Different Kinds of Flagstone Products

Kitchen Countertops

• Indoor and outdoor kitchen countertops can be made of flagstone. The flagstone material slate is an excellent hard surface for this purpose. Slate, according to The Kitchen Designer, is as strong -- if not stronger -- than granite. Using a strong and durable material for your kitchen countertop can help reduce the likelihood you'll need to replace it as early. Be aware that some slate and flagstone materials are more porous than others, absorbing stains more readily.

Porch Columns

• Use flagstones as support bases for a home's structural columns. It will make your plain home posts less plain and add a dimension of strength to simple wooden columns. Fieldstones provide added insurance against storm damage due to their rugged texture, and they add an interesting natural look to the exterior appearance of your home. For homes with more than one outdoor room -- such as a porch, a veranda and a pergola area -- maintain continuity by creating fieldstone bases beneath each roofed area requiring a column.

Chimneys and Fire Pits

• Use flagstones to build an indoor or outdoor wood-burning fireplace. Encased in a screened-in porch, the dry-stacked chimney face structure -- made of Tennessee Fieldstone -- provides home owners with year-round fire capabilities. Create an outdoor fire pit using fieldstone for your patio area. Top it with slate for an elegant finish and line it with firebricks.

Porch Flooring

• Top your un-screened, columned porch with a flagstone floor to reduce concerns about durability. Limestone provides a softer-colored look; sandstone provides a more neutral or clay-colored appearance. Little maintenance is required compared to carpeting or laminate or wood flooring, because a simple solution of soap and water suffices for cleaning it. You won't have to stain or dye it every five years or worry about mold or mildew from it.