What tools do I need to build stone steps?

Question

• Do I need a lot of specialized tools?
• Will I have most of these tools already?
• What do they look like?

Answer 1

What you need to have before you start

• a sketch: sketchup is great for this. A free tool you can install on your computer to draw what you want to do. Very easy to learn and use.
• hand tools:
  • spade and trowel
  • flat pry bar
  • a level at least three feet long
  • string
  • markers, wooden or plastic stakes work well
  • a circular saw with diamond blade (a diamond blade will save you hours and makes precise cuts)
  • caulking gun
  • laser sight or water level
  • stone chisel and hammer
  • measuring tape, usually 25 feet or more
  • wheelbarrow
  • safety equipment: it's not just for other people!
    • Gloves, knee pads, goggles, safety shoes

Materials you may need

• four inch drainage pipe with sleeve
• landscape (geotextile fabric)

Recommended materials

• stone adhesive
• polymeric sand
• plants to go in the cracks (creeping thyme, sedums, sempervivums, saxifrages)

For working with heavy pieces of stone

• two wheel dollies are available that are rated for up to 800 lbs. I find that they are really good for up to 600 Lbs but that is enough to move some large slabs. Place the bed parallel to the ground and lever the stone onto the bed. Raise to a vertical position and off you go. They definitely work better on smoother surfaces. Lay plywood if you have to go over grass.