If you’re wondering where to start with your flagstone patio building project, the logical thing is to consider what type of stone you might like to use. If you like, you can go with a typical flagstone, which can be the irregularly shaped pieces that get fitted together in a neat but “random” pattern and often include color variations as well. But there are other choices — more that you can imagine, in fact! Many different kinds of stone can be used for a patio, and they can be placed in simple elegant layouts or more complicated mosaic-type patterns. You can also mix different types and colors of stone to create borders or inlaid patterns.
You need good quality stone of the right thickness, because a well-laid patio can serve you well with little maintenance for several decades. It has to be able to bear traffic over the long term — for example, thin pieces of shale or sandstone won’t work because they can’t stand up to any kind of traffic or bear much weight without breaking. An area that will have heavy traffic quantity, or bear any amount of weight will need thicker stone and may require a concrete sub-base (this would apply to something like a flagstone driveway that takes vehicle traffic).
Climate should be considered, too. Double-check with your supplier to make sure the stone you want to use is appropriate for the weather conditions in your area. For example, a very porous stone may suffer in sub-zero weather; it absorbs moisture which can expand as it freezes and damage the stone. It is essential that some slope is built into the patio to insure proper drainage of water off the stone; this slope should always be away from buildings and other design elements — excess water should drain onto a lawn or driveway, etc.
Safety is also a factor when choosing stone for building you your patio. If you live in a climate with freezing temperatures in winter you should consider what the patio surface will be like during freeze/thaw cycles, or when ice-covered. It might be helpful to choose stone with a textured surface in that case, or plan to use a non-salt product, such as volcanic ash, to spread when it’s icy. Volcanic ash is a very good anti-slip product; it will not damage your stone, or animal paws, or your floor if it gets tracked in the house. The leftover can be swept off the patio onto the lawn or flowerbed in the spring without causing problems. The ash is much more expensive to purchase than salt, compared pound for pound, but it goes much farther and the other benefits far outweigh the cost.
These first steps are a fact-finding mission, so don’t get worried about design details yet. You’re finding out what your choices are — and you may be surprised to discover how many there are! Have some fun, use your imagination, check out pictures of flagstone patios (your local stone supplier may have catalogs of patterns, and/or photos of finished projects for you to drool over). And start putting together a budget, too, of course.
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