Tips On How To Install Stepping Stones With Success
Stepping stones are an easy way of customizing and decorating a garden, but they have functional uses as well: they keep your feet, and ultimately your carpets and rugs clean. Having a path to walk on in your garden prevents people from walking in mud or turf, which will ultimately keep your carpets and house clean. They also help in keeping your yard healthy: by placing these stones where your lawn has the most traffic, you ensure it from turning into bare dirt. Place them where you walk from the drive way to the door, where the dogs like to run up and down the yard and where your kids tend to play the most. This will prevent you from struggling to grow grass in a high traffic zone and could help you save time and expense. Do you have a focal point in your backyard, like a statue or water fountain, that you always have to tell people about before they see it? Well, by installing stepping stones, you lead the way; people have a tendency to follow these stones, and what better way of showing your new feature by having them come across it on their own.
Installing paving tones in your backyard is ideal as a DIY project. It is extremely simple to do, so no more nagging the hubby. Regardless of whether you want to install the stones for decorating purposes or for keeping people away from your grass, executing it correctly will save you a lot of time, effort and money, because these stones can last you a very long time.
Before you start, you need to know what you want to achieve: what design and style of stone do you want; what shade and texture; is there a theme you want to follow. Once you’ve chosen the colour, style, texture and design of the stones, you can begin with the fun part, shopping! You can visit you nearest home improvement centre and choose from natural stones made from limestone, quartzite, slate or flagstone. Otherwise you can buy pre-made, plain or patterned design. If you cannot locate exactly what you are looking for, you can buy the necessary materials and moulds and make your own design based on what you would like.
Planning and preparation: that is the key to installing your stepping stones successfully. You need to look at the size of the stone, they shouldn’t be too big, nor should they be too small. You need to think about how far they should be spread out to accommodate ones stride: there is nothing more irritating than being forced to tip-toe from stone to stone. And you need to think about how they are set so that they won’t sink in or break up as time passes.
Before you begin installing your stones, you need to determined your working area. Where will the stones be laid, how far apart and what pattern do they have to follow. Mark these sites so that you won’t get confused throughout the project. After marking areas, you can begin laying the stones down. You have to take away the grass and dirt where the stone will be laid to even out the surface. Put the stone down exactly where you want it set, remove the contour of the stone into the soil and then remove the grass and level the ground. This will ensure that the stones will stay put and will not split over time.
So, as you can see, installing stepping stones can be an simple and easy , fulfilling task that just about anyone will be able to accomplish hassle-free.
For more information about stepping stones visit the website http://www.smartstone.co.za