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Wet-Set Flagstone Walkway, Stone Steps and Stone Border Wall

9/20/2013

4 Comments

 
PictureThe Completed Project
Another quick project update this week, this one involving a rebuild of a stone driveway border wall, a replacement set of stone steps, and a new wet-set flagstone walkway.

I was first contacted by this homeowner to discuss rebuilding an old stone wall that bordered the edge of their driveway.  The old wall was falling apart, a combination of substandard original construction, having been clipped by vehicular traffic more times than is recommended, and some of the old original schist stone splitting and deteriorating due to moisture.

As we spoke about the wall, we also identified that the steps leading to the side door were quite awkward -- two risers each measuring 10"-plus, treads that were narrower than the risers were high, and constructed from uneven field stone.  Not an easy approach. So we were contracted to rebuild the wall and replace the steps.

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Steps Before -- Ugh!
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And After. Still Need to Replace the Path Though ...
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The wall was disassembled carefully, setting aside stone that could be reused in the rebuild, and discarding stone that was deteriorating or unusable.  We dug out the trench for the wall footing, installed a footing of compacted crushed gravel, and began laying the stone.

Additional stone was purchased from a local quarry to replace the stone that was discarded. The wall measured on average less than a foot high, but we still wanted to make sure an adequate foundation was in place.  That includes about 4" of compacted crushed gravel, plus about 6" of buried stone -- much more than was in place on the original build.

For the steps, we wanted to include natural stone to match and complement stonework on the house.  But getting rid of those uneven treads was important.  So we went with a concrete foundation, with mortared natural stone veneer on the sides and risers, with full length bluestone treads.  The rebuild included installing an additional step, now instead of two 10" risers we included three 7" risers.  Much more comfortable, and we widened the depth of the treads to 14".

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The homeowner was thrilled with the results.  Well kind of.  The wall rebuild looked great, the steps were even and comfortable to walk on, even the old wood trim that was rotting out below the door threshold was replaced. 

But there was a problem.  Now that the wall and steps had been replaced, the muddy homeowner DIY pathway connecting the drive and the steps stood out like a sore thumb.

Luckily, we knew just the people to help with the pathway replacement -- us!  We went with a wet-set bluestone linear-shaped walkway to match the treads on the steps. 

The old pathway was lifted and set aside for the homeowner to use as stepping stones through their gardens.  We ID'd the desired footprint for the path, excavated accordingly, poured a concrete foundation, and mortared the flagstones to the surface.

What a transformation!  Now the homeowner was officially thrilled, wall, steps, walkway and all.

Is there a part of your yard that needs a transformation?  Give us a call or shoot us an email, and see what we can do for you! 

4 Comments
Marie Rose link
2/9/2015 05:56:51 pm

Hii ! your blog was nice and very informative. Natural stone was shinning in looking and they are also used in steps as well as walls.

Reply
Shaun Marsh link
5/12/2015 08:25:18 pm

Wow! Just have a look at these steps after construction. Good job done mate.

Reply
Josh link
6/10/2015 08:39:06 pm

Well, after watching your pictures for walkway stone steps with gardening looking beautiful with great effects. Really enjoyed your post :)

Reply
Herlin Marker link
6/21/2015 03:44:37 pm

Amazing blog while reading your blog i was enjoying. Thanks for sharing your post with us please share more .

Reply



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    Company

    Clark Kent Creations, LLC is a full-service landscape construction company servicing the Pennsylvania communities of Delaware County, Chester County, The Main Line, and the University City, Art Museum, and Manayunk/Roxborough neighborhoods of Philadelphia.  In addition to this blog page, additional information regarding the company and our services can be found on the subsequent pages of the site.
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    Author

    Clark Linderman is the president of Clark Kent Creations, LLC, a landscape construction company based in Swarthmore, PA.  He is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.  In addition to his passion for all things outdoors, he counts Michigan football, Phillies baseball, Superman memorabilia, Memphis R&B music, and good craft brews among his many interests.  He currently resides in Swarthmore with his wife, Sheila, two sons, his dog Krypto, and a really, really messy garage full of work supplies and toys.

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    Contact Us:
    Clark Kent Creations, LLC
    Swarthmore, PA
    Design and Construction to Maximize Your Outdoor Experience

    707-290-9410
    [email protected]
    Serving Delaware County, PA

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    Like my Blog?

    If you like the content of my blog posts, here are a few other blogs that I check in on regularly:

    Stone Soup:  A Master Stone Mason shares his craft.

    Arcadia Gardens:  Plenty of great tips about horticulture and landscape design.  A great blog (even though she's an MSU Spartan!)

    Revolutionary Gardens:  A Virginia-based landscape designer shares his work and ideas.

    Rockin Walls:  A certified dry stone mason from Maryland shares his projects and tricks of the trade

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