How to Build a Natural Stone Sidewalk or Garden Path

We are sure we don’t have to tell you that when a stone walkway is added to any house or a garden, how your courtyard or backyard or the garden area looks as big as all outdoors. When it comes to building a path, the possibilities are countless! Building a natural stone path is the simplest way to add charm to your home.

A natural stone walkway gives a rustic charm that perfectly suits any modern or contemporary house interiors. Such walkways are appropriate for any natural landscape. Taking into consideration your home’s architecture, choosing the style of landscaping stones is very crucial. If there is tile cladding or ceramic cladding or porcelain cladding, put forward the same kind of texture and color into the stepping stone walkway ideas. Matching the color and texture of the landscaping stones with the exteriors gives an elegant and polished look.

Benefits of a Natural stone pathway

Natural stone walkway adds curb appeal to the front or back of the home. Varied combinations and patterns of natural stone and grass or landscaping stones and mulch or natural stone and gravel, make striking combinations. These various materials and designs help you create the look you desire. Apart from these, there are other benefits of a natural stone walkway.

Creating a natural stone path adds a designed look and gives an inviting look that will draw the guests to your outdoors for leisure time or a party.

Natural stone pavers in the garden chaperones foot traffic to the planting beds or a backyard pond or a backyard firepit
Stone landscaping narrows down the wear and tear on the lawn.
They are simple to fit, long-lasting and versatile

Creating a natural stone path provides a solid or non-slippery path when the weather conditions are wet or muddy
While working out your stepping stone walkway ideas, at World of Stones USA, custom designs can be built for the natural stone path.
The natural stone walkway is long-lasting

How to make a natural stone walkway

A little planning and prep work is always required before you begin the construction of a natural stone sidewalk or a garden path. Most walkways are made of flagstone which is ideally 2 to 3 inches thick. Make sure the stones are not polished which makes them slippery when wet and that they have a natural surface.

Below are the instructions

1. Plan out the walkway

Firstly, mark the pathway you want to build with the starting and ending point with the help of a string or with garden hoses for a curvy path. Decide the purpose of the path. If the walkway is going to be built for a frequent walk between the main gate and the front door, make sure it is marked wide so that two people can walk comfortably.

2. Gouge the path and dig the soil

Following the strings or garden hoses laid on both sides of the path, use a spade or a sod cutter to slice through the grass along the path’s edges. Remove all the extra grass or vegetation that comes along the walk side to layout the flagstone walkway smoothly. Dig out the soil to a depth of about 5 inches. Post that tamps the soil firmly either with hand or by walking on it repeatedly.

3. Installing the edging

Edging material needs to be installed on both sides. Varied edging materials can be used such as timber sleepers, plastic, wood timbers or galvanized metal, etc. If you skip installing the edging materials, the existing soil or grass along the path will help in keeping the stones in place.

4. Put in the landscape fabric

Use a landscape fabric over the soil which will allow water and moisture to reach the soil. Use a continuous stretch of the fabric and to the size of the soil layer on the ground.

5. Add a layer of paver sand

One needs to add at least two inches of sand over the landscape fabric. Flatten it and level it to a size that is slightly smaller than the size of the natural stone pathway. Sprinkle some water on the sand to make it concentrated before laying the stones

6. Lay the stones

Layout the stones that you have bought from World of Stones USA on the pathway that is decided. See the shape and size of the stones and see if it fits the walkway that is created. It will give you an idea if you need to make any changes.

7. Install the landscaping stones

Once you have laid out the natural stones into the sand bed of the walkway, fit them as desired. You can lay them at a little distance that leaves some gaps to fill in the sand or gravels in between. Set each stone carefully leveling it with other surrounding stones. To raise or lower the natural stones, remove, or add the sand beneath each stone.

8. Filling out the remaining gaps

The gaps in between the landscaping stones can be filled with gravel or regular sand or polymeric sand. Then spread the sand with a broomstick and repeat the process of filling the sand or gravels. For an elegant look, steppable plants can be planted that can tolerate the food traffic.

Let’s look into some stepping stone walkway ideas

1. Gravel Stones walkway

This kind of walkway adds visual interest and looks playful in the garden landscape. With pea gravels placed between the equally placed natural stones walkway, this can be a unique walkway to your home door.

2. Modern and contemporary stepping stone walkway idea

Place sharp-edged natural stones cut in a modern shape of a stretched rectangle shape and place some loose stones on its sides.

3. Place simple square-shaped stepping stones

Placing simple square-shaped stones at an equal distance from each other will help grow grass around it and make your backyard look natural green and beautiful.

4. Rustic Natural steppingstones

One can combine different shapes and colors of natural stones from World of Stones USA and place them in a richly patterned mosaic. Place the stones like a puzzle.

5. Winding Walkway

Such walkways need proper planning and execution. The stones configuration must be such that it should be able to take the circular cut without any fracture. They look neat and striking.