By Giuseppe Abbrancati
Cobblestones were mostly used for streets back in the day in the European villages as well as some quaint towns in the US. In the states we commonly use them for driveways, borders and aprons; they are small and medium rectangular stones. The name cobblestone came by the actual process of making these stones way back when, when they collected the stones and then had them cobbled. Now the stones are easily manufactured. Cobblestones used in the correct application can help with erosion.
Cobblestones now come in a wide variety of styles, colors and shapes. Installation of cobblestones are the same as pavers, you need to excavate the proposed area. Excavated depths depend on the use of the area, such as a driveway would be excavated deeper than a patio for durability. Install a base material usually RCA which is recycled crushed aggregate. Now add your one inch of sand and then lay the pavers, the only difference would be filling the joints. Depending on the application of the cobblestones would determine if you need mortar joints or not.
The normal design to lay cobblestones is usually in a running bond pattern they can also be laid in a herringbone pattern as well. The last commonly used application for cobblestones are borders, where the pavers are installed on there side to achieve height and then the joints would be mortared to achieve an old world style.