| The current low interest rate environment provides | | | | sponge off the stones to remove any excess |
| exceptional opportunities for the homeowner to | | | | concrete. You want the concrete to stay in the |
| carry out remodeling and additions to their current | | | | joints and not leave any on the stones. After the |
| house through a home equity loan. There are many | | | | flagstones have been laid you may need to clean off |
| options available to improve the look and functionality | | | | the entire flagged area with masonry cleaner. It is |
| of a home and a popular idea with many | | | | important to check with your stone supplier about |
| homeowners is to increase the outdoor living area by | | | | the type of masonry cleaner you should use. You |
| building a flagstone patio or adding a deck. | | | | must avoid using a cleaner that is too strong for your |
| Adding a deck can be a simple project, however if | | | | stone. Follow the directions on the pack and rinse off |
| you want to build a flagstone patio it can become a | | | | the cleaner very well. |
| major project. That said, however, flagstones are an | | | | Sealing Your New Flagstone Patio |
| architectural feature that can add drama and richness | | | | There are pros and cons to sealing flagstones. In |
| to a home while providing a substantial outdoor | | | | some instances it is recommended and it will highlight |
| entertaining area. | | | | the natural color and beauty of the stone. However, |
| A full flagstone patio can be an expensive outdoor | | | | in an outdoor situation the sealant will tend to wear |
| home improvement. However, if you simply add a | | | | quickly and not in an even manner which can lead to |
| flagstone border to an existing patio you may be | | | | some areas of the flagging becoming dirty whilst |
| able to add strong visual appeal at a fraction of the | | | | others retain the sealer and their natural beauty. |
| cost. | | | | Many people prefer to leave the flagging unsealed. It |
| Apart from the cost of the flagstones, the other | | | | will age evenly and retain a more natural look, |
| major expense will be the contractors' labor. A | | | | especially in an outdoor setting. |
| flagstone patio can be quite time consuming to lay as | | | | If you are tempted to seal your new flagstone patio |
| the flags frequently need to be cut to size and there | | | | avoid using a urethane sealer. Some people want to |
| is a great deal of planning involved in achieving an | | | | use this type of sealer as it gives the stone flags a |
| outstanding result. | | | | wet look. However, the urethane won't allow the |
| To save on the cost of hiring contractors you might | | | | stone and concrete to breathe and will cause the |
| want to consider laying the stones yourself. It is | | | | alkaline in the concrete to work its way to the |
| possible to build a flagstone patio yourself, but you'll | | | | surface, which in turn will cause gray blotches to |
| need to have good instruction and follow the | | | | appear on your stone. |
| directions carefully. The good news about doing it | | | | Design options for building a flagstone patio are |
| yourself is that flagstones are more forgiving than | | | | unlimited. Follow the guidelines, ensure you have a |
| tiles because they usually don't have to be regular in | | | | stable base, set the larger flags first and then fill with |
| size. | | | | smaller stones. Your flagstone patio will give you |
| Cleaning Your Flagstone Patio | | | | many years of beauty and enjoyment. |
| An important cleaning step when laying flagging is to | | | | |