A traditional stone patio in Toronto can be a great addition to any yard. The material is attractive, durable and pleasantly complements the wide range of landscape options. A large variety of stones is available in landscaping and construction shops. Slate, a metamorphic rock, is the most famous of all species. For our project we used blue-gray sandstone. It is a sedimentary rock with a very attractive colour. Once installed, both rocks acquire a relatively smooth, flat surface.
Another alternative for the stone patio in Bolton is cobblestones, stones removed from the soil during cleaning. Although it has a special appearance when properly installed, its finished surface is coarser than that of flat stones such as shale and sandstone.
A stone patio in North York can of course look beautiful and even add value to the property, but unfortunately the stones are not so easy to install. Most problems are embedded in the material itself. In contrast to precisely matched building materials such as bricks or concrete slabs, natural stone can be (almost always) different thicknesses.
When you order the thinnest 2-3cm stones, you can get slabs that have one flat side but differ in thickness of 1-3cm. Since the goal is to create the flattest possible surface of the patio, you will have to adjust the bottom of each stone in a sand base, which takes a lot of time, even when the work goes well.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Planning and preparing the patio area. Stone patio in Toronto
Since sandstone is sold in standard length and width, you can create any model of patio tiling, from the simplest one-size approach to the more complex patio paving we used here. Just keep in mind that the size of the stones may differ by 1cm from the declared size. A 30x30cm stone may be 29x31cm. This difference in size is adjusted by filling the seams between the stones with a solution, which can be 0.9-1.2cm wide.
Develop a way to stack the stone slabs on paper before you place your order. Try to reduce the amount of tiles you will have to cut on site. If you lay out a patio that goes around the house like ours, plan the angle from the house so that water can drain off. 2-3 cm reduction for every 2.4 m. path necessary minimum.
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Proper preparation of the groundwork is usually the subject of debate. Many, if not most sources recommend at least 10 cm layer of compacted gravel, then 5-10 cm of compacted sand. If stone patio in Caledonia had been permanently exposed to weather conditions, we would have excluded sand and used only a 10 – 12.5 cm layer of gravel as it drains better.
In this project we used a layer of sand as the patio from above is protected by the adjoining porch, which also makes laying stones much easier.
Start preparing the site by removing the turf where the patio will be. Then spread the gravel over the area using a shovel and rake.
Step 2: Continuing patio preparation. Stone patio in Toronto
Next, attach the beacons to the house and the poles buried in the ground on the other side. The boards along the house should be leveled from edge to edge. Opposite boards also need to be leveled, but they should be lower than the ones near the house to create the necessary slope we talked about earlier.
Step 3: Patio site preparation
Next, make notches at both ends of the beacon boards to attach rails. Drag the leveling bar over the gravel to level the surface. Add or remove the gravel as needed.
Step 4: Urramming the patio area
When the surface aligns, morning trim it with a vibratory plate, which you can rent on a special rental basis. If you have never used this type of machine, it is better to start working in the patio centre. These machines can be difficult to drive, so it is better to get used to working on them before you get close to home. Walk at least three times around the entire area, blocking the previous passage with at least half the slab each time.
Step 5: Site planning and preparation
Before you start putting the slabs in the sand, you need to set a right angle. To do this, take a long straight board and place it at one end against the house, where the patio corner will be. From an angle measure 10 cm along the wall of the house and make a mark. Then mark 15 cm from the house along the board and make another mark.
Ask someone to hold the end of the roulette on the roulette mark on the house and adjust the board before the 15cm mark crosses the 25cm mark on the roulette. Hit the end of the board with a peg and tie the rope from the corner of the house to the peg. Tighten the rope so that there is enough room to lower the wooden block between it and the stone at the bottom. By aligning the edge of the stone with the rope, you will make sure that the laying begins at a right angle.
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Step 6: We put the first stone on the patio
Using the rope first, put the corner plate back. Check its height by running a wooden block between the rope and the stone. Then check the level from one side to the other. What does a stone patio in Toronto look like?
Step 7: Patio Stone Laying
To ensure that the stones fit together correctly, lift them up and add or remove sand from the base with a scoop.
Step 8: Keep laying patio stones
Put out the next stone. Leave a seam about 1cm between the stones, and check that the surfaces to be adjusted are aligned and that the second stone is on the same level as the first stone from one side to the other.
Step 9: Don’t forget the slope
As you add the stones, always level the edges and check the overall slope all the time, especially when working far away from home. A long board with a 10 cm mark at the top will guide you. What is a stone patio in Bolton and why do you need it?
Step 10: Trim Patio Tiles
Cutting the stone is easy using a bulgarian with a diamond disk, which has a diamond chip on the edge, but it is very loud and dirty. They can be used to cleanly cut a 2.5 centimetre stone in one go. They work much better and last longer than conventional abrasive discs.
Step 11: Aligning the stones
After all the stones have been laid, align the cemented seams with a mounting aid. You will have to reach a compromise at this stage, as not all seams will be perfect. Give preference to those that will be visible more and leave others as they are.
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Step 12: Filling Patio Seams
You can wipe the seams with either the sand that we used or the butter flour that is available in construction stores. Scatter the material used over the patio and use a mechanical brush to fill the seams.
Step 13: Drop the stitches
Pour sand or butter flour into the seams using an ice chiselling blade or a construction shovel that has been used before. One joint will need more material than the other. When all the seams are ready, sweep the extra material off the patio and splash the surface with a weak jet of garden hose water. Do not pour too much water into the seams as this will wash out sand or rubble flour.
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