Pathways: Using Flagstone to Pull the Project Together

Why:

All landscapes require flow.  Some need flow from a patio to a door.  Others need flow from a porch to a firepit.  Certain designs require a path from a garden to the shed.  In each of these situations, the use of flagstone can be used to pull the project together.  The exciting part about flagstone is that all parent materials have a corresponding flagstone.  This makes coordination rather simple.  Read on to learn more about the options that are available.

Options:

Natural Stone:  The primary stones used in Minnesota are Chilton, Fond du Lac, New York Bluestone and Buckskin.  While these are spendy choices their elegance puts them on a higher pedestal.  Asides from aesthetics, natural stones come with a fabulous texture which can be very pleasing to the touch.

Concrete:  Menards is the origin of many of the more generic path stones found in the landscape.  More often than not we are replacing these with higher-end products.  Concrete does have a tremendous strength and durability component which is a bonus.  If you are on a strict budget I’d go no further.

Wetcast Pathstone:  Rochester Concrete Products makes a very nice concrete alternative.  The selling point with these newer technology concrete steps is they look like somewhat like natural stone but at a more attractive price point.  Wetcast can be slightly slick, but this can be overlooked if the path is in a lower use area.

Size and Shape:  Both irregular and geometric path stone shapes are available to match whatever the design is asking.  Concrete products are easier to lay on a base of sand.  When dealing with natural stone there is usually a higher cost of the material as well as the labor.  This added labor comes from the fact that the stone itself is very uneven and a bit of tinkering is required for a perfect fit.

Conclusion:

Path stones pull it all together.  From square or circle to concrete or natural stone, there will be an exact match for your project.