- 1). Calculate the overall dimensions of your patio and mark the area with spray paint.
- 2). Take your dimensions to a local home improvement store and purchase the appropriate amount of paving stone or tile. One-foot-square pavers are exceptionally easy to work with and make final dimensions simple to calculate.
- 3). Dig the foundation using a square-tipped shovel, approximately 1 or 2 inches into the ground, following your spray-painted marker. Dig just outside the line, removing the paint as you go. Try to keep the foundation as level as possible, but if perfection is not your goal, there is no need to be absolutely even. Some settling will occur over time. Save the dug-out soil for fill dirt.
- 4). Lay your pavers carefully, starting at one corner of the patio and leaving even spaces of 1 inch between the stones. Always have a friend assist in lifting large or heavy stones.
- 5). Shovel the dug-out soil back over the flagstones, and sweep into the crevices to complete the patio. Cap with sand or crushed gravel, or simply leave the dirt and allow grasses and moss to grow naturally between the pavers. The soft, natural look of the plants complements a hand-laid stone patio nicely.
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