Sailor Course vs. Soldier Course

When running a border around your project there are 2 ways to run the border. This is known as a sailor course or a soldier course.

The image on the left shows a soldier course and the image on the right shows a sailor course.

The main difference is just a visual appeal. Whatever looks better to you is usually the right option.

The only other real difference is the fact that a soldier course will use slightly less inlay material than a sailor course, due to the fact that the soldier course will take up more square footage of the total project.

If you have a small area, a sailor course is advised so you don't lose out on too much of the inlay.

If you have a large area, a soldier course is advised so the border looks more impactful.

Typical cross section of a standard patio

In the image on the left you can see a typical cross section diagram showing the different layers underneath a patio stone.

Under your stone you should have up to 1 inch of Concrete Sand to allow leveling.

Under the Concrete Sand you should have 6-8 inches of crushed gravel, like Limestone A or Granular A. This number can vary depending on the project, patios and walkways are best done at 4-6 inches, driveways are best done at 8-12 inches.

Under the crushed gravel will be your native soil.

If using High Performance Bedding instead of crushed gravel you can remove the layer of Concrete Sand and lay your stone right on the High Performance Bedding.