Natural Limestone is a both dense and durable material it has been used as a building material for Thousands of years and is still used to this day from heavy-duty road and building foundations, concreate and of course limestone paving slabs.
The Perfect Base for Limestone Paving
Dig the area out to a depth of 150mm to allow room for the hardcore, mortar and paving slabs. Lay the hard core in three separate stages and compact at each course. Getting the hardcore and leaving 50 to 60mm off finished height of the paving with the correct falls is important so spend time insuring this is do properly raking out any bumps. We