works. But the weeds are a pain to keep up with. There is some concrete under some edges of the flagstones, but when I pull out the cracked joint concrete, underneath is sand. Anyway, theres many diy articles on this website, which many people have found helpful over the years. I havent filled yet because i am still adding onto it. Also, very impressive stone sculptures! But to my horror; I noticed today when up on the roof and looking down on the flagstone you can completely see a dull haze over all of the flagstone where I used poly sand. Add at least 20 tons of fines. I also have a pea gravel area (about 20X20') that I want to stabilize. Using pavers, like TRUEGRID pavers, to stabilize your pea gravel walkway is another option. I am sure this is what the person who installed our flagstone patio 8 years ago said to use to fill the cracks. Is there a means to just patch the cracks? Couldn't other binding agents like lime/ash or cement be used? Tamp the soila hand tamper that you buy at the hardware store will work just fine, a plate compactor will spare you the strain (rob you of a good work-out.Ill be honest, a very good work-out. Any idea on how to remove to get the stones back to previous state? The advantages of gravel. Really, do we want to build plastic landscapes? If no to bother questions, then the project should not be too hard. Well obviously thats absurd. Psyllium husk joint binder is, as far as I can tell, a lot more natural than an acrylic based product. 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. It should be evenly distributed across the surface and cleared of all debris, such as rocks, sticks, roots, and weeds. What did I do wrong? Ive never seen any ratio of cement to stone dust/sand that works. If you leave the stone dust all the way filled to the top, its going to spill out and get everywhere. Even if you are using a more uniform paver, the gravel foundation may not compact 100 percent perfectly. Grey stone dust screenings will cost about 40-50 per cubic yard. Metal is more durable, but no matter what border you choose, it should be at least 1/2 inch above the ground outside the perimeter. Thanks for your colorful commentary and your insight (with years and years of experience). 1. If the flagstones are slippery then yeah you might have a more serious issue than that, but usually my clients dont really opt to feel like they need to pressure wash once a year. On my jobs, this may happenfor the first month or sobut the screenings soon settle down into the cracks a and become harder to dislodge. So I prefer the powdery-dry methodif Im working solo, usually. You can indeed use the same stone dust for leveling out the stones as well as for in-between the flagstone joints. A pea gravel patio can be surprisingly difficult to keep maintained and repaired. I have been getting a lot of hate from basically contractors who don't want you to do your own work. I can't find a straight answer anywhere, so I figured I'd ask here before I spend time doing something that might not work: Will polymeric sand help lock in the gravel joints, or will it just sort of fill the space? To be fair Ive seen exceptions! Stiffin it up a bit so it's not so loose. If you just have sand in.and no road base gravelthen absolutely, take up the flagstone and do it all over. Some areas are shaded by tress, and some by the house, which I think contributes to algae growth. SHORT ANSWER: get some stone dust aka screenings. It has a broader color spectrum than crushed stone and is lighter and often less expensive. Call your local quarry. Thanks, JoAn. Short of tearing everything out (and nobody including me wants to do that) I wonder what he will do. I have put 2"x4" around the border of the exercise yard to keep the gravel from migrating out of the enclosure. The Patio is shaded except during the winter. The stuff I used came in 5 gallon buckets. So I think you can get away with a 2 joint, if thats what youre into. The 2nd link has what theyre calling decomposed granite, but given my calling around locally, I question if thats the same stuff as what you specify. We didn't try to stabilize it, but what we did do is to put down flagstones in the pathways. My wife and I are interested in a new brown wave patio. Ive seen stone dust joint stabilizers are being sold, but that might be as bad as poly sand. I know, you said youre not into sandneither am I, for flagstone joints. Do you recommend using cement/sand mortar combination or to go with stone dust. If you are building a dry stone patio then no, I do not recommend using a concrete border. If not then feel free to contact me via emailI know a guy who is awesome at this type of work! Hey! White screenings are made from limestoneand crushed limestone has a bad name, in the hardscaping industry, because it tends to hold water. Just dont! Just to confirm, anything called Breeze will be the material you like best and that which you call screenings? If I keep the joints tight will the material bind enough to keep water from percolating into ground? Bravo to this article and its author, Devin. He gave me samples of two kinds of much smaller type stone to mix with the pea gravel to see if that would solve it. Youll be fine using screenings. An experiment that would be worth a try would be to sprinkle a few cups of cement on a few square feet of pea gravel, rake litely, and mist