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Had to pick between a cheap paver patio and a flagstone one for my backyard, went with the flagstone
The flagstone cost me $600 more but after three winters in Michigan it still looks solid while my neighbor's pavers are already shifting, has anyone else regretted going with the cheaper option on hardscaping?
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jamie9401mo ago
Funny you mention that, because I actually read somewhere that Michigan frost heave is brutal on anything less than a proper 6-inch compacted gravel base with drainage. Heard a landscaping guy on a podcast talking about how most DIY pavers fail because people skip the prep and hope for the best. Sounds like your neighbor learned that the hard way. Flagstone is heavy enough that it can shrug off some movement, but even that needs a solid base if you want it to last another five years.
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mason_lopez1mo ago
@nancyj11 hit it right on the head with that base question. On my flagstone job I went 8 inches of compacted 3/4 inch crushed stone with landscape fabric underneath and a 1 inch leveling layer of stone dust. Those stones are 2 inches thick average and I bet a few of them weigh 150 pounds each. Three Michigan winters and not one of them has budged. My neighbor did his pavers on 4 inches of gravel with sand and his whole patio looks like a roller coaster now. The prep work is what really matters way more than the material cost.
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nancyj111mo ago
Wait, did you do any base prep under the flagstone or just lay it on sand? I’ve seen guys throw down cheap pavers on a thin gravel base and then wonder why they’re sinking after two freeze-thaw cycles. Also, how thick were the flagstones, like 1.5 inches or more like 2?
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