Stonework doesn’t have to be complex
or require special masonry skills. In most regions, you can buy flat flagstones
that you can easily lay for paths and stack for solid stairs. We’ll show you
how to plan, lay out and build a set of natural stone steps using flat
flagstones for the treads and solid blocks of stone, called wallstone, for the
risers.
Our steps are built on a gradual slope, but by changing
the riser and tread sizes you can build them on slopes as steep as about 40
degrees. Rustic steps like these are well suited for informal garden paths like
ours, but we wouldn’t recommend them for entry or other steps that get heavy
daily use.
In addition to the basic gardening tools, leather gloves
and carpenter’s level, you’ll need a few special tools for breaking and moving
stone. Buy a 4-lb. maul (Photo 7) for about $8 to chip and
break stone. If you have to cut a few stones, buy a dry-cut diamond blade,
available at home centers for $40. To move the stone, rent ($12 per day) or buy
($40 to $100) a two-wheeled dolly with large wheels.
Project Facts
-
COST: $1,800
(5-1/2 tons of stone)
-
TIME: 2 or 3
weekends
-
SPECIAL SKILLS:
None
-
SPECIAL TOOLS:
Two-wheeled dolly, diamond blade, 4-lb. maul
-
LOCATION:
Slopes to 40 degrees
Features:
-
Dry-laid stone (no mortar)
-
No complex step calculations
-
Basic tools
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Easy to adapt to your own yard
Stone Steps Don’t Have To Be Exact
Make a rough sketch of the plans for your steps,
including the approximate number of risers and any retaining walls you might
have to build.
Begin by measuring the total horizontal distance the
stair will travel along a
level line (Photo 1). This
is called the “run” of the stair. Then measure down from this level line to
determine the total vertical distance, or “rise.” Your goal is to arrive at a
set of comfortable steps with rises of 6 to 8 in. and treads at least 12 in.
deep.
First figure out how many step risers you’ll need. Gentle
slopes like ours require short risers and long treads, while steep slopes
require taller risers (up to a maximum of 8 in. and short treads). If your hill
has both steep and gentle slopes, break it up into sections and calculate the
step layout separately for each area (Fig. A). Divide the total rise by
about 6 in. for shallow slopes, up to a maximum of 8 in. for steep slopes, to
arrive at the approximate number of risers. In our case, the total rise was 29
in. Dividing by 6 yielded 4.83,which we rounded up to 5
risers.
Subtract 1 from the
number of risers to determine the number of treads. Then divide the total run
by this number to arrive at the depth of each tread. We divided the total run
of 145 in. by 4 treads to arrive at a tread depth of a little more than 36 in.
Using this information, mark the location of each stair riser on the ground
with spray paint.
FIG. A
Steep Slope
Click image to enlarge.
Gentle Slope
There’s no margin for error when you’re building
wood steps, but luckily you can cheat a little on these rustic stone steps.
You’ll still have to calculate the height of each riser and the depth of the
treads, but if you’re off by an inch when you reach the top, it’s not difficult
to adjust the level or slope of the landing to make up for
it.
If your route includes a space where the grade levels
out, make this spot a small seating area.
Buying Stone
A visit to your local stone supplier is the quickest way
to find out what types, sizes and shapes of stone are available in your area.
Look for flat stones called flagstones that range in thickness from 2 to 3 in.
to use for your treads. Ours are limestone, but you may find that another type
of stone is more readily available. You’ll need some 6- to 8-in. thick blocks
of stone, called wallstone, for the risers (Photo 2).
Follow our instructions for figuring your riser height (Photo 1). Then
pick out wallstones of this height to use for your risers. Try to find
flagstones of consistent thickness. It will make it easier to keep the stone
steps all the same height.
Since stone is usually sold by the ton, and the number of
square feet a ton will cover depends on the thickness of the stone, figuring
quantities is best left to someone with experience selling natural stone. Note
the dimensions on the sketch and take it with you to order the stone. Order
about 15 percent extra to provide more shapes to choose from and avoid having
to pay for a second delivery. You’ll have no trouble finding uses for the extra
stone.
Our project required
about 3 tons of stone for the treads and landing and another 2-1/2 tons for the
risers and wall. In our area, stone costs about $250 to $450 per ton plus $100
for delivery. In addition to the stone, order 1 ton of crushed gravel with
aggregate 3/4 in. and smaller for leveling the treads and risers (Photos 3 and
4).
Start With Level Risers
With the tricky planning out of the way, you’re ready to
dig in and start building steps. Spread out some of the stone so you’ll have
many shapes to choose from. Then build one step at a time, starting at the
bottom and working your way up.
Photos 2 – 11
show how.
The first step is the trickiest to build. After that you
just repeat the process until you reach the top. Set the first riser in
place (Photos
2 and 3). Remember to bury it a few inches so the first riser won’t
be too tall. Now use the top surface of this riser stone to guide your shovel
as you dig straight back into the hill to make a level spot for the first tread
and the second riser. Be sure to dig out all of the sod. When the first two
risers are in place, you’re ready to set stones for the first tread. Pick
larger stones to overhang the riser (Photo 9). The extra weight will
keep them from tipping. Then fill in behind them with smaller
stones.
For a safe set of steps, it’s important to keep all the
risers the same height. Compensate for variations in flagstone thickness by
adjusting the height of the riser. If the stone you pick for the tread is extra
thick—say, 3 in. rather than 2 in.—bury the riser an extra inch so the total
rise will be consistent. The same goes for keeping the top surface of the
treads even. Put a little gravel under thin stones to raise them, or excavate
under stones that are too thick. If a stone tips or rocks when you step on it,
shim it with stone chips (Photo 8). Take your time adding
gravel and removing soil until your step is just right. Then move on to the
next one.
To avoid moving stones more than necessary, we found it
helpful to arrange the stones into the shape of the treads near the stone pile,
and then move the pieces to their permanent location on the
steps.
Blend The Steps Into The Landscape
Click image to enlarge.
Notching into the hill will leave bare ledges of
soil along the edge of each tread. You can either remove soil to slope the
surrounding landscape down to the steps or add stones along the edge to retain
the soil.
Photo 9 shows
how to cut out the sod and regrade the soil. On the three steps leading from
the landing to the top of the hill, we buried wallstone along the edge to hold
back the dirt (Photo
10).
Filling the cracks
between stones is the final step in the project. Experts we talked to had
varying opinions on the best material to use. Sand is easy but it will wash
out. Pea gravel looks good but tends to fall out and get under your feet, and
it’s like walking on ball bearings. We settled on a 50/50 mix of compost and
soil. It packs easily into the cracks and looks natural. And if you want, you
can plant a durable creeping ground cover, like creeping thyme, in the large
spaces. Besides looking great, it will fill in the spaces to keep out weeds and
hold the soil in place.
Cutting Stone
You’ll probably get through the project without having to
cut any stone. But if you need an exact fit or just can’t find the right shape,
cutting is an option. Buy a diamond blade (about $40 at home centers) to fit
your circular saw.
Click image to enlarge.
Mark the stone with a crayon. Set the abrasive
blade to cut about 1/2 in. deep and saw along the line. Increase the depth in
1/2-in. increments and make repeated cuts until you’ve sawed at least halfway
through the stone. Direct a stream of water from a garden sprayer onto the
blade as you saw to reduce dust and cool the blade.
Turn over the stone and gently tap along the
cutting line with a heavy hammer until it breaks.
CAUTION: PLUG THE SAW INTO A GFCI-PROTECTED OUTLET OR INTO A SPECIAL
PORTABLE GFCI PLUG.