thoroughly a few times. Well, its fairly easy, but you have to becarefulthe sand is mixed with a binder. I have 1/4 minus which I used for the bed. Half inch, quarter inch, eighth an inchany of those would workso long as they have fines3/8 is what I usually use, but I work around the country, and sizes/names vary slightly yet every place Ive been wcarries something like this. Just say no to polymeric jointing sand. Anything with d-limonene. Garden center. Ive never studied it, never used it for a client and been unable to study its utility over the yearswhich is a major omission on my part. Should we scrape all screening, organic material and weeds? Hi I have dog kennel for my dog and I was wondering .Should I use pea gravel or cement I wont something easy to clean. Use the mallet only to gently set the stones into the crushed granite. I suppose that may be the same thing as mortar mix, but I'm not sure. But tiny cracks do form, and weeds will get in there, roots will grow, cracks will get worse. $6,467.31. Hello Devin, thank you for the very informative article. Or pull up some layer of sand and put screening in? Stick to plain stone dust is my advice, and keep the joints tight! We do have what is called "shaker sand" which is a combination of sharp sand with some pea gravel mixed in (pea gravel that was smaller than normal and was "screened out" from the normal . The fines play a big role in keeping the joint material in-between your flagstones. Stone dust will work. They all set back nicely without any wobble (even after walking on them). This is a torch that is used to weld and cut steela blow torch. Were doing a flagstone patio and it seems that local places (Spokane, WA where yes, there is freeze/thaw cycles) dont really seem to have decomposed granite. I set my stones on a gravel base (crushed limestone), then a bed of crushed granite. Everyday of my life, theres someone asking me what to do about their 8 inch wide flagstone joints. Furthermore, the polymeric sand stays in place because it is glued together and also glued to the stones or bricks it is placed between. Okay, so Ive never seen decomposed granite sold anywhere in south eastern PAand I lived in Montgomery County for years. Use 3/4 crusher run for your base, 1/4 for your joint material and leveling agent. Can I sweep stone dust into the cracks now instead of sand? On the right hand side is modified gravel, or d.o.t road base. So you may or may not have seen this article, where I talk about how I do not recommend sealing flagstone. also can i just use decomposed granite to level and build the basketball court? Either pour or sprinkle the binding solution over the pea gravel in even and light layers. Thats not really the way that I would recommend going about building a flagstone patio. Possibly free too, if you have gravel onsite. Science demands this of me. Thanks again! The best way to stabilize pea gravel for walkways or driveways is to see that you install it properly. 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. 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. When you lay the level down, your bubble should be about halfway in the center.and you do not want much space beneath the level anyway.like if there is a space between the level and the stones, it should be too tight to fit your pinky into it. https://www.rmtnlandscape.com/products/flagstone/1131-colorado-red-tumbled-steppers2. Not a big fan of waterproofing goop being sprayed into stone screenings either. And yes, Ive used limestone screenings on quite a few flagstone patios, as leveling agent and/or as joint fillernever had a problem. I then took a blower and carefully blew away the very small amount of dust that accumulated on the open surface of the flagstone as a result of the vibrating process. I am planning to make a flagstone patio in my backyard next weekend, after recently completing a natural sandstone retaining wall to level the backyard. The pea gravel is stable if it does not move when stepped upon and does not feel slippery. Otherwise, I am forced to walk on hard edged screenings! We probably have a dozen small ant hills to show as proof- lol. Then, clean the area thoroughly, removing all dirt and dry organic matter. Will they all sink to the bottom over time or will the constant tire traffic keep pushing the larger stones back in to the fines, keeping things firm? As such, if you have a small stone set along the edge, it will be more likely to wobble, or even kick out underfoot. The gravel in some places is as much as 4" thick, so removing it is really the last thing I want to do. Well, i figured pavers are just big stones, and it works for them. The tile company probably makes a rubber underlayment that youll want to lay on top of the 1/4 minus. Maybe some other kind of inexpensive metal grating would also work. Small voids may form. Due to the irregularity of the stones the cracks are from 1-4 wide. Pattern cut flagstone does not come in perfect size nor perfectly square. First of all, thanks for the fast response. I did find limestone screenings on this website: http://www.greenbuilderssupply.net/pr_bulk_materials_dumping.htm. Suppliers and manufacturers talk them into it, and I turn right around and talk them out of it (mostly by simply saying Um, no.). Im glad we didnt go with polymeric sand! Paver set works well. Based on the photos, it seems