One of the most-asked questions we get from our customers is “What type of Flagstone do you recommend for (insert name of stone project the customer is about to undertake)?”
In truth, there is rarely a ‘perfect answer’ to this question. Not only does Flagstone vary from quarry to quarry, it varies from stone to stone. And although this sounds perfectly logical on its surface, the uniqueness of each stone means that the best answer comes from you – taking your time to learn about at least some of the different types of Flagstone, actually looking at what is available, and then going through your own vetting process (with help from knowledgeable folks in the industry like the ones we have here at Stone Distributors) to get to the end result of picking the best stones to be used to complete your project.
Sometimes you will get lucky, and the Flagstone that has the color patterns you are looking for also happens to be the “strongest stone” we have on the lot. That is the best of all worlds – but alas, that often does not happen.
Therefore, let us focus on the qualities that you should be looking for when trying to pick the “best” Flagstone for your project… and note that “Color” should not be at the top of your list (if you want your finished project to last for the longest length of time, anyway).
Here are the characteristics you should look for when looking for the strongest stone in the Flagstone you are choosing for your stone project:
** When you are looking for a “strong stone” – test it by banging a rock against it. If it sounds metallic, chances are it is stronger than a rock that makes a “thudding” sound. (NOTE: if you are going to do this on our or any other lot, please ask for our help. Accidents can happen, and there is a technique to performing this action to keep from cracking or chipping the stone).
QUALITIES OF THE STRONGEST FLAGSTONE
- Durability = Strength (Density). Our owner Mike does not love the word “durability” in this context, although it is pretty commonly used across the industry. Mike likes to call it Strength (Density), as he believes that word more accurately describes the quality of the stone.
- Tolerance = Thicker vs. thinner. We like thicker over thinner. Thicker is more durable and is usually a better quality of stone. Thin is only used over concrete, usually in the front.
- Consistency of thickness
- Color = Personal taste. But be careful not to let it override the qualities above, which are all more important if you place any value on how long your stone will last. The reason being is that it is a natural product and the variance in color, throughout the pallet, can be huge.
- Texture
As you can see, there is a lot that goes into the quality of the stone you will be choosing to use in your project.
Our experts here at Stone Distributors are happy to share with you how using this list of qualities as a guideline will lead you to making the best choices of Flagstone for your patio, walkway, garden path, outdoor steps or numerous other stone or landscaping project.
In our follow up article to this we will discuss some of the different types of Flagstone we have on our 5-acre lot right now – their characteristics, and which ones we tend to recommend the most and why.
We want to leave you with one more important tidbit, if you have not picked up on it by now: do not make color the most important factor in deciding which stones you will choose – unless the durability of your finished project does not matter (and we have yet to hear anyone say that).
Want to learn more about Flagstone or any other type of stone for outdoor and landscaping projects? Then come on into Stone Distributors today. Our knowledgeable owner and staff are happy to help answer all of your questions and help show you the right materials (and contractors, if you are looking for one) to make your project a successful and long-lasting one. Your vision combined with our knowledge, experience and service. That is a winning combination you can trust.
Contact us at (678) 354-0566 or by visiting us online at https://www.stonedist.com or on our Stone Distributors Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stonedist/. We are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed on Sundays.
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