Do you want to install a stepping-stone path in your yard? It looks easy and is a simple procedure, for the most part. But despite pictures showing things like those kids-mosaic-craft stepping stones in a garden -- implying that all you really have to do is set the stone down on the grass -- there is a process involved in adding these stones. Start by going to a home and garden stone supply company and looking for uniform stones that are relatively thick (a couple of inches or so).

Choose Ones That Can Hold Your Weight

Stones that work for paths have to be big enough to accommodate an entire adult foot. If you make the stones so small that your feet continually hang off one edge, you can quickly make the stone tilt and loosen. You also want something that is at least a couple of inches thick and made of stone that won't shatter when a lot of weight is placed on it. The stone supply company staff can give you material ideas, and many companies have precut stones ready for sale for footpaths.

Determine the Height

All of the stones must be level and even with each other. A stone that sticks up, either because it's higher than the others or because it was installed with one end higher than the other, is a trip hazard. Use a small level on each stone when you place it to ensure the stone itself is level (relatively speaking: if you've got a slight hill that you're adding the stones to, this won't work). For hills, and to ensure the stones are all at the same height, place stakes with a cord tied between them at the same height along the sides of the stones. Even out heights with builder's sand under each stone.

Cut Into the Lawn but Not the Utilities

Stepping stones are not placed directly on top of grass. They actually sit on a bed of builder's sand in holes cut into the turf. While you'd be cutting only a few inches in, to get all of the grass roots out, you still need to contact 811 to find out the locations of utility lines that run through your property. These are not necessarily placed several feet down: a few inches is all it takes to damage a line.

Once you have the stones you want, you just have to go step by step -- no pun intended -- and the stones can be installed in a few hours. While you're at the stone company, take a look at other supplies like stones for garden bed borders, just in case you decide to add more stone-based projects to your yard. For more information, talk to companies like Harristone.