In the age of Social Media, the do-it-yourself (DIY) movement is experiencing somewhat of a second coming. With some borrowed tools and an internet connection, the door is open to all kinds of fun projects around the house. Armed with YouTube tutorials and a DIY attitude, homeowners across the country are exerting their creativity and personal preference on various projects from bathroom renovations to landscape design.
Flagstone patios and walkways have become an increasingly popular landscaping upgrade known as hardscaping—a major visual upgrade from grass or dirt. Flagstone is essentially a mix and match of pieces of natural stone pushed together to create elements like pathways, fire pits, outdoor dining spaces, and more. The question is, can you do it yourself?
The Planning Stages
The planning phase of building a flagstone patio or walkway is often overlooked. It isn’t as simple as just choosing your stones and laying them where you please.
One of the most common issues DIY-ers face when installing a flagstone patio or walkway is drainage. Improper drainage can be detrimental to your yard space and requires builders to consider the slope of your space, other hardscape elements in the yard, and the material used between flagstones. This is one aspect of the project that can be quite difficult to get right without professional help.
Aside from the drainage planning issue, homeowners often overlook the design planning of their flagstone patio or walkway. If you’ve never done it before, it can be difficult to turn your ideas into a concrete plan let alone know what will look good in your yard. The experts have designed countless hardscape elements with flagstone – they know what will look natural and how to go about planning it.
The Levelling Challenge
If you plan to tackle your flagstone patio DIY-style, you better be ready to roll up your sleeves and experience some real hard labour, because flattening the ground is a crucial step.
Of course, this process will be easier in a relatively flat yard but flattening the terrain of a bumpy or sloped yard is not for the faint of heart. It will take serious time and effort—not to mention the right equipment. And if your project requires multi-level building, it becomes even more difficult.
If your yard is relatively flat, the project will seem initially doable without professional help. Just keep in mind that without a perfectly flat surface, the patio or walkway will reflect that. Being one of the most labour-intensive parts of this hardscaping project, it’s highly recommended to go with the pros unless you have a team of strong people, proper tools, and the right know-how.
Materials & Equipment
Building a flagstone patio from scratch requires plenty of raw materials and special equipment that a regular homeowner normally wouldn’t own or even have access to.
The materials represent one-half of this challenge. Sourcing all the materials you need and purchasing them in small amounts will by pricey compared to the price for a professional hardscape company with supplier relationships and bulk buying power. This is true for the actual flagstones, plus the sand and gravel. You’ll also need to supply levelling string, wood framing and piping, among other materials.
Carrying these materials is another challenge. Without a proper truck, you’ll be making multiple trips to and from the suppliers. Not only that, but it could also be an all-day job when you factor in the transporting, unloading, and moving of materials around your property.
The second half of this problem is the equipment. Having a big truck to transport materials is one thing, but most homeowners will not have the rest of the required equipment. Heavy-duty compactors, cutters, concrete saws and wet tile saws are not typical household tools. Borrowing this equipment is one option, but rentals will get expensive, and a lack of know-how presents a serious safety risk.
Peace of Mind
With any improvement project, the only way to experience real peace of mind is to hand things over to the professionals. It doesn’t mean you have to separate yourself from the project completely, it just means letting them make the important decisions, provide expert advice, and carry out the difficult work.
One key source of peace of mind is the warranty on labour and materials. If you mess up your project or your materials have issues, there will be nobody to cover the costs. When you go the professional route, you’re covered in the case of faulty materials or installation.
The Verdict
Installing a flagstone patio or walkway yourself is doable, but not advised for most homeowners. We get called in to rescue countless DIY projects, and we can confidently say things are rarely done right. Flattening the earth and achieving proper drainage is tricky, especially if you’ve never done something like it before.
The cost is another factor. One of the reasons DIY projects have become so popular is because they’re a great way to save money. But for a project like installing a flagstone patio or walkway, this isn’t always the case. Acquiring the materials and equipment adds up, and if you value your own time, you’ll realize the number of hours required just doesn’t make sense. Plus, inevitably going back to fix costly mistakes will make your DIY costs higher than expected.
If you’re ready to hire professionals to get started on your flagstone patio or walkway project, give us a call at True Earth Landscaping. Take a look at some of our flagstone work around Victoria, a request a free quote when you’re ready.
