We are in the process of redoing our pool deck as well as adding additional patio space to our backyard in SE Pennsylvania. Our hardscape around the house and pool currently uses PA Bluestone, which looks great except it gets unbearably hot around our pool. The flagstone around the pool is all uneven (about 20 years old) and given we are adding an additional 1,500 SF of patio + pavilion and fireplace, we wanted to redo this area.
Since the flagstone gets so hot, we wanted to look at alternatives. A few of our neighbors have stamped concrete that's 15+ years old and still looks great so we put that to the front of the list. However, every single contractor we talked to tries to talk us out of stamped concrete given it (eventually) will crack. The alternatives they give us to flagstone? Traveterine or possibly pavers. We probably wouldn't do travertine or pavers in the other areas (contractors also seem to be against using different kinds of materials in differnet areas as they try to talk us out of this). And then there is stamped concrete which is what the wife wants so the kid's feet don't get burned. Final option (and probably cheapest) is keeping the flagstone.
I guess the questions we had given the contractors we've talked to all seem to push what they want to do:
1. Any alternatives we aren't thinking of?
2. Does having different materials in different areas (stamped concrete around the pool and flagstone everywhere else) really that bad? I don't think so but again, the contractors seem to make a big deal about it.
3. If we did the stamped concrete, could we leave our current coping? The concrete contractor (same firm that did my neighbors which still looks great) said we'd have to have someone else remove the coping which then could possibly crack tile which I know will just lead to additional costs. I'm assuming since our coping looks nice (although very hot) we could keep it?
I think I've almost convinced the wife to keep the flagstone around the pool given it's already there and will save us money vs doing the stamped concrete or pavers and if she really hates it down the road, we can always replace it. But I told her I'd ask the community for any additional thoughts we might be missing.
Thanks!
Since the flagstone gets so hot, we wanted to look at alternatives. A few of our neighbors have stamped concrete that's 15+ years old and still looks great so we put that to the front of the list. However, every single contractor we talked to tries to talk us out of stamped concrete given it (eventually) will crack. The alternatives they give us to flagstone? Traveterine or possibly pavers. We probably wouldn't do travertine or pavers in the other areas (contractors also seem to be against using different kinds of materials in differnet areas as they try to talk us out of this). And then there is stamped concrete which is what the wife wants so the kid's feet don't get burned. Final option (and probably cheapest) is keeping the flagstone.
I guess the questions we had given the contractors we've talked to all seem to push what they want to do:
1. Any alternatives we aren't thinking of?
2. Does having different materials in different areas (stamped concrete around the pool and flagstone everywhere else) really that bad? I don't think so but again, the contractors seem to make a big deal about it.
3. If we did the stamped concrete, could we leave our current coping? The concrete contractor (same firm that did my neighbors which still looks great) said we'd have to have someone else remove the coping which then could possibly crack tile which I know will just lead to additional costs. I'm assuming since our coping looks nice (although very hot) we could keep it?
I think I've almost convinced the wife to keep the flagstone around the pool given it's already there and will save us money vs doing the stamped concrete or pavers and if she really hates it down the road, we can always replace it. But I told her I'd ask the community for any additional thoughts we might be missing.
Thanks!
