How to Lay a Stone Patio

Cover the subgrade in batches of 3-inch-thick layers of pack, a blend of ¾-inch crushed stone and stone dust. Dampen each layer with water to keep down the dust.

Compact each layer with a plate compactor. Use a hand tamper near walls, sidewalks, or foundations. Repeat process of adding, dampening and tamping each 3-inch layer until all the pack is roughly 2½ inches below the marks on the stakes (if laying 1 ½-inch-thick stone).

Drive additional stakes every 2 feet between the corner stakes closest to the house and again on the opposite end of the patio, which the grade slopes toward.

Stretch a chalk line between the finish grade marks and snap the line against the new stakes.

Run strings along the pitch of the patio between the new stakes at their finish-grade marks.

Tip: For irrigation lines or outdoor electricity, lay 3-inch-diameter PVC conduit over the subgrade.

In a wheelbarrow, mix one part dry cement with 12 parts stone dust to use as a setting bed for the bluestone. Slowly add enough water to make a stiff mix.

Starting in one corner, shovel out enough mix to lay one stone. Level the mixture with a rake or hand trowel. Depending on size and weight, bluestone slabs will settle into the wet mix half an inch or more, so spread the mix thicker than its planned final thickness.

Check bed thickness by measuring the distance between it and the string. For 1½-inch-thick stones, that distance should be roughly 1 inch, to allow for about ½ inch of settling.

Add or remove mix to meet the finish grade.

Lower the stone, smooth face up, into the setting bed. You'll need two people to handle stones weighing 100 pounds or more.

Twist the stone slightly to put it firmly in contact with the bed.

Then tap the slab around the edges and in the center with a rubber mallet to set it firmly into place.

Tip: Safely "walk" heavy stones into place by holding an edge on the ground and shifting the weight from one corner to the other.

With a level, check the edges of the stone to make sure they are flush with any adjacent slabs, and check the strings to make sure the stone is pitching at the correct angle. The stone face should be as close to the string as possible without actually touching it.

To adjust a stone for flush and pitch, pry it up with a square shovel, then use a trowel to add or remove wet mix.

Repeat the same shoveling, laying, twisting, and tapping procedure for the next stone, leaving a 3/8- to ½-inch gap between stones.

Lay a level across both stones to ensure they are in the same plane.

Brush and rinse the stones before the wet mix has a chance to dry.

Keep off freshly laid stones for a day or until the setting bed hardens.

Mark the cut with a pencil on the top face, then scribe the cut-line using a carbide-tipped awl. For straight cuts, use a level as a straightedge to guide the scribe.

Elevate the edge that will be cut off by placing a piece of wood under the cut-line.

Put on safety goggles, ear protection, and a dust mask.

To score a slab, set the saw blade to a ½-inch cutting depth, start the saw, and slowly guide it along the cut-line. Then set the blade to 1 inch and make another, final pass.

With solid premium-grade bluestone—which is less likely to flake or chip—a scoring cut halfway or three quarters of the way through is sufficient. Just knock off the waste side with a hand sledge. A cheaper, lower-grade stone that's prone to fracturing has to be cut all the way through.

While a patio doesn't need edging to hold the stones in place, cobblestones are an option.

To install them, dig a trench far enough into the pack to accommodate a 4-inch bed of concrete and set each stone 3½ inches below finish grade.

After the patio is firm enough to walk on, spread stone dust over the stones and sweep it into the joints and along the edge.

Using a hose, spray the joints gently with water to encourage the stone dust to pack tightly. A mason's pointing trowel also helps to tamp wet stone dust into the joints.

Repeat until the joints are firm and level with the face of the stone.

Roll out the chaise and have a well-deserved lemonade.

Tip: Avoid filling joints with cement, or they'll pop out in winter; and don't use sand, which can attract ants and give grass and moss a place to grow.