Natural Stone Stepper/Walkway Job

[Mbella]

Here are some pics of a stone stepper/walkway job we recently completed. Actually, the pics are "in progress" pics. I need to get out there and take some pics of the completed project.

The joints are a little wider than I like, but the homeowner wanted us to place some decorative stone in the joints. Also, we will be doing the plantings in the spring, which should really make this project shine.

[CaptainsLS]

The second picture is my favorite. The steps seem too cluttered in the other picts. Did you want the steps to be different sizes for a more natural look? I think it would really add character if you drilled and used feathers & wedges to split the steppers into equal sizes. Seeing those drill holes would look nice. looking forward to finished picts.

[Mbella]

The second picture is my favorite. The steps seem too cluttered in the other picts. Did you want the steps to be different sizes for a more natural look? I think it would really add character if you drilled and used feathers & wedges to split the steppers into equal sizes. Seeing those drill holes would look nice. looking forward to finished picts.

Captain, yes, we wanted the varying sizes for a natural look. The only other option is guillotine cut or sawn steppers, which are more formal than the customer wanted.

As far as "cluttered", you have to go from point A to point B. Maybe, the angle of the pics makes it look more "cluttered" than it is.

[CaptainsLS]

I think it is the angle. Look at pict 1 and 3 they show each set very differently. It looks like you have 5' steps where the two walks meet. They seem like a different product than the bluestone. What type of stone is that?

[Mbella]

I think it is the angle. Look at pict 1 and 3 they show each set very differently. It looks like you have 5' steps where the two walks meet. They seem like a different product than the bluestone. What type of stone is that?

The lower steppers are a fieldstone, the flagstone is varigated bluestone and the upper (10) steppers are granite. In my opinion, it would have looked better with all being the same, but the customer wanted differentiation between the lower steppers and the set leading up to the house. He liked the granite steppers.

[CaptainsLS]

I really like the color in that granite, not what I'm used to. If I could do jobs like that every day I would be very happy. Mike, where is your business located (what state)?

[Mbella]

I really like the color in that granite, not what I'm used to. If I could do jobs like that every day I would be very happy. Mike, where is your business located (what state)?


Southeast Pennsylvania. We are doing jobs like that more often, but not even close to every day.

[CaptainsLS]

That is my preferred material to work with. I hope no one takes this the wrong way but I'm getting sick of seeing concrete pavers and walls everywhere. It just looks like such a manufactured setting. There are guys out there that have developed a unique approach and use pavers in a very tasteful manor. Ultimately it seems like you need to fight the look of the pavers to make it work. Like a lot of the work I see from Zedo, someone mentioned how you can tell he did the work. Its like there was a certain approach to off set the unnatural look of the material that makes it work.

[tthomass]

Small shrubs, perennials and ground cover will work nicely with the stones. Uneven sizes create pockets. I sometimes do very natural plantings.......look in nature. Do you see (3) Maples planted 15' on center? No. Do you see two maybe 10' apart and another 30' away..........sure.

I do extremely little paver work and a good amount of boulders and stone etc work and use them to work with plants. I'm also a plant guy, if you can't tell haha.