I'm trying to calculate how many stones I'll need for a walkway for a job and I need to know how much room I'll need to leave between the stones. The stones are 3' x 5' x 2" and will sit fully proud on the lawn. The photo was taken at another job, and the spacing seems to be fine. But I'm interested in whether there is a standard or a formula based on the size of the stones.
Is there another way to get to the door for people in wheelchairs, people who use canes or walkers, or people who have other ambulatory problems? If not, they need to be flush together, preferably turned so that you have the 5-foot width, although the 3-foot width would almost always be enough. The wheelchair I used to use had a 34" wheelbase, which was wider than average, but I had a chair with wheels that tilted out to make it easier to push myself rather than have someone else pushing me.
Even if there is another path for wheelchairs, it is best to dig the stones down into the ground so that the tops are flush with the ground. This helps prevent tripping. Tripping is a major concern for people who don't pick up their feet well and people who are shorter than average, as well as people with certain types of disabilities. Some people just lay the pavers on top of the ground, and they can cause tripping if people's strides don't match the spacing of the pavers. No matter how much research you do on the distance to put them apart, you will never be perfect for everyone because everyone has a different stride length unless you put the pavers flush against each other.
Making them flush with the ground also allows you to mow right over them, so it saves you a recurring cost of weeding around them as well as paying medical bills of those who trip on them and injure themselves.
If you do make them flush with the ground and put a special sand in between and keep the sand level with the tops of the pavers, then it would still be possible for those in wheelchairs and with canes and walkers to use the path with relative safety.
If you leave any space weeds and seeds will take hold. If you do not want to lay them flush against each other I highly recommend polymeric sand brushed in to at least a one inch depth, two inches if possible and topped up yearly. The gap should be enough to get a weeding tool in.
Alternately you could just whipper snip the weeds and leave the smallest gap possible.
Having seen some Liatris spicata seeds become attractive flowers and then push large flagstones apart do not underestimate how strong plants are.
I am having trouble getting other pictures transferred. But this is a reasonable size and spacing for people walking on large pavers. They are most certainly flush to the surface. I would never sit pavers on top of the ground.
