Through landscape design in Vancouver, we can help you create the perfect garden. Rugged flagtone patios are the perfect complement to dazzling summer gardens.
Patios allow you to interact easily with the outdoors without crushing your grass or soaking your slippers in the dew-filled mornings. Instead, decks are durable and easy to maintain. They don’t require water or weeding. It’s no wonder stone patios are a go-to choice for increasing curb appeal and beautifying homes.
Flagstones: A go-to choice for landscaping design in Vancouver
Flagstones are easy to maintain in Vancouver’s changeable climate–but what is it exactly? Contrary to the name, flagstone isn’t actually a type of stone. Flagstone is simply the name for any type of stone sliced into thin and irregular pieces. Types of stone used for this practice include sandstone, bluestone, slate, quartzite and limestone
These irregular stone pieces are a favourite tool for many landscape designers in Vancouver. They add contrast to your yard wokring to showcase and bridge the beauty of the natural world and the home. The rough texture of stone makes flagstone one of the safest options for outdoor pathways, providing traction in even the rainiest conditions.
Appearance
Flagstone patios allows for the convenience of something man-made while maintaining the authentic and timeless feel of the natural world. The irregularity of the stones, placed carefully together, perfectly contrasts a natural space while not ever seeming out of place.
Additionally, the stone comes in enough different types and colours to express your individuality in your yard- these include earthy stones like sandstone, limestone and travertine or refined glossy stones like quartzite, bluestone and slate.
Why Flagstone Patios?
Flagstone enjoys a wide array of positive traits that often make it the best option for backyard patios, walkways and a variety of other applications, these traits include:
Durability
Flagstone has been used for hundreds of years, in many applications that are still standing today. This stone also tolerates weather extremely well, as it pays no consequences to fluctuating temperatures.
Installation
Can be installed with or without mortar- making the installation fairly easy- especially for beginners looking to get their hands dirty.
Appearance
Versatility is one of the major draws of flagstone. Local stone distributors will carry a variety of different colours and textures of this popular stone, as well as in both regular and irregular shapes depending on whatever dream you have for your space.
Maintenance
Unlike other stones, the maintenance required for flagstone is next to none. Simply keep them swept and sprayed to keep them in good shape. Oftentimes the stones end up looking better as they age, as the stones wear in and moss or other ground cover grows through the cracks. This results in a flawlessly timeless yard.
Safety and Accessibility of Flagstone Patios
Flagstone is often the first choice for safety as well as for looks. Its low profile makes it easily wheeled on by family members with wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Additionally, its textured surface keeps it easy to walk on worry-free even during the worst Vancouver downpours. As part of our services for landscape design in Vancouver, we can come up with a plan to create flagstone paths to increase accessibility around the home. Our team can also construct the path, providing you with a convenient A-to-Z service.
Key Elements to Building a Flagstone Pathway:
Flagstone is one of the most approachable hardscaping materials for the first time DIY-er. Here we’ve laid out the basics to put you on the road to patio paradise.
Define the Area
First what you’ll need to do is define the perimeters of your patio. Using mason’s lines, outline the intended shape of the space- this will allow for perfectly straight lines and corners when you finish.
Excavate
Remove all of the extra material within the perimeter you have defined. Excavate about 8 inches deep, and level the ground to create a 2% slope away from the house to ensure drainage flows away.
Base Preparation
Once your excavated site is looking nice and excavated, start adding some ¾” crushed rock. The best technique for this is to add 2” of rock at a time, raking thoroughly and tamping down each time. For pedestrian access the base should only need about 4” of base depth, while light vehicles will need about 12”.
Bedding 9mm Clear Crushed Rock
Maintaining the proper 2% slope, smooth and tamp the gravel very well before adding 1” of clear crushed rock on top.
Flagstone Organization and Installation
This step is going to seem tedious, but have trust when we say it’s worth it. Organize the flagstones you have according to size on a nearby surface. This way you will be able to select the perfect size easily as you piece together your stones. Once finished, the moment of truth has arrived- and you can start laying your stones. Check as you go for any fluctuations in the ground to make sure stones are level. Leveling stones at this point is your best shot to eliminate annoying tripping hazards down the line.
Fill In
There are numerous options with how to finalize your patio or walkways. Our go to choice is usually a product by Romex, as it manages to be both a highly efficient and durable product. We don’t recommend applying these products on your own, but instead contracting a Romex Trusted Service partner to help you select and install the correct product. Our process starts with mixing the correct proportions of sand and resin and then brushing the mix of the permeable mortar across the gaps in the stone, making sure we are filling all undesirable cracks and levelling the space. We then give the space a sweep, let it set (ensuring it remains dry for at least 24 hours) and in no time you’ll be enjoying a patio free of weeds, ants, or anything else that could ever disturb your peace.
Enjoy!
Once dried, this area is guaranteed to never make you break a sweat ever again. Set up some lounge chairs, kick your feet up, and enjoy your new paradise.
There’s never any shame in asking for help when you need it. If sitting on a patio sounds like a better use of your Saturday than building one, give us a call. We offer landscape design in Vancouver and all the services you need to create your perfect backyard oasis.
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