Lay stepping stones over a french drain

french-drain

I am planning to install a french drain around my garage and make a walkway on top of it. I know the overall procedure for the french drain installation but am not sure how to make a walkway over it. I am thinking of putting stepping stones (e.g., flagstones) over the gravels which would surround the drainage pipes. But, I am concerned as to whether the stepping stones could be firmly stabilized on the gravels. I could not find any article over the web on this issue.

Best Answer

Admittedly guesswork, but...

I would expect that, over time, the flagstones would settle into the gravel and mostly stabilize themselves (outside of frost heave and similar issues). There still could be tripping hazards, though, just as there can be with bricks after frost heave and tree roots lift them...

Note that the french drain doesn't have to be exposed through the full 360-degree circuit of the house. If there's a short section where you have a walkway, that probably won't make much practical difference, as long as the whole thing is able to drain properly.