We’ve all been spending more time at home lately, so why not create a beautiful outdoor living space? An inviting patio can add significantly to the value and curb appeal of your home, and provides a comfortable and easy to maintain place to catch some sunshine and fresh air. With the price of lumber skyrocketing over the past year, you may want to consider a patio for your outdoor space as an alternative to a traditional deck. Stone patios are highly customizable and can be created to your exact specifications.
The most common way to install a patio is to dig an area at least 6” deep, fill the space with ⅞” crushed stone, and level off the top with stonedust. Greely Sand & Gravel offers both of these products that time and time again provide a solid foundation for a patio, making them a customer favourite! As you add gravel to the space, tamp and level every two to three inches to compact the material. Once all the gravel is spread, tamped, and leveled, spread the stonedust on top to create a 1” thick layer across the whole area.
Another option for the top layer is concrete sand, which allows for easier levelling and better drainage when compared with the traditional stonedust. However, either product will achieve the desired result.
Alternatively, a product that has gained a lot of attention in recent years is Premium Bedding Stone, also known as High Performance Bedding Stone. This stone performs the same function as crushed stone and stonedust, but in one convenient product! When contained by edging material or by an excavated space, the particles in Premium Bedding Stone provide a very rigid and stable surface on which you can place your interlock stone. Additionally, Premium Bedding Stone offers the ease of installation and drains water very effectively, wicking water away. Because this method requires only one product, it may be a good option for those looking for an efficient, simple way to create a patio base in an enclosed area.
When you have your level, compacted base in place, it is time to lay your patio stones! This is where your creativity and personal preference can play a huge role. There are so many different options on the market when it comes to colour, size, and shape of patio stones. Greely Sand & Gravel offers several timeless options that will help you create a patio that is both durable and aesthetically pleasing.
Once this work is complete and you’ve laid your patio stones, we recommend filling in the joints (empty spaces between the stones) with polymeric sand. Polymeric sand is a specially formulated mixture of sand and high-performance polymer. This product can be used for joints up to 4” in width. In addition to providing a stable joint between your patio stones, this product also reduces weed growth, the formation of ant hills, and prevents erosion. We offer this product in two colours: beige or grey. Simply spread and sweep the sand into the joints of your patio stones and wash over with a hose in order to fill the joints. Be sure to watch the installation video for optimal performance. Once this is done and allowed to dry, your patio will be ready to use!
You can pick up any of the products mentioned above at our convenient landscape depots, or have them delivered to your house by dump truck load or in a Greely Gardening Bag. Our Greely Gardening Bags now come in three sizes – Full Yard, Half Yard, and Quarter Yard – so you can order the exact amount needed for your project. If you have more questions about the products, feel free to visit our online store or give us a call at 613-821-3003 to talk to one of our qualified team members.