Good morning Colby, Your base thickness sounds appropriate for your climate ( this is what we use and we are also located in N. CA.) I'd go closer to the 3" rather than the 2" for the 3/4" crushed gravel. If you have access to 3/4" class II base rock that would be preferable to straight gravel. Class II base has some fines mixed into the gravel that aids in binding the base together when it is compacted. Additional recommendations , : compact the soil below your sub base. Especially if it is highly organic. Loamy soil to clay like soil is made up of decomposing matter that continues to decompose as it ages. This is one example of why dry lay patios eventually become uneven and sink , it is one of the reasons why the topsoil layer is commonly removed when laying a patio. I support the filter fabric method between the compacted gravel base and the sand layer, especially if you use straight gravel which even when it is compacted still has minimal air gaps for the sand to filtrate downwards. 1x6 plastic border will warp out of shape very quickly once a downward and sideward load is pushed against it. You will need to either augment the 1x6 with additional shear or additional equal loading pressure or use a more appropriate size thickness to support the pressure. Some methods may include digging a perimeter concrete footing - sort of like a curb that is located below and under the edge of the flagstone. Or beefing up the edging to a 2x material or countering the side pressing load by edging the edging with rock or cobbles or some other stable + grounded methods.

I had the same issues w/flagstone~just looked too dull. I had my landscaper put a sealer on, and even though I told him I wanted a matte, it still has a slight sheen, but I like it a lot better than the 'raw' look of the stone. The only problem I seem to be having is it's a bit slippery when it's wet, even in my tennies. The grand kids were over the other day and GD slipped in bare feet, too. I'm hoping it wears off a little. Have you noticed if yours is slippery? I'm sure all sealers have to be the same. My stone is not real textured, so maybe that's it. Just gotta be careful.

Hi, I just wanted to let those interested know what tips I have learned in designing/building stone block edging around my entire house with an integral flagstone patio. I didn't want colored concrete blocks or rubber edging. I decided on Minnesota Kasota (limestone) natural stone (sized) blocks & 2" flagstone sheets. I contacted a quarry and showed him my design I made on graph paper. He walked around and measured the square footage required to make an entire 8" (two 4" blocks high) curved garden wall above ground, 4-5 feet from my house (except in back of house for the wrap around above grade flagstone patio) that I will backfill with blackdirt, weed barrier, and 3 " of decorative stone or mulch on top. Getting back to the purchase of my stone, I went direct through the quarry and avoided the middle man. I was able to get wholesale price with discount and reduced shipping charge. The order was for 19 tons of tumbled stone retaining blocks (sized 4" thick x 8" wide X radom lengths)and 2" flagstone. I needed about 6000 linear feet of block. I started out by buying 1.5" pvc pipe with couplers to make nice uniform curves/semicircles around my house held by stakes, then spray painted lines around for the block following the natural grade of my yard. (This method worked much better than garden hose). I rented a trencher with a 4" block blade and followed the line around three times so I had a nice trench 12" wide X 4" deep. I shoveled out the dirt and cut landscape fabric in the base. I then put in compactable gravel that I hand tamped 1" below the sod. I then started setting blocks in the trench and found just the right lengths/ slightly angled pieces I needed in the pallets of stone blocks. I then started on the second layer overlapping the joints by 5" inches or so. After the second layer was on, I removed the top layer and placed them on the ground facing up. I then brushed /swept the surfaces then applied block glue to each one and put them back. One area by my garage needed to go up 5 feet of block, so I just kept stacking/gluing blocks except I moved in each row 3/4" above previous row. Now for the raised flagstone patio. Now that I had a nice curved block wall 8" high, I filled/raked 4" high compactable gravel inside, rented a compacter and went over it 4 times. I strung lines across the top of the 8" high block and measured down the thickness of the flagstone (2"-3/8" for sand compaction) and layed long lengths of old 1.5" waterpipes on top the gravel surface and shimmed the pipe up with wood up to where the bottom surface of the flagstone should be. I then shoveled in course washed sand on top of the gravel/pipes and using a long 2x4 resting on top of the pipes to screed the sand flat. Now I started laying flagstone. The flagstone was in big square sheets, so I tipped them onto the ground, and if they didn't break, I took a splitting axe and hit in the middle several times until it broke into smaller pieces that were still at least 2-3 feet in size. Take on piece at a time and lay it onto the sand, then take each matching piece and lay adjacent leaving a 1.5" gap for motar or sand. Continue this process like a jigsaw puzzle. When you have to cut or trim, I used my kid's sidewalk chalk to mark lines/cuts. Then use a stone chisel / hand sledge hammer to chisel along line two times to score a line. I then rap one end of the stone with the butt of the sledge and it breaks clean along the line. If needed, chisel away any ragged edges. Work from one edge outwords using large pieces, then going back and filling in any smaller pieces. As you go along, try to keep edges of flagstone nearly flush. If you disturb the sand as you going along, use a cement trowel to smooth out. When your all done fitting, you can fill joints in one of two ways; buy SANDLOC and mix with sand and water, then put into joints, or what I am doing is mix 1/3 cement with sand and put in joints, smooth and wash away rest from flagstone using sponge. These are the only two things I would do for patios to make sure ants don't start drilling or plants/weeds don't start. Good Luck, Hope this helps.

somewhere in new orleans, my husband and i saw a patio of large flagstone pieces with monkey grass growing between the pieces of stone. we like the irregular, organic look. we have a contractor who is half way done laying the stone (he is a month over schedule and has not shown up for a week so we may be looking for someone to finish the project) and we plan to plant the monkey grass ourselves. the stone is sitting in 4 inches of sand. we are not sure about the best way to plant the grass and still have the stone securely supported with the sand. our current plan is to dig through the sand to the dirt with a long thin tool like a screw driver and mix the dirt into the sand while planting. has anyone done a similar project? any suggestions?