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How to Create a Winding Path With Decorative Stone Materials

J&J Materials > Hardscape Projects > How to Create a Winding Path With Decorative Stone Materials

winding-path-stoneIf you are looking for a landscaping project that will instantly add color, texture and function to your front yard or backyard, consider learning how to create a winding path. Choose from a wide variety of materials, including natural flagstone, decorative stone materials or top quality products, such as Nantucket pavers, Belgard pavers and Pavestone pavers. J&J Materials has a lot of options for local Rhode Island homeowners to choose from when creating a pathway or walkway project.

Front and Backyard Ideas for Pawtucket

One of the easiest landscaping projects available, many homeowners in the Pawtucket area have chosen to use decorative stone materials and other hardscaping products to create a beautiful winding walkway or pathway on their property. The great thing about this type of project is that it can be used anywhere, as a walkway to your front door from the sidewalk or driveway, as a pathway around the side of the house to the backyard, or as a secret way to get from your natural stone patio to a special garden area filled with all of your favorite flowers.

There are a couple of different ways to use materials to learn how to create a winding path:

  • use large pavers, blocks or stepping stones
  • fill in the large rocks with gravel, pea-sized river rock, sand or mulch
  • make a walkway or pathway out of brick, natural stone or cobble stone pavers
  • use decorative stone materials or mulch to completely fill in the walkway space

How to Choose the Best Decorative Stone Materials

Because there are so many different types of materials available to choose from, your best bet is to go directly to the supplier to look at the options and make a selection based on your personal tastes, the architectural style of your home and your budget. Decorative stone materials, such as small stones, rocks and gravel, come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Other materials, such as natural stone materials of flagstone, bluestone and brownstone, can all be used in a variety of ways when you decide how to create a winding path.

Manufactured materials, such as the widely popular Nantucket pavers, Pavestone and Belgard pavers, both permeable and non-permeable, are also a great choice for creating a winding pathway or walkway on your property. They can be filled in with mulching, small decorative stone materials, gravel or even sand, so make sure to check out the way that these materials look next to each other when you visit the stone yard.

Some homeowners choose to match the materials to create a single color or look, while others choose materials that complement, yet accent the other materials because they are different colors or shades. Examples would include tan gravel between bluestone or a pale sand used between dark brownstone materials. Again, make your choices based upon where you will be applying these backyard ideas for Pawtucket, the type of house that you own and, of course, the amount of money you have allotted for your budget.

Supplies That You Will Need to Create a Pathway or Walkway

In addition to purchasing the decorative stone materials, Nantucket pavers, natural stone or whatever you decide to use to create your pathway project, you will also need some hardware supplies to get the job done. Some of the tools that will come in handy include a wheelbarrow for moving the gravel or stone around while you install it, a garden rake, shovels, a tape measure, a garden hose, landscaping fabric, marking paint, safety glasses and work gloves.

When it comes to purchasing supplies, you will need a minimum of 1 cubic feet of stone per three square feet of pathway, plus any landscape edging materials that you decide to use. While edging materials are not required, they are particularly helpful in keeping your lawn and pathway separated. There are a number of different options available to use for edging materials when you decide how to create a winding path. Again, the choice that you make should be dependent on the type of pathway you are creating and the amount of money you have to spend on materials.

Building a Winding Path in 5 Easy Steps

This next section of our how-to article will provide you with a very basic instruction on how to create a winding path in just five easy steps. If you need additional information or more detailed instructions, visit the J&J Materials website for more tutorials and videos, or speak with one of our friendly and helpful customer service agents who can help you get on the right track to build your backyard ideas for Pawtucket.

  • Step One – Pick a Location

    Figure out where you want to build the pathway or walkway and measure it to make sure that you get enough materials. A comfortable width for a path should be at least two-and-a-half feet to three feet wide. Make sure there is enough space to put a pathway of this size.

  • Step Two – Prepare the Space

    Remove the grass and the topsoil using a shovel. Make sure to dig at least 3-4 inches down, cutting along the edges of where the path will be laid, slowly digging the shovel under the grass layer to remove it. You can re-use this sod anywhere else on your property.

  • Step Three – Weed Control

    The best way to stay on top of weeds is to use landscaping fabric to block out sunlight from weeds so they cannot germinate. Increasing the thickness of the decorative stone may also help, but preparing the soil with a physical barrier is a great way to keep weeds out. Prevent grass from over-growing into your pathway by using edging materials.

  • Step Four – Select Materials

    Pick out the decorative stone materials, natural stone, Nantucket pavers or other materials that you want to use for your pathway. Choose the primary stone plus any filler materials that you want to use, should you choose to use flagstone, blocks or pavers. J&J Materials can deliver the materials to your home in Pawtucket, Providence or anywhere in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

  • Step Five – Prepare Materials

    Decide where you want to use the materials and set them out along the dug out pathway. Make sure that the stones you choose are about an inch higher than the grass or soil that surrounds the area. Rake filler decorative stone materials, sand or mulching into place to make sure that the pathway stays put.

Where to Get Decorative Stone Materials for Your Project

J&J Materials has a wide variety of decorative stone materials, pavers, blocks, bricks and other natural stone supplies that can be used to create many different backyard ideas for Pawtucket or anywhere in the South Coast region. With two locations in Southeastern Massachusetts, J&J Materials has delivery service that reaches as far west as Pawtucket and as far east as Scituate, helping our customers to get the materials they need in the easiest way possible. Stop by one of our locations to take a look at the materials that we have available or to browse our color options. Come see why J&J Materials is one of the most trusted names in landscaping and masonry materials in New England.

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