walkway--pavers or stamped concrete?

handylady

Used to have a brick walkway that ran between the house and the pool. It was about 12 feet long and curves alongside the pool deck, widest part maybe 5 feet down to 3 and a half feet.

Have removed the bricks from walkway and now have dirt there. I would like for that to have a flagstone look. Would I be better off to put down flagstone pavers? Or would it be more cost effective to have them pour a concrete slab over the walkway, and then stamp the concrete to look like flagstones? I could lay the flagstones myself to save money, but I am not sure I could single-handedly mix and lay that much concrete properly! Also I am worried about underlayment. This is only light foot traffic, if I did put down flagstones, would I still need to lay gravel, and how deep? I live in California, so cold is not a problem, but is heat (triple digit) a problem also?

any help would be MOST appreciated, I am on a budget.....!

clasact

since cold is not a factor and it is foot traffic I would not go to the expense of concrete.It will look nice and you can stain it to look like flagstone but cement is high now and for your area the cost of flag is pretty cheep( OK nothing is cheep lets say reasonable).If you already have the area dug out from where the brick was you may only need that depending on how deep your at now then gavel and the flag,I think I would keep them close together and pour that locking sand over it to keep them in place but just my opinion

mgsproperties

Concrete is less expensive then pavers. (on bigger jobs)
But concrete cracks and pavers are replacable.
Also depends on SF smaller jobs would be less expensive with pavers.

SECO Landscapes

You mentioned flagstone - actually, if you used something like Arizona Sandstone - 1.5" thick - about 1/2 ton with 1/2 yard of sand will do the job. Far easier than concrete - and you can do it yourself. make sure the sand is 1" thick, and pool-table level, then just lay the stone on top of it, Make sure you have big pieces (turkey platter) so they don't "rock" when you step on the edges.

Post some b4 & after shots!

fungku

I agree with all those who say no concrete. I don't like concrete at all and eventually it will crack :P

__________________

yesitsconcrete

baloney, ' eventually it will crack ' is poppycock & horse-puckey,,, if conc's placed correctly, its the most durable, flexible surface ever invented - ask the romans,,, the problem's too many think its easy & shortcut the method either out of ignorance or stupidity in the rush to get pd.

to those who tout pavers as water-permeable, i say 'phooey'!!!,,, they ain't,,, they are an engineered pavement but w/o proper installation, no better'n any other system,,, we all know ( or should ) what we're doing as, if someone doesn't, the same paintbrush gets the rest of us


for this little area, random or ashlar stone'd be my choice.