Origin
Flagstone is a sedimentary stone that is composed of rounded grains of quartz which are cemented by silica. Other minerals are present, mostly as thin seams of clay, mica, secondary silicam calcite, and gypsum. Flagstone is mainly quarried from the Coconinoand Prescott National Forests.
Although flagstone and dimension stone are quarried from all over the state the town of Ash Fork, Arizona is well known as the center of production and has claimed itself “The Flagstone Capital of the World”. Extensive outcrops of Arizona Flagstone are also found in Mohave, Coconino, Yavapi, Navajo, Apache, and Gila Counties.
Flagstones and Sandstones have a variety of colors but the most predominate color seen in Arizona is the “Arizona Flagstone” that has reds, pinks and yellows.
Outdoor Flagstone differs from job to job but for the most part, exterior Flagstone should never be coated or waxed. This is a common problem we see with flagstone. Whether its to cover the rough texture or to bring out the colors, it should never be coated outside. Most of the time flagstone is used in place of a cool deck around a pool and if the floor is coated with a layer of acrylic or urethane it will not absorb anything, including heat and moisture.
Our process consists of a 2 part cleaning done with weighted floor machines and gritted brushes to get down deep in to the stone to ensure that the floor is clean and clear of all debris.This process is followed up with a solvent based penetrating sealer. Enhancers can be used to bring out colors.
Indoor Flagstone can be sealed with 2 differnt types of sealer. Penetrating sealer (natural look) and topical sealer (matte gloss, semi-gloss, high gloss). The topical sealer would be ideal for a indoor application due to the rough texture of the stone. Topical sealers give the floor a smooth feel that flagstone does not have.
The most common problem we see is the use of improper sealers and or improper application of the sealer.
Our process would start with a full chemical and machine strip of the any old sealers on the floor. We would then follow that up with the 2 part cleaning done with weighted floor machines and gritted brushes to get down deep in to the stone to ensure that the floor is clean and clear of all debris and dirt.
