patio design help

7 years ago

Trying to choose between techo bloc slate Blu60 in Champlain gray (top left), EP Henry Bristol Stone in Tucson (top right) or wet-laid full color thermal flagstone. If we go with pavers, we would be able to do a cool border design like one of the attached photos. Thoughts ? We are really struggling to decide, and this affects who we hire. We would be using a landscaper/hardscaper for the pavers, or a masonry company that specializes in bluestone for the bluestone.

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Revolutionary Gardens

7 years ago

on the flagstone, thermal v natural cleft also depends on the look you're after. Thermal tends to stick a lot closer to blue-grays, at least what they send us here in VA. We generally only see a full range of colors like in your inspiration photo with natural cleft.

We use thermal for front walks and at wineries and B&Bs, places where we're most likely to see folks unsteady on their feet (be it from age, injury, or fermented grapes). Natural cleft has a little more character IMHO. Since we handpick each stone for every job, we just make sure we don't get mini-mountains. Talk to your mason but they should be able to do the same, since we buy the stone from your state.

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Comments (8)

rschleifs
Original Author
7 years ago
I do live in PA in an area with freeze/thaw cycles. Our mason had assured me that due to the quality of the bluestone they select directly from the quarry and their installation process with mortar, we do not have to worry about cracking or spalling and likely the only maintenance that would be required with the bluestone is maybe some re-pointing in 15 years.
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Yardvaark
7 years ago
Colorwise, I like your top left option and the bluestone (except for the high contrast grout.) While the highly textured pavers are okay looking, I don't care for walking on them, thinking they are a bit overdone. Of the border pictures, I like the first one with the black pin stripe the best. The last one with the double black pin stripes could be okay somewhere, but I don't care for it with the pavers used in the picture. I positively dislike the middle border option (with the tan slices-of-bread-looking fieldstone) ... too much and disparate variety for me.
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Revolutionary Gardens
7 years ago

If the border is a selling point, ask your mason about options. This is PA flag bordered with 4x4x4 granite cubes.
Kathi Steele
7 years ago
I agree with Yardvaark, too much texture makes walking hard and furniture tends to wobble.

The grout looks best when it blends in. The simple black pinstripe border looks the best also.
rschleifs
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks everyone! So consensus is smooth is better for a patio, ie if we choose flagstone I should stick with thermal over cleft as well ? Or are the pavers significantly more textured than cleft flagstone would be? Any benefit to doing the bluestone dry laid in PA?
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Yardvaark
7 years ago
Someone with more stone experience can better make the generalizations about various stone alternatives. But in general, smoother is better for a patio floor. (But not polished.) There is a high degree of texture variation among pavers. IMO, a little texture goes a long way, where too much contributes to their trying to appear like stone, but failing. Whereas, as flat pavers, they would have looked fine. The one's whose tops are slightly domed and their corners rounded (attempting to mimic cobblestone), can be the worst to use for walking and setting furniture.
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Yardvaark
7 years ago
Great advice, Rev.!

"... be it ... fermented grapes." LOL!