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One of the best ways to convey authenticity in your landscape design is by using flagstone. This is because when you use these flat stones, you will create a hand - made feel to your yard that also looks timeless. With the huge variety of modern and rustic cut flagstones, you can demonstrate your individual taste and style. 

What is Flagstone, anyway?

It is a blanket term for many different types of rock. First, a stonemason chisels or strikes larger stones, and as a result, it breaks up into thick, flat sheets. After that, these thinner sheets are then broken up into flagstone sized pieces. There are multiple types of rock that masons cut and then shape into flagstones. First, the softest and easiest rocks to chisel into shape are sedimentary rocks, the harder varieties include igneous rocks such as granite or basalt. Lastly, the toughest types belong to the metamorphic rocks, such as quartzite and marble. 

The different types

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There are two popular main types; patio and select. Patio pieces are smaller, usually 12'' to 18'' and thicker, and are most often used for stepping stones, outdoor pathways or patios. Because of their smaller size, they are typically palletized laying down, which helps prevent breakage during shipmen. On the other hand, select flagstone, known as standup, comes in large, thin slabs of 18'' to 36''. Because of their large size, they are usually palletized vertically. Flagstones come in many different shapes and sizes, including rectangular and square. However, they are also available in more natural, jagged varieties. 

The history of Flagstone

Flagstone has been in use in one form or another for thousands of years. Back in the early 1900's people saw it as an improvement over cobblestone, and its easy to see why. Since stonemasons can chisel it by hand into a very countertop material or even as a paving substrate, and also as a walkway or roadway. People even use them as roofing or siding. The most common applications is for flagstone patios and stepping stones. 

Flagstone Designs and Shapes

The great this about this natural stone is that you can shape it to create many different, unique patters. Just remember that you will want to tie your landscape together. This means that if you want a modern, clean look, you need to make sure to stick with a more rigid, repeating pattern, to say nothing of clean lines. For a more rustic look, you can go for irregular sizes and also random shapes