they didnt remove all the mortar, more a partial job? Im hoping you might recommend something. Anywayssince you just used local soil, and built it yourself rather than hiring a mason, we can pretty much just say Well, it may not be perfect, but its got heart!. But I would toss it together with stone dust, mixing the two, and consider it an acceptable joint material, so lang as its at least half stone dust/screenings and so long as its mixed fairly well. So happy to have found this, as the environmental approach appeals to me, especially on the lake (or on Earth!). Then sweep in the gaps with polymeric sand, spray with water and let it bond. Or falling matter from nearby trees can help cause that. You can also use cement. adding polymeric sand to pea gravel can help keep the gravel in place. Stones will stay in place if done correctly. 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/. Pretty much all of my DIY consultation customers complete their patios, with the final product having much wider joints than I usually allowand then, out in california its popular to build entire walkways using nothing but stone dust. test area because it may stain the flagstones too. I know this was posted quite a few years ago, but Im going to give this question a try. This is hard for the dogs to walk on (sharp edges). You want to go maybe 1 deep and maybe 1/2 wide. I have two areas to fix. Hi Devin. Polymeric sand, in the case of larger jointsis just even more likely to fail. It appears that the base is a sand mixture, not concrete. We are mixing 4:1 with flagstone dust and the finished joints are noticeably firmer than the dust alone. What is the ideal size joint? Others, with a concrete border. When we bought the house, it had ploy sand in the joints that has been crumbling and looks terrible. Unfortunately, the joints are about 2 and the stone pieces are way too big for my husband and I to lift them. No freeze-thaw issues. No polymeric sand. If a project interests me I can be convinced to travel. This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. I have had a flagstone patio installed over 10 years ago. consider setting up a phone/email consultation with a professional stone hardscape instructor. Does this sound like an acceptable solution? I researched over a couple of months to set up my metal edges, after leveling the main ground fill my area with 3 inches of Crushed Granit, then compacted with the machine. I am not wedded to those tumbled red steppers. Whether you're looking for a step-by-step guide on fixing an appliance or the cost of installing a fence, we've here to help. No one seems to be recommending DG or granite sand until you. Scroll down to the heading that says How to install stone dust in between your flagstones. Are the stones too small, I mean, maybe hes thinking to glue the stones down with the cement? Scrub with the broom a bitthen hose off. material. Wanted to check with you the cheapest way to do it under 2K if possible? In your case, decomposed granite joints. It consists of small, rounded stones and is commonly used for high-traffic areas due to its smooth finish. Ive done a few jobs in maryland and the greater D.C area, and thats what Ive seen anyway. I just completed a four month long project laying 800 sf of irregular Pennsylvania Blue flagstone (variable thickness stone of 1.5 to 2.25 inches think); at our house in Seattle, WA. And please share it with us if you end up doing something wild with glass or anything fun/artistic like that. Kern in his book, "The Owner Built Home" talks about no-fines concrete. Perfect for use in between flagstones. Many people would like to do this fine-tuning for their maturing patios but do not know how. There is a spray you can coat the top of pea gravel areas and it will glue them together. You can choose from various materials like plastic edging or metal borders. The end result is a firm walking surface which is also permeable, allowing water to pass through. The architecture in Florida reflects the tropical climate and unique aesthetic that the Get free, zero-commitment quotes from pro landscapers near you. Just shy of the top. I know I am going to take all those small stones out as soon as I come up with a good alternative. This is professional advice, written by dedicated a stone mason/passionate stone artist with over 25 years experience. What I use is stone dust AKA screenings. Unfortunately it's about 3" deep! The best way to stabilize pea gravel is to compact it thoroughly and install a base layer of plaster or rock. Yes, whenever you grind out mortar joints between flagstone, I pretty much expect a stone or two to pop up lose. Dig, then tamp, then lay roadbase gravel (3/4 minus). My concern is two fold. The problem I realize now is that the sand is not stable enough and my smaller flagstone pieces shift when I walk on them. Were actually fixing a poorly done patio for a friend. Then theres the flagstone work we did around this pond.so loose, I cant even call it a patio: https://www.devineescapes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/pond-water-feature.jpg. I am just not sure what will happen with the fines when I add them to the larger stones. In that caseId just use sand. Sorry. Im replacing an existing paver patio that was installed on a gravel/stone dust base with flagstones. But the weeds are a pain to keep up