Flagstone Patios: A Beautiful Way to Expand Your Outdoor Living Space

Nothing says outdoor elegance like gracious flagstone patios. With the trend of transitional living spaces on the rise, adding a patio can increase your home’s value, as well as adding beauty and functionality to your outdoor living area.
Over half of the people looking for a new home said one of the things they are looking for is outdoor living space, whether it be a patio, or a full outdoor kitchen. It’s easy to see why. Having a beautiful garden filled with flowers, family and friends makes a great place for gathering.
One of the best surfaces to create the basis for your outdoor space is flagstone. The natural beauty and wide variety of colors make it a lovely choice for any home. Flagstone patios can be designed from rocks cut in regular shapes and set in concrete to create a formal look. For those who prefer a more natural setting, the stones can be left uncut and placed in random patterns with sand mortar. Either style is beautiful, but each has its place. If the patio will be used for dining, a flush surface is important, and setting the stones in concrete is usually best. But if you’re going to be using it for informal seating arrangements or a fire pit, stones can be set with concrete or sand, and there is the option of adding lovely groundcover to meander around the rocks.
Flagstone patios can last a lifetime, if set properly. Hiring a professional is advisable, as many of the rocks are large and extremely heavy, and proper installation can prevent cracking. However, one of the advantages of flagstone is the ease of repair and maintenance. If a stone does crack, it is fairly simple to replace that one piece. keeping it clean is also as easy as sweeping and the occasional spray with the power washer.
Enjoying a picnic no longer requires a trip to the park. Flagstone patios can bring charm and style to your backyard, giving you additional space to entertain and adding value to your home.