Stepping stones

One of the most frequently asked questions here at Hayters is “what can I use as stepping stones ?”.

What constitutes a dedicated stepping stone as such ? Is there a particular paver that is more suited to being a stepping stone ? No, not really. There isn’t specific stepping stones as such. Technically any paver we have can be used as a stepping stone.

Well the term stepper or stepping stone refers, more commonly, to a random or naturally shaped slab of material which are spaced further apart with the gaps between filled with decorative pebbles or Mondo grass etc. Once you work out their location, some lawn is removed and then a bed of “brickies mud” or mortar mix is put down and then the stepping stone is tapped down into it helping bed or fix it to the substrate. Once the grass or pebble is surrounding it, the whole thing is locked into place and won’t move around.

Pavers on the other hand are usually more of a formal shaped paver, being square or rectangular with straight defined edges. Pavers serve the same purpose as stepping stones however they are often used more so for traditional paved area where they cover a mass of area. Things like walkways, patios and driveways are often paved. Pavers are laid on a solid subbase of either compacted road base and bedding sand or a concrete slab and adhered on with mortar or an appropriate tile adhesive. Then a fine sand is swept into the 3-4mm gaps that are left between the pavers or they can be grouted like a tile respectively.