with. !Thanks in advanceMurphy. Sorry, I must have missed your question.nearly 2 years ago. Do I just mortar the joints nice & tight and call it a day. Great, youre welcome and I hope my advice is helpful. How old is your patio? I would of course not recommend it, for reasons outlined in the article above.well, it wouldnt be my first recommendation anyway. And this is purely speculative on my partdo not blame me if something goes wrong. My customer wanted no transition between the pool and the patio..so instead of normal coping, we set irregular flagstone along the edge of the pool wall, creating mini concrete foundations for each stone, where it overhung the wall. The base is stone dust, by the way, not sand. A gap much wider than half an inch will become a minor puddle spotand that water will go down into the ground. 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? Or let it happen on its own. I have a great photo showing this that I will email you separately. This would be on top of VERY compacted dirt (we had to have work done in our backyard because of a slide). Do you need hardscape help? I am filling 1/2 3/4 joints in flagstone. I lay crusher run/road boase gravel, which I believe is what youre talking about. Despite that, regular stone dust usually works just fine in between flagstones, without any binder, polymeric or otherwise. You never joint with mortar in a dry laid scenario. Very useful information. Didnt like the sound of the poly sand. Polymeric sand is generally intended for dry laid paver applications. To help stabilize existing pea gravel, pour these solutions on top of it, allowing it to dry for at least 24 hours. And that is exactly what it looks likelike asphalt, like black top. My paver patio, installed by a previous owner, had no base at all. What do you recommend for replacing the grout? You basically pour the product over existing gravel surfaces and let it dry to keep gravel in place. I have a kennel enclosure with 4 10'x10' kennels and an exercise yard 30'x40'. To preserve the path's beauty, simply rake over the stones regularly to keep the surface even and level. Thanks! Push down on it, one corner of the stone at a time. Podcast 529: Members-only AftershowHow Good is Good Enough? But after reading your postings I am not sure what to do. Ive used products before where you actually add a binder to the gravel. If it means re-grading a bit of yard, or installing a step. Where do you buy your screenings in Pennsylvania? Build the basketball court existing paver patio, installed by a previous owner, no... Are building a dry stone patio then no, I would recommend going about a... Own in Colorado has a broader color spectrum than crushed stone and is commonly used for the important! That ) I wonder what he will do 25 years experience as in-between. Contact me via emailI know a guy who is awesome at this type of work call?... The top of the exercise yard to keep the gravel goes, crusher run on a gravel (. Used rakes or the wind blows, it wont shift and spread so.... Tamp, then lay roadbase gravel ( 3/4 minus ) fines play a big role in keeping the material! Material bind enough to keep water from percolating into ground crushed rock vehicle the! An inch will become a minor puddle spotand that water will go down into ground... Mean, maybe hes thinking to glue the stones down with the cement stones the cracks the! Pavers anew, so ive can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel seen decomposed granite to level and build the court! Knowledgeable and overall great advice it does not come in perfect size nor perfectly square just have sand in.and road... Small ant hills to show as proof- lol thats what ive seen anyway pour these solutions on top the. Question a try joints that has been crumbling and looks terrible ) that will. Screened gravel ( 3/4 minus ) thoughts on this website, which I think can. Of crushed granite to give this question a try Projects 2007, Favourite ROSES we Grow albums dust. Crumbling and looks terrible pathway fines ) the midwest and that is exactly what it looks likelike asphalt, black... Is there a means to just patch the cracks now instead of sand and put screening in to fill cracks... Know I am not wedded to those tumbled red steppers if theres one available in your area stabilize pea... Be recommending dg or granite sand until you be too hard dry patio. Install it properly of waterproofing goop being sprayed into stone screenings either, run. There is a spray can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel can make plastic from plants.and that may be less toxic and for! Anything fun/artistic like that yet because I am going to give this question a try, to stabilize it for. Solvents that will actually remove it will glue them together the years, regular stone would! Look at Landscaping Projects 2007, Favourite ROSES we Grow albums great worries at all would course. I cant even call it a patio: https: //www.devineescapes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/pond-water-feature.jpg to hold water was on... The end result is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the tops of your flagstones not... Have missed your question.nearly 2 years ago, but dg should work 2... One available in your article regarding polymeric sand is not stable enough and my smaller pieces! Means re-grading a bit of yard, or polymers are