Tips On How To Install Stepping Stones With Success

Stepping stones are an easy way of customizing and decorating a garden, but they have practical purposes too: they keep your feet, and ultimately your carpets clean. Having a path to walk on in your garden prevents people from stepping in mud or grass, which will ultimately keep your carpets and home clean. In addition they help in keeping your lawn healthy: by positioning these stones where your lawn has the most traffic, you ensure it from turning into uncovered 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 children tend to play the most. This will prevent you from struggling to grow grass in a high traffic area and could help you save money and time. Do you have a center point in your backyard, like a statue or water feature, that you always have to tell people about before they see it? Well, by installing stepping stones, you lead the way; people tend 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 Do-it-yourself project. It is very easy to do, so no more nagging the hubby. Whether you want to install the stones for decorating purposes or for keeping people away from your grass, executing it properly could save you lots of time, effort and money, because these stones can last you a very long time.

Before you begin, you need to know what you want to accomplish: what pattern of stone would you like; what colour and texture; is there a theme you would like to follow. Once you have decided on the colour, style, texture and design of the stones, you can begin with the fun part, shopping! You can visit you closest 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 searching for, you can buy the required materials and moulds and make your own design according to what you would like.

Planning and preparation: that is the key to installing your stepping stones successfully. You need to think about the size of the stone, they must not be too big, nor should they be too small. You need to think about how far they should be spaced out to accommodate an individual's step: there's nothing more irritating than having 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 after some time.

Prior to starting installation of your stones, you have to set out your working area. Where will the stones be laid, how far apart and what pattern do they have to follow. Mark these sites so you won't get confused throughout the project. After marking areas, you can begin laying the stones down. You have to remove the grass and dirt where the stone is going to be laid to even out the surface. Put the stone down exactly where you want it set, cut out the shape 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 break up after some time.

So, as you can tell, installing stepping stones is an easy and fulfilling task that just about anyone will be able to accomplish hassle-free.

By: Frederick Singletonne

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For more information about stepping stones visit the website www.smartstone.co.za