Well, I don't actually have them installed yet, but I do have a large pile of pavers AND a large pile of flagstone waiting to be installed in our backyard. We are doing pavers in the small rectangular area where the kids run to get to the play area and then a circular area next to that where the adults sit in chairs will be done in flagstone. I have heard that the flagstones (at least the type we have around here) can be slippery when wet.

Several thoughts come to mind while reading your post. Might your present patio actually be brick rather than pavers? Brick are made from clay whereas pavers are concrete and rarely crack.

The sub-surface may be insufficient too. Any properly installed stone or brick need 4" or more of a prepared gravel bedding to permit drainage and control frost heaving. As to weeds, periodically fresh sand needs to be swept to fill the voids between the pavers. Absent doing this, dirt collects providing a place for weeds to root. I do this annually but still get some moss - part of the charm of a patio.

Flagstone will be more costly to install because the individual stones are irregular in shape and thickness. Pavers are uniform and available in a multitude of shapes and colors. I've recently seen pavers formed to look like flagstone so you may be able to get the best of both. If you visit a local landscaper they will have photos and installations to view. Depending on your area, a new paver patio might run around $20 per sq. ft. At least you could use this as a budgetary start. Pavers will not be slippery unless sealed. I cannot comment on flagstone.

When I built ours 10 years ago, the regular brick-shape was really all that was available. No regrets though - good luck planning and enjoying yours.

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Patio

OK....I have 900sq feet of wrap around red wood decking with a flagstone patio under it...then a brick patio, then a paver patio. I like them all. BUT.....the redwood deck is 25 years old and needs a section replaced...it's rotting! That won't happen with the other decks....:0)

Here is a link that might be useful: Picture of paver patio deck

No-green-thumb, we have a walkway just like your's and we love it!

I grew up with a very large rock patio, and as beautiful as it was, I hated it because the rock wasn't all flat and chairs wouldn't sit on it without rocking. Maybe that's why the patio was built with a built-in concrete patio table and benches? lol.

I still dream of that house. :(

I love flagstone and brick patios. We have a large concrete patio at this house and in the next month or so are having it resurfaced with a textured pattern of some sort. We have an arbor coming off the patio and have flagstone leading out from the patio going underneath the arbor to the yard. We are expanding that area with a circular pattern out from the arbor - our firepit will be moved to center of that circle.

Our last house had a brick patio. We have had no problems with brick or flagstone.

If you went with flagstone and had the large gaps, you can first have sand and pebbles (the pretty ones not gravel), spread. Actually the pebbles go in after the flagstone and will fill in the gaps. Another suggestion is there are several ground covers that are considered *stepable* that you can plant to fill in between the flagstone.

tina

Oakley,
Thanks for the compliment. We used the flagstones on the other side of the patio for a pathway to the grill.
Tina, I tried all of the above - pebbles, sand, the sand with acrylic that is supposed to dry hard, ground covers including moss and thyme - every year was a new thing. The pebbles got everywhere, the sand with acrylic didn't stay in and the ground covers just got beat up every time someone moved a chair. I would think it would have worked better if it were just a seating area where things didn't get moved around. But the moss just got everywhere - and then there were the gaps where chair legs and such got stuck. As I said, it may have been much better had the installation been done properly, but there would have still been the gaps. I love the pavers as there are no gaps, it is almost smooth. It has been down through one winter here and there is no sign that anything moved.
This is a pic of the walkway on the other side.

and then the other side of the patio - we can walk right out the laundry room door to the grill - and I wanted the grill out of the way.

I installed flagstone about two years ago. It has held up well, except for a few stones that shaled in half and had to be glued back together. (Also, a couple of the flagstones on the steps have come loose, but that's because of the way we installed them, not because they're flagstone.) There are lots of photos of the process as well as the finished project linked below.

To keep weeds from sprouting in the spaces, I spread Weed Prevent or Preen a couple times each year. And I go along the path and pull weeds out when they sprout. It hasn't been too much of a problem.

As you can see from the photos linked below, the area was properly prepared, with hardware cloth, landscape/weed fabric and two layers of different size gravel.

I can't comment on the cost of having someone install flagstone, because I did all the work myself (and I mean myself, not my husband). It was backbreaking, sweaty work that took about five months, but it was worth it to get the look I wanted. A contractor would not have fit the stones together as precisely as I did.

Here is what the area looked like when we moved in:

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We removed some of the deck and the triangular planter.

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And here's what it looks like now:

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Here is a link that might be useful: deck and path construction

pammyfay, I agree with previous posters, the underlayment is very important to the success of your patio material. Uxorial, your log house and surroundings are beautiful!

Uxorial, your backyard is just stunning. I remember that you posted pictures for me last year when I was researching all of the possibilities I had. I had wanted a deck but I needed 10 inches and the sunroom doors are just a few inches off the ground. I considered stamped concrete as well, but the pavers give a much more natural look IMO. I really would have liked the flagstone again - but was just too afraid that I would have the same problems as before.
We are more than happy with the pavers.
Again, --- Pammyfay, if you are still out there, do your homework. I read many, many articles on the internet of how to construct a paver patio. Then when I had my estimates, I had each person tell me how he was going to construct it. Good luck!