I have spent lots of time working in residential neighborhoods throughout Dallas and Fort Worth. Some folks spend money on painting their house while others renovate their landscaping to increase curb appeal. A lot of the new homes have stone veneer which helps with curb appeal too. One change or upgrade that can be made, which helps create tons of curb appeal and update the look of your home, is flagstone. If you are at home right now you can take a real hard look at that sidewalk and front porch and come to the conclusion that that gray concrete is not doing much for your home. Flagstone is the solution. It’s rather simple. As long as the existing concrete is still intact and doesn’t appear to have any major cracks or chips then you already have a great foundation for a flagstone walkway.
As you can see in the photo above the area below the steps is the existing concrete but at the steps, we have begun adding the silvermist flagstone. Silvermist was used on this occasion because as you can tell the brick and stone on the house is consistent in color with the silvermist. Most experienced masonry contractors and landscapers should be able to locate the stone that best matches your home. Like I stated earlier., as long as the concrete is in good condition then a flagstone veneer can be added over the top of the concrete. To achieve the best look you must keep the mortar joints to one inch or less. This process can be time-consuming because its almost like trying to complete a puzzle. The good thing is stone can be manipulated so a simple concrete saw or grinder should help shape the stones to fit the sidewalk to achieve one-inch mortar joints and a high-quality look. Now after the stonework is complete the flagstone then gets cleaned. We typically use muriatic acid which helps clean the stone and gives it a nice finish.
This is what the project should look like when complete. This is right after the acid wash. The stone is a little wet but once it dries the muriatic acid will help reveal all the different shades of gray and blue that are in the flagstone. You can also add a sealant that helps keep that nice wet glossy look. Stonework and flagstone work should only be completed by a professional contractor who HAS experience doing this. Clients First Landscape Solutions has installed a handful of flagstone walkways in Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding cities. This is a common solution we recommend to homeowners in older subdivisions to help add more curb appeal. Cost is pretty consistent on these projects unless a new concrete walkway has to be poured then it gets rather expensive but it does increase the home’s value too so it may be worth investment. Remember this is the first thing people see when they are walking up to their house. So why not invest money into stunning flagstone walkway.