By popular demand! I have had so many requests for instructions to installing my stepping stone pathway that I have decided to put the instructions online. This page should give you all the information you need to duplicate my process of installing my pathway using stepping stones and the natural clay soil in our area. We had a problem with drainage in our backyard, and we needed a way to resolve the problem. The builder had not sloped the yard on the side of our house correctly so the water could not drain. At the same time, we wanted a pathway in which we could walk and enjoy our gardens. We also needed something that would allow the water to drain from our backyard, but would prevent armadillos from digging under our gate to get into our backyard. So we decided to install a stepping stone pathway.

CAUTION! The method I used to install my pathway requires doing work that can cause injury if not performed very carefully. The stepping stones are very heavy to lift. They are also very scratchy which can hurt your hands. Also, the method I used to install the pathway creates a very muddy mess that becomes extremely slippery! I almost slipped and fell a few times myself. Be extremely careful if you attempt to install a pathway using this technique.

Materials List

• Leather Gloves - This will ruin the gloves, but they are necessary to protect your hands.
• Stepping Stones - I used 14" concrete/rock stepping stones, but any reasonably flat stepping stones should work.
• Clay Soil - This technique might work with other types of soil, but I have never tried it with anything but clay.
• Water - Get your garden hose ready! I also recommend using a spray attachment so you can stop the water easily and conveniently when you aren't using it.
• Long Board - A 2" x 4" board, approximately 5' to 6' long.
• Short Board - A 2" x 4" board, approximately 6" long.
• Long Level - Approximately 36" long.
• Short Level - Approximately 12" long.
• Rubber Hammer.
• Garden Claw - This is optional, but I found it very helpful.
• Crow Bar - This is useful for lifting stepping stones that need to be realigned.
• Broom - An old, stiff broom is best. Used to clean mud off of the stepping stones.
• Clearing Tools - Use whatever tools you prefer for removing any grass, plants, or debris in the area.

Clear the Area First, you want to remove the grass, weeds, roots and debris from the area in which you want to place your pathway. Be careful to not harm existing trees or plants by damaging their roots. Our gardens were still young so we did not have problems with roots in the area yet. You want to clear the area to be reasonably level, but it's okay to leave it somewhat bumpy at this stage.

Lay Out the Stepping Stones

Water the Area Thoroughly

Make Mud Pies Here comes the fun part. Make mud pies! Yes, just like when you were a kid! Remove a few of the stepping stones so you can work with the clay underneath. Work with the clay for only one or two stepping stones at a time as the clay will dry out very quickly. Get the clay very wet, and use tools and your hands to mix the clay and water until you get a gooey mud pie consistency. This gooey mud pie will become the mortar that will go underneath and between the stepping stones.

The backyard is sloped to drain the water around the sides of the house and out the front. This shows the water being directed into the pathway. Also notice how the grass slopes upwards in this area; this is where the builder incorrectly sloped the soil. Now imagine how much flooding we had in our backyard before we installed the pathway!

The pathway is able to handle a large amount of water very quickly and efficiently.

Place and Level the Stepping Stones Place the stepping stones exactly where you want them to go. Only work with just one or two stepping stones at a time. If the clay begins to dry out, just add water and mix it again. The first few stepping stones will be the hardest to level precisely. Don't worry if these stepping stones are off a little. Once you have more stepping stones in place, you can always go back and reseat any stepping stones that are too high, too low, or out of alignment.

Align and Adjust the Stepping Stones As you squish the stepping stones into place, you will notice that they will try to slide out of place. To put it back into place, use the small board and rubber hammer. Place the end of the board on the stepping stone, and hit the other end of the board with the hammer until the stepping stone moves into place. Be prepared for mud to splatter everywhere, including on your face! Protect your eyes.

So how deep is that water? Well, it's this deep!

Ensure a Smooth Pathway

The water drains under the gate and down the front yard between the houses. The water is joined with the drainage water from my neighbor's yard.

Fill in the Gaps As you work, be sure to fill the gaps between the stepping stones with more of your clay mud pie mixture. Just take a glob of mud pie mixture and place it in the gaps between the stepping stones. You can use your small board to scrape off any excess. This process is very similar to placing grout between tiles.

Let it Dry

Clean Up After the clay is finally dry, you can begin to wash off the muddy mess on top of the stepping stones. Use your garden hose and a broom to scrub off the mud. If the water begins to pool anywhere, that's a sign that you're level is off. You can pull up those stepping stones, remix the clay into "mortar", and level that section back off using the board technique again. After you finally get everything the way you want it, finish washing off the stepping stones. Don't worry if the clay between the stepping stones isn't perfectly level with the stepping stones; it will naturally wash off a little more shallow -- which is actually quite nice looking and helps to channel the dirt off of the stepping stones, helping to keep the pathway looking clean.

Once the water is directed into the front of yard, it has no problem draining all the way into the street where it makes its way to the storm drains on the sides of the street.

Enjoy!