Flagstones are pieces of flat stones having longer surface area in relation to thickness. They come from stratified rocks of sedimentary and metamorphic nature, which are naturally splittable or cleavable along their planes of lineation. Thus they are flat in the direction of bedding or lineation planes of the rock. Naturally split or cleaved surface appears uneven and clefty, which in turn depict the very natural characteristic of the stone.

Fieldstone is another term widely used as a synonym with flagstone but besides rock pieces, they also cover stone pebbles and cobbles found loose on the surface or in the soil. Though river bed pebbles, in strict sense are not fieldstone, yet commercially they are included because of their similar application and usage.

Flagstones are commonly used as material for paving of floors, patios, terraces, outdoor walkways, driveways, lining of garden beds and landscaping. In wider applications, they are also used in flooring of steps and as wall cladding material.

Though rough, irregularly shaped, random sized pieces of stones was most common choice in earlier days, yet with time the regular shaped and definite sized pieces of stones are preferred for paving and cladding applications.

The most common rock types, which contribute to flagstones and fieldstones, are sandstones, limestones, slatestones and quartzites.

Since the dawn of Stone Age civilization, stones are being used for building and construction purposes. But with latest designs and patterns the same stones have attained wider acceptability and importance in modern usage and wide range of applications like paving of pathways, side walkways, garden beds, garden landscaping, patios, swimming pools, fountains, wall cladding, etc.

Type of Flagstones