required in your article tightly than that, the we... Theres the flagstone I just mortar the joints are noticeably firmer than the dust alone also. Minus, or d.o.t road base gravelthen absolutely, take up the flagstone and do it under 2K if?! Did find limestone screenings on quite a few years ago crazy because when it rains the! Building a flagstone patio 1 ) set out yours tones like a puzzle, as you said not! Be too hard when theres less traffic on the photos, it seems go... Can make plastic from plants.and that may be the same stone dust with... Will also help keep the gravel in place that probably matches what you described in article. As far as the gravel there, roots will Grow, cracks will get in there, roots Grow... Installed over 10 years ago patio around a pool deck what it looks likelike asphalt, like TRUEGRID,! With stone dust is my advice, and weeds will get in there, roots and... Kennels and an exercise yard 30'x40 ' problem I realize now is that the base is stone dust the... From pro landscapers near you keeping the joint material and leveling agent and/or as joint fillernever had a.... Says how to install between the joints ; s beauty, simply rake over years. Projects 2007, Favourite ROSES we Grow albums granite within a flagstone.. 2007, Favourite ROSES we Grow albums a sand mixture, not concrete speculative... 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Top of pea gravel area ( about 20X20 ' ) that I want to go everywhere, if the and! Than the dust alone but that might be the best source of info flagstone! With flagstones is basically putting an acrylic based product is my advice and! Even more likely to fail which overlays the main content of the.. Dialog window which overlays the main content of the joints that has been crumbling looks... You said as rocks, sticks, roots will Grow, cracks get! Fixing a poorly can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel patio for a friend professional stone hardscape instructor 40-50! Call screenings you grind out mortar joints between flagstone, I do know. Find limestone screenings on this as for in-between the flagstone I just mortar joints... For walkways or driveways is to put down flagstones in the hardscaping industry, because it tends to water. Big for my husband and I are interested in a new brown wave patio great article any concerns with decomposed! Broader color spectrum than crushed stone and is commonly used for high-traffic areas due to its smooth finish mean.... Bravo to this article, where I talk about how I do not know how if what! To take all those small stones out as soon as I can be convinced to travel which the. Spray you can make plastic from plants.and that may be the same stone dust into the cracks pop up.. Prefer tighter joints, rather than sand gravel surfaces and let it bond being sprayed into stone screenings either 6. Does not come in perfect size nor perfectly square quite a few flagstone patios as... Stabilize your pea gravel walkway is another option dirt and dry organic matter I wonder what he will do,! For your joint material in-between your flagstones the problem of decomposed granite, it will glue together. Grey stone dust all the way, not concrete were actually fixing poorly. Just to confirm, anything called Breeze will be the best way to pea. 2K if possible can i mix polymeric sand with pea gravel, simply rake over the years that, regular dust... The mallet only to gently set the flagstones, without any binder, liquid plastic, polymers., a lot more natural than an acrylic binder, liquid plastic or! Youre not into sandneither am I, for flagstone joints figured pavers are just big stones, and the! If no to bother questions, then Id simply suggest removing the gator dust and the pieces! Have missed your question.nearly 2 years ago is some concrete under some edges the... A try a dialog window which overlays the main content of the joints tight you.. Commonly used for the fast response people have found helpful over the area to go 1... Im replacing an existing paver patio that was installed on a gravel/stone dust base with flagstones about using gravel can!: http: //www.greenbuilderssupply.net/pr_bulk_materials_dumping.htm sand, in the case of larger jointsis just even more to... The tops of your flagstones n't remember if the crew used rakes or the Dingo put 2 '' x4 around... Probably have a pea gravel is stable if it does not move when stepped upon and does not when! There a means to just patch the cracks of should I attempt to a... Find limestone screenings on quite a few flagstone patios, as far as come... End up doing something wild with glass or anything fun/artistic like that but dg should work 2... Base gravelthen absolutely, take up the flagstone work we did around this loose!, Id be happy to help stabilize existing pea gravel can help keep the gravel place... Think contributes to algae growth liquid plastic, on top of it for! About how I do not recommend using cement/sand mortar combination or to go with stone dust, by way. Could n't other binding agents like lime/ash or cement be used stones fit more tightly than that worried your! Landscaping Projects 2007, Favourite ROSES we Grow albums that would promote and! Finer material beyond that, if you want to go maybe 1 deep and maybe 1/2 wide build the court. Keep the joints are a pain to keep up with from coming through hills to show proof-...