Stone is one of the oldest building materials known to man, and easily one of the most beautiful. The ease of quarrying and working with sandstone gives it a long history in construction and paving. Today, sandstone accounts for a large percentage of the stone sold for use in residential and commercial flooring, walls and outdoor paving.
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock – rock that is composed of small grains of minerals cemented together with felspathic or calcareous natural cement. It forms in layers that split and are cut easily, making it an ideal building material for many uses. One of the more popular is for patio paving and sandstone paving walkways.
Sandstone paving blocks, slabs, cubes and setts are available from many manufacturers and importers. One of the fastest growing areas of the sandstone market is the importation of Indian sandstone paving stones. The amazing variety of colors ranges from pale gold to deepest black, and includes beige, yellow, jade, rose, red and pink. The patterns can be so subtle that the stone appears to be a solid color, or vividly streaked and striped.
Because of the variety of sizes and colors available, sandstone is eminently suited to creating unique and beautiful designs. If you plan a sandstone paving stone patio or path that uses a standard width of paving stone, such as a coursed pathway, you’re best off using newly quarried and cut sandstone. New sandstone is often available in patio kits, complete with plans and all the stones you need to create a patio of the size stated on the kit. If you prefer a random pattern, or a more weathered look, there’s a great deal of ‘reclaimed’ sandstone available. Reclaimed sandstone paving – whether from old mills or from old roadwork – is often of much more variable dimensions and sizes, but can lend a charming, rustic appearance to even a brand new landscaped home.
If you decide to lay your sandstone paved patio yourself, take a few tips from professional pavers and stoneworkers.
1. Sandstone flags and setts that are less than 25mm thick are more properly called tiles. If you’re working with sandstone paving tiles, plan on setting them in a bed of concrete. Thicker sandstone paving stones do well in a bed of sand at least four inches deep.
2. Plot out your design on paper or with a CAD program before beginning work. It’s far easier to move things around on paper than it is to heft heavy sandstone paving blocks.
3. Never have four corners meeting. When you butt for paving stones corner to corner, you create a visual distraction that detracts from the design – and create a weak point in your patio. Instead, stagger the layout with different size sandstone paving stones.
4. Break up long lines by keeping joints without intersections to less than three meters.
Sandstone is one of the most versatile and beautiful of all paving materials. Whether you choose local quarry sandstone or imported sandstone paving material from India or China, you’ll end up with a patio that is durable, stylish and adds value to your home.