How to lay Bluestone steppers?

DIYHome

Hi Community !

Would need some advice on laying the bluestone stepping stones in our front landscaping.

We have leftover 20mm bluestone pavers so would like lay them on the ground but the ground is not levelled.

And also we need to raise the pavers 60-80mm high to match up with the finished surface (pic attached) and here are my questions please:

1) How to lay them on the ground - as in the ratios of concrete, sand, cement ?

2) We need to lay15 pavers rough size would be approx. 600*600mm so how to calculate the required materials for wet lay ?

3) Also is it ok to lay a 20mm paver as stepping stones ?

Thanks in advance !

MitchellMc

Hi @DIYHome,

Since the ground isn’t level, you’ll need to prepare a stable base for the pavers. A common approach is to use a wet bed mix of concrete. For this, you can use a ratio of 4 parts sand to 1 part cement, or if you prefer a concrete mix, a 3:1 ratio (3 parts concrete mix to 1 part cement) would work well. The mix needs to be firm enough to support the pavers without sinking but still flexible enough to level them properly.

To calculate the materials for your 15 pavers, each being roughly 600x600mm, you’ll need to first figure out the total area they’ll cover, which comes to about 5.4m². Given that you need to raise the pavers 60-80mm, you’ll want to calculate the volume of the concrete bed based on this thickness. This means you’ll need approximately 0.3 to 0.4 cubic metres of mix for the project, and you can adjust the sand and cement quantities depending on the mix ratio you choose.

As for using 20mm pavers as stepping stones, they can generally be used, but keep in mind they might not be as durable under heavy loads or constant foot traffic compared to thicker options. I’d recommend checking with the manufacturer to confirm if they are suitable for use as stepping stones, just to be sure. Thicker pavers, such as those around 30-40mm, are often preferred for extra durability in high-traffic areas. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell