The granite may get toohot to walk on

Any stone can get too hot, but Lay it just like pavers 4-6" compacted gravel, and then 1" sand

I've been collecting scrap granite from a counter top contractor. All my pieces are straight sided pieces of various lengths and most have ragged ends. I'm grouping them by widths in inches, 1/2" +/1 in 7", 6", 5", 4", etc. piles. Each of these I plan to set on edge and size from largest to smallest.

My layout will be all smallest at one edge and fan out in stripes. I think I can get them pretty close side to side, but the end to end will make gaps.

Two questions: 1) any comments on my notion?

2. I'd like to get rid of the gloss. Do I simply let it wear down or is there something I can do?

1) I can't comment on your layout idea too much. If you can make it work, go for it.

2) Can you just turn the stones upside down? The backside has no polish or is that too rough? You're probably wanting what is called a honed or matte finish. It's hard to "break" the full polish of granite once it's done. You can scratch it but to get the whole surface uniform will take a bit of work and time, just like it took to polish it originally.

You can do it but it will take lots of sandpaper or you can get a diamond paper. It's more expensive up front but will outlast and perform better to get the polish off in the long run and end up being cheaper. Start with a 60-8o grit and see if that will work and just keep at it. A power sander of any type will help. Oh, a carborundum sandpaper will work longer too and if you can do it wet, all the better. Good luck.

I thought of another way to take the polish off faster but it involves heavier duty power tools if you're up to it. Grinders, both small the 4-5" or larger 7-9" will work faster for you. You'll need a grinder, a good flexible backup pad and enough disks to get the job done. Either 60 or 120 grit disks will work. Be careful with the higher speed of these tools as they present new dangers. You can "burn" the stone (the surface will pop off and be pitted) and the disks themselves can come apart if used too long also.

I didn't say this in my 1st post post but it needs saying here. Please be ultra careful. Wear safety glasses and especially wear a HIGH QUALITY dust mask. Do not use a cheap type. Granite dust is especially harmful to your lungs. Silicosis is not fun. You only have one set of eyes and lungs, take care of them.

If you know how to use these power tools this can be a quicker way to get it done. I don't mean to scare people off from trying this but every and any pursuit involving power tools requires safety warnings and advice. Just be sensible and you'll be OK.

Although the back of the granite is very rough, it won't look any worse than raw concrete.

I've used granite pieces just on dirt (no frost heave problems here), and I put it shiny side down. It's only a problem in the odd piece that has a net backing of some sort. It looks a bit plain when dry, but great in the rain. It needs to be evenly supported as it can snap if stepped on and not supported.