There’s something about natural materials that make them extremely appealing. Because of this, STONEarch natural stones have become a popular choice to use for backyard landscaping and pool decks. And if you want your space to convey authenticity, one of the best ways to do that is to use flagstone. That’s because using these flat stones will provide your pool deck or backyard with a traditional appeal that is both timeless and can even be contemporary or modern based on the stone products that are selected.

Flagstones are available in numerous varieties that can evoke your personal style and taste. This makes it a little challenging to find the right one suitable for your needs. So to help narrow down your choices, our expert team at STONEarch has listed down the top 5 flagstones for backyards or pool deck:

1. STONEarch Limestone
2. STONEarch Sandstone
3. STONEarch Travertine
4. STONEarch Slate
5. STONEarch Basalt

What Is A Flagstone?

Simply put, flagstone is a flat stone used for paving your patio, backyard, walkway, stepping stones, pool deck, and more. This natural stone has been around for centuries. During the 1900s, people deemed flagstone as an upgrade to cobblestones. One of the reasons behind this was that stonemasons could chisel the stones into a very flat surface by hand. Hence, it offered homeowners an easy means to create a surface with flat flooring.

The term flagstone and square-cut pavers are often used interchangeably today, however historically, flagstone often referred to irregular shaped natural stone (also known as random stone) and square-cut pavers are the more commonly used rectangular stones that come in mixed sizes such as 12×12”, 12×24”, 18×24”, 24×24” and 24×36”.

STONEarch Limestone

Limestone is probably the most popular type of flagstone which you can use on a wide range of applications, both indoors and outdoors. Most homeowners choose our collection of limestone for their landscape because of its durability and overall beauty. Also, our products can provide your property with an elegant appeal, whether you want to create an extravagant backyard or a simple pool deck.

For instance, using the very unique STONEarch Silver Valley with its fleuri pattern to its full potential will enable you to build a wonderful outdoor environment. Meanwhile, STONEarch Indus Gray, which is a premium limestone with a neutral and modern tone of gray and white hues is ideal for numerous landscape projects. Our STONEarch Indus Gray has quickly become the most popular stone recommended by premium landscape architects and high-end landscape contractors alike.

What’s more, limestone offers a plethora of weather-resistant properties. That means it will still look stunning even if it has gone through a lot of freeze-thaw cycles and many seasons. Therefore, our collection of STONEarch limestones are flagstones that will last for many years in outdoor applications.

STONEarch Sandstone

Sandstone has gained popularity because of how beautiful it looks and for its more rustic and traditional colour tones. Homeowners and architects alike can’t get enough of the overall look of our range of sandstones and choose to apply it for an array of purposes. Our sandstone is available in different colours with STONEarch Slate Gray being a favorite among our customers. This natural stone has a mild-moderate color variation, making it the perfect choice for creating a lovely natural look in your backyard.

STONEarch Dove is a great option for pool decks. Besides the light neutral gray tone which is sometimes referred to as Blue Ice stone or Dove Grey sandstone, The surface of this stone has a mild clefted natural texture, making it highly slip resistant. Another sandstone to consider is STONEarch Fossil which features a natural fossil effect, giving this stone an uncommon beauty that no other material can offer.

There are many reasons that make our STONEarch sandstone products so popular, however, the most common reason remains the neutral brown colour tones and how easily these stones can work well with a variety of different types of brick, masonry and stone facades. Additionally, unlike other materials, lighter surface sandstones will stay cool even during the hot summer months.

STONEarch Travertine

Travertine is a kind of flagstone that sports a weathered look with pitted holes, giving the stone a very aged character. Similar to all our natural stone products, STONEarch travertine is highly durable, making them perfect for your pool deck or backyard area. Since the surface remains cool, it’s the best stone choice for bare feet on a hot summer pool deck. Since travertine is rugged in nature, it will surely stand the test of time.

In fact, some of our clients exclusively only use the STONEarch Travertines for all their projects. It’s important to keep in mind that not all travertines are made the same, and our STONEarch products have been time and weather-tested for over 20 years in Canadian rain, snow and weather climates.

We have two kinds of travertine in our collection that you can choose from. STONEarch Gray Mix has warm and neutral tones of light gray and blue. On the other hand, STONEarch Ivory Mix has warm and neutral tones of cream, beige, and walnut. These flagstones are classic tumbled cobbles for pool decks and the best stones for your million-dollar home.

STONEarch Slate

One of the most common types of flagstone is slate but with a distinctive appearance. The color of the natural stone can vary from green to copper, depending on several factors, including its mineral content. Our line of slate is multipurpose, looks lovely, and extremely practical to work with. STONEarch Walling Honey, Walling Midnight, and Walling Rustic are excellent materials for walling facades, fireplaces, water features, sunroom, and garden walls.

We find this stone is not suitable for landscape use in the traditional sense of pavers or copings. Instead, we only offer this natural stone as part of our STONEarch Walling Veneers Collection.

STONEarch Basalt

Known as volcanic rock, basalt comes with plenty of good qualities, making the flagstone highly sought-after. Likewise, its texture is quite gentle, making it great to use in a lot of your projects. Although you may not find this natural stone as striking as the other flagstones on our list, it does possess a charm unique to the stone.

The color range of basalt is pretty small and you’ll mostly find it is available in a black or dark gray, such as STONEarch Carbon Basalt. The eternal quality that our basalt stone has will ensure that it can stand the test of time, withstood harsh climate, as well as heavy foot and vehicular traffic. Moreover, this medium-dark gray stone has lighter gray flecks that emphasize its simple and rugged beauty.

These are the top 5 flagstones for backyard and pool deck. Working with flagstone is easy as well, allowing you to create the backyard or pool deck of your dreams. So contact our team today if you want to take a look and see our best-selling products.