Walkway DIY
Why Install a Walkway?
A well-designed walkway does more than connect two points. It gives your property structure, guides the way people move through the space, and adds curb appeal that's immediately noticeable from the street.
The right materials make it a feature in its own right rather than an afterthought. Natural stone brings organic texture and a timeless quality; manufactured pavers offer clean lines, repeatability, and a huge range of colour and finish options. Either way, a properly built walkway adds lasting value to your property and holds up to years of heavy use with very little maintenance required.
How to Start
Before you start pulling out tools, take a moment to think through your vision. What's the overall feel you're going for: clean and formal with manufactured stone, or more relaxed and organic with natural flagstone? How wide should the walkway be, and where does it need to begin and end? Will it incorporate a contrasting border, and if so, how wide should that be? Are there any water features that will be built within or beside the walkway?
Once you've got a sense of the design, take time to browse different styles and materials. We have design booklets available at Silverthorn Landscape Supplies that are a great starting point.
With your design in mind, get your measurements down on paper: full length, width, height, and any slopes or differences in grade throughout the area.
Then sketch out your plan. Even a rough drawing with measurements included makes it significantly easier to communicate your ideas to others and catches oversights before you've already started digging.
Use our Materials Calculator to figure out how much product you'll need. If you need help working through the numbers, come in or call us anytime.
Tools You May Need
Paper & pen • Tape measure • Stakes & string • Marking paint • Square • Level • Shovel • Wheelbarrow • Rake • Gloves • Chisel • Safety glasses • Knee pads • Rubber mallet • Hose • Hand tamper • Broom
Additional Tools
1 piece of 4" 2x4 wood • 2 pieces of ¾"-1" pipe for levelling purposes
Products You May Need
Paving stones • A-gravel • Limestone screenings • Paver restraints • Metal spikes • Gator Super Sand Bond (polymeric sand)
Note: Advanced Performance Bedding (APB) is a two-in-one alternative to A-gravel and Limestone Screenings that self-compacts. Come in or give us a call to find out if it's right for your project.
Additional Machinery (optional)*
Skidsteer • Stone Saw • Vibrating Tamper/Plate
*Make sure you are qualified to run any equipment you may rent, or have someone experienced with machinery come out and help.
Installation
1. Plan
Review the How to Start checklist and finalize your plan before doing anything else. Include your measurements, product selections, and estimated quantities.
2. Preparation
Mark out the area to be excavated. Before you dig, call the appropriate utility companies to locate any buried lines (phone, cable TV, internet, gas, hydro, waterlines, and city piping).
3. Excavate
Excavate a minimum of 6"-10" deep, depending on your project type, and remove all loose soil. Your sides should extend a minimum of 3" wider than the area where you'll be laying stone.
4. Base
Add A-gravel to the excavated area, compacting every 2". Grade the base to match the final outline of your project, continuing to add and tamp gravel until height requirements are met. Slope all installations away from buildings for drainage (a minimum of 1" drop for every 10 feet). Your gravel base should stop approximately 3" below the desired finished height of the walkway.
5. Screening
Once the A-gravel base is solid and compacted, it's time to lay Limestone Screenings. Place two 3/4"–1" diameter pipes on top of the compacted base. These should be positioned so that when your pavers are laid, they'll sit 3/8" above the desired finished level. Then, spread Limestone Screenings between and over the pipes. Level the screenings by pulling the 2x4 board across the pipes. Remove the pipes once the screenings are level and fill the voids with additional screenings.
6. Laying Your Stone
Lay your pavers or flagstone directly onto the screened bed. If you're using manufactured paving stones, start along the longest straight edge to minimize cutting. Use a string guide to keep joint lines straight. Be sure not to lay the pavers too close together, or you will not be able to fix a line irregularity.
If you're doing banding or accents, lay those first and build the main field toward them, cutting pavers to fit. For flagstone, choose either a uniform, precise layout or a relaxed, random pattern for a more natural look.
Ready to get started? Come in or call us & we'll help you put it all together.