Local is always good. There are many different materials available in Nanaimo BC. Bluestone is quite a popular stone, if you live in this area, and of course you will cause less of an environmental impact, due to less shipping required.
I like my bluestone, but I’ll use other types of stone, depending on what look I am going for and depending on what is locally available in Nanaimo BC.
Sometimes I’ll bring in different types of stone, mix them up, for different artistic effects.
you can get more local than that, if you already have any flat stones in your yard? Even slate can be used as flagstone, argillite which is sometimes sorted for thickness and sold as flagstone and more.
Removing snow from my stone patio–will shoveling, plowing, salting be a problem?
Nope. Salt can be damaging to most non-natural hard surfaces, Flagstone will be fine. Shoveling is fine to–just don’t pound down upon the stone with an ice breaker–that’s how you damage any paving material.
If however your hard surface has a pre-built foundation and between the stones have been mortared, then you do not want to use salt. Calcium chloride is fine, shoveling is fine, but salt will cause corrosion.
In any event, whether your flagstones are set in mortar or dry laid–or if you have brick patio or a paver patio–it’s kind of best to not let the snow sit on your patio, to melt and re-freeze repeatedly. This sort of repeated freezing and melting and freezing again can damage concrete, asphalt, brick, pavers, natural stone and etc.
Does flagstone require an edge restraint the way pavers do?
No, our company doesn’t use any kind of edging. Leave that stuff to the paver guys…