Replies

1. 
   JerraldHayes | Aug 02, 2003 04:23pm | #1

   Any help? I'm dying here.

1. 
   RodBishop | Aug 02, 2003 09:07pm | #2

   Isn't "random pattern" an oxymoron?   Random means just that.  Generally when I use large and sometimes irregularly shaped,  (as opposed to regular?) stones, I lay all the stones out within the parameters, making sure they are appealing to the the eyes, and then fill in with smaller stones.

   The thing to look for is to make sure that none of the stones draw your eye to themselves. They should be seen as a whole rather than singular.

   Hope this helps.                                  Rod                                      

1. 
   JerraldHayes | Aug 03, 2003 10:53pm | #5

   Thanks fellas. Let me explain what I doing and just what I was looking for. Ironically the project i question is for my own home. Over the years the shrubbery and pachysandra along the front of my house has grown out over the old flagstone walkway. This past winter I decided to remake the front walks since they were now getting all out of kilter since the original owner had built them on very thin base of sand. I also decided to epand the walk into kind of an entrance patio so that during the winter there wouldn't be just a narrow channel through the snow to get into the house.

   Here's a photo of the front as I just got started in digging up the old flagstone. The yellow arrow points to the real "formal" front entry door to the house which has probaly been used maybe 10 times in 15 years. That's why the pachysandra and shrubs were able to grow out over the old walkway. (click it for a larger photo)

   View Image

   And the plan of what I want to do (click it for the larger view too)

   View Image

   Like Rod mentions "random pattern" is sort of an oxymoron but the idea is it "appears" random. Twenty-five years ago I began my career in the building and remodeling trades as a mason helper (you know,... big strong boy, mix cement and carry stones) and on one of the jobs we did my boss at the time left a couple of sheets showing random cut flagstone patterns and for some reason I thought enough of them at the time to save them. Over the years I reproduced them as Vectorworks CAD details and even published them to my company website (patio & walkway patterns) for clients to refer too. The plan above was done using pattern #4 at the bottom of the page which uses the largest sized stones. However with the inventory of stones I pulled up I have stones I have mostly stones measuring 30" x 30" and 30" x 36" and I was looking for a pattern that will use them up without me having to cut them.

   The trick is you'll notice all those key together so you can repeat that random pattern over and over again. The problem is with just laying them out and then backfilling them in as ANDYSZ2 says is how do you know what sizes and how many stones to order? It may give you a truly more genuine random pattern but it also more labor intensive fitting the puzzle together and is not as economical on materials. We actually did a meandering garden walkway doing just that a few years ago that came out looking great. The clients who were art collectors like it because it had a abstract look to it. This time the client is me so I'm trying to get it done easily and economically.

   The other problem with fitting it as you go is that at times it tends to develop a "hand" to it.Do you get what I mean. Its kinda like when I first learned to how to wood shingle a roof 25 years ago too my boss at the time made sure I didn't just use all large ones early on in the project leaving the far side of the roof to be shingled with nothing but the small ones.

   And Mitch in this case I am talking about a random appearing pattern of rectangles although most of the time I really prefer random irregular stones. Done that before too (as in the flooring for this project). It just that I already have a lot of cut stones and in this particular case i think it's a better fit stylistically with the way this house looks.

   I'm going to ask at the stone yard I use tomorrow but I have a hunch what they have is just what I have since they took a set of my drawings from me years ago to hand out to their customers.

   View Image

   ParadigmProjects.com | Paradigm-360.com | Mac4Construction.com

   Edited 8/3/2003 3:56:56 PM ET by Jerrald Hayes

2. 
   ANDYSZ2 | Aug 03, 2003 02:37am | #3

   Jerrald I just laid about 200 ft. of large sandstones for my neighbor on the walk part I laid the biggest stones so that it was a comfortable sride from stone to stone and then I backfilled the open areas with smaller pieces the walk runs into a patio so I carried the walk pattern thru the patio and then filled in  around them. This gave you a sense of direction as you crossed the patio to the walk. With such big pieces tou could square them up and lay them tight together in some kind of geometric pattern. These are just some of my ideas as this is not  really my specialty but I like doing them.

                ANDYSZ2

   I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.

1. 
   mitch | Aug 03, 2003 05:29pm | #4

   are you talking about random, irregular shapes and sizes or sawed rectangles and squares?

   m