How To Choose The Best Flagstone For Your Outdoor Living Space
There are many different types of flagstone. Flagstone can refer to many different stones and finishes. Today more than 60% of new single-family homes are being built with a patio addition. If you are planning on adding an outdoor living space for your home, here are some great choices of flagstone.
A great choice to use is natural cleft flagstone. We know that flagstone is basically a sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rock is made up of layer after layer of compressed rock over thousands of years.
Natural cleft flagstone is usually about 1 to 2 inches thick. It is cut this thick by a hydraulic guillotine that splits the flagstone along the grain. No one pice will be the same. Each piece will have a different thickness and might be smooth or uneven. Natural cleft is a great choice for those that are on a budget. It is a great material to use for patios and walks.
Thermaled flagstone gives a more uniform look. This flagstone is sawcut and then heat treated in a kiln. The cut flagstone can also be thermaled by an oxy-acetylene torch as well. Before it is heated, the surface is wet down, then once it is heated the water turns to steam and takes of the irregularities in the surface.
Since this flagstone is more uniform in color and smooth, it is a great material to use for front walks, step treads and wall caps. Front walks want to be even so that no one trips or falls on your front entry.
The last flagstone you can choose from is honed flagstone. Slabs of flagstone are sawcut to a uniform thickness and are honed instead. The surface of honed flagstone is ground to a smooth, flat consistent finish. Honed flagstone is a great material to use for firepit caps, hearths, outdoor kitchen worktops and basically any surface that will have skin contact.
There are tons of flagstone options to choose from. This is just the tip of the iceberg in choices. If you are in the market for a patio, Masonry Products in Louisiana can help you with your project.
