Natural Stone Patio
Patio Stone Choices

A natural stone patio can be one of the most beautiful types you can have.

There are various types of stones to choose from for a stone patio design. Some are well known, such as bluestone or even travertine, but there are others that are definitely worth consideration.

The availability of natural stone varies depending on what the local stone yards stock. Some stones will be local while others come from various areas of the country.

Since I have written other pages on bluestone and travertine which can be used for natural stone patios, I thought I would address other stones you might think about for your patio stone designs.

Idaho Quartz stone is a very hard stone with a sheen to it. It's one of the more unusual stones and very beautiful. As you can see, it is mostly gray, but there are some tans in it also.

It's quite neutral and looks good in many landscapes. It is a great stone for pool decking. Most Idaho Quartz has an irregular shape which adds to the natural look for stone patio designs. Photo from Peninsula Building Materials.

Here, Idaho Quartz is used for pool coping. You can see the irregularity of the stone by the mortared joints, yet the edges have been cut to form geometric, straight lines. It appears the same stone has been used for the pool paving for a unified look. Photo from California Pools.

This lovely walkway by Unturned Stone was done with a gray crab orchard stone. It resembles the Idaho Quartz only in color here. There is no sparkle to the stones and this is a softer material than quartz stone. It can sometime flake over time. As you will see in the images below, this is not the typical color of crab orchard stone.

This is more of the unusual color of Tennessee crab orchard stone, yet even this has variations of color. Typically it is all shades of rust...lights to darks. In the right environment, it can be lovely. The strong color can limit its successful uses to more neutral landscapes. Photo from Bill Greene Masonry.

The same stone is used here and is similar to the stones above. Crab Orchard stone comes in both irregular and regular shapes. It can be dry laid or set in concrete. Photo from Unturned Stone.

Arizona flagstone is a sedimentary stone which makes it softer than any quartz stone.

At times, it can flake off in layers, but not always. It comes in many beautiful southwestern colors.

Again, it's not as versatile as bluestone or travertine, but can be quite nice in the right place...as you can see from this great photo from California Pools.

I hope this has given you some stone patio ideas that you might use on your own patio, walkway or pool decking. A natural stone patio can be more costly than using other materials, but if it's in your budget, it's a great paving choice.

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