What Are Flagstones and What Are They For?
When you’re planning your patio, walkway, or another hardscape project for your yard, you have a variety of options. You can lay down a variety of decorative stones like concrete pavers, ledge stones, porcelain, and travertine pavers. But there’s also one more that we think people are missing out on - flagstones.
They’re the most natural-looking stone out of all the hardscapes we offer. This has led to flagstone being perfect for people who want a more natural-looking hardscape for a patio or porch. No flagstone is the same shape, but with the cement between each block, you can make any pattern.
If you’ve never heard of flagstones, we can explain what’s so special about them and why you should consider them for your next hardscape project.
What is Flagstone Made Of?
Like a lot of hardscaping material, flagstones are sedimentary stones. This means that they are made by hardening sediment layers with pressure, low heat, and water. They can form naturally, or they can be made manually. They’re usually made of layers or strata of sand, clay, or other organic sediments that aren’t yet sedimentary rock.
Flagstone Compared to Other Hardscape Rocks
Due to Arizona’s climate, there are many flagstones made here, and they have been used in patios since the early 1900s. They’re usually lightweight compared to other sedimentary rocks, pale in color, and resistant to heat once hardened, making them the perfect material to withstand the hottest Arizona summers.
Temperature
Due to Arizona’s high temperatures, it’s important that any material you have laying out in the sun be safe to walk on. You need something that can absorb heat, rather than only reflect it. When stone absorbs heat, its surface isn’t so hot. When the stone reflects most of the sun's rays, the heat sits and simmers on the surface.
Stability
Moisture is another problem with other sedimentary stones. If a stone absorbs too much moisture, it can expand and eventually cause flaking. This will lead to the stone peeling and falling apart, meaning that you’ll need to replace them.
When it gets really cold during the winter nights, hard freezing commonly displaces individual stones and increases wear and tear on the rocks. This can be prevented with flagstones which have a better resistance against this problem.
How Many Types of Flagstone Are There?
Flagstone comes in many different shapes and sizes, allowing you to have more control over the design of your yard. We separate flagstones into nine different types, but others may consider some types the same or not specific enough.
- Ledgestone: These are flat strips of stone meant to be stacked.
- Milled: This is flagstone that has been cut to an edge on one or more sides.
- Mosaic: These flagstones have been cut into random shapes, so there is no pattern.
- Pavers: When flagstone is cut into square or rectangular units.
- Steppers: Step stones, rather than stones that touch each other to form a path.
- Sawn Bed Veneer: This is a stone cut over some of its sides, but leave the natural surface as it is on one side.
- Slabs: These are large flat pieces of stone with irregular outlines that can be made to fit together tightly.
- Snapped Veneer: These are stones that snap together and provide a flat, smooth surface on both sides.
- Thin Veneer: This is stone made to lay on a concrete slab.
Contact Pioneer Landscape Centers for Your Flagstone Needs
If you’re considering using flagstone instead of another hardscaping material for your landscaping needs, check out our flagstone materials online, or check out our store. We have several brands of flagstone including:
- Arizona Cut Flagstone
- Arkansas Stripstone
- Brecken Gold Slab
- Colorado Red Flag Patio
- Pennsylvania Blue Select Flag
- And more!
If you’re unsure of what hardscaping material you want to use for your project or need to know how much you need and what’s available, contact the landscaping experts at your local Pioneer Landscape Centers today.