Slate Patios: The Natural Choice
Now’s the time to think about adding a patio to your home to extend your indoor living space. And when it comes to patio materials, nothing is more natural than slate.
Here are 7 reasons we love Slate!
- Slate also known as Flagstone is 100 percent natural. Enjoy the natural beauty of the earth. Something that only time can manufacture.
- Slate patios can last up to 50 years. Slate is one of the most durable materials for patios and your outdoor living spaces.
- Slate is easy to care for. A good broom for sweeping and the occasional hose down are often all you need to keep your slate clean.
- A slate patio will increase your home’s value. You’re extending your outdoor living space as well as using natural stone as its basic building block.
- Flagstone is tough. If it’s installed correctly, slate can handle heavy foot traffic, all types of weather conditions, and it won’t crack or chip.
- No two slate patios look the same. Like fingerprints, no two flagstones look exactly the same. Thus, you’re guaranteed a unique look.
- Slate comes in a wide variety (see below). We install bluestone from Pennsylvania, quartzite from Arizona and iron mountain rock from eastern Washington and Utah.
Architectural Slabs
Black Beach Pebbles as joints.
Blue Bluestone
Set in a sand base with narrow sand joints
Columbia Slate Paver
Combination of 3 different size pavers
Rustic Blend Cobblestone
Brick planter and pergola
Columbia Slate Paver Northwest Blend
Wall with Matching Fire Ring
Paver Squares
Beach pebble joints.
Blue Bluestone Slate
Narrow joints with stepables
Variegated Bluestone
Gravel joints and path
Quartzite Slate
Gravel base with narrow 1-2” polymer sand in the joints
Iron Mountain Flagstone
Gravel base with narrow 1-2” beige polymer sand in the joints
Variegated bluestone slate
Stepables in wider compost/sand joints
Variegated bluestone slate
Gravel base with narrow 1-2” polymer sanded joints
You have three choices when it comes to how your slate patio is laid (see above):
- We can set narrow 1-2” polymer sanded joints that include adding a gravel base. The end product is a slate patio that looks mortared, doesn’t allow weed or insect infestation, and is washable.
- We can set narrow 1-2” joints with sand.
- We can set wider joints, filled with a compost/sand mixture and plant steppables (various ground hugging ground covers like Blue Star Creeper, Elfin Thyme or Leptinella) in the joints. They fill in within a year giving an inviting, woodland effect. And steppables are just that-plants that can handle foot traffic.
Paving Stone Patios for Endless Variety
Although most of our clients prefer the more natural appearance of flagstone, others opt for one of the many variations available with paving stone, a man-made product. Here are some of the highlights of what a patio made of pavers can do for you.
- Pavers designed for a circular effect, although costly to install, can create visually pleasing and interesting designs.
- The highly popular traditional cobblestone look mimics old world plazas.
- The multitude of colors, textures, and patterns give you plenty of design options
Since 1979, we’ve been providing landscape services to the Portland, Oregon metro region. We can customize any of our landscape services to meet your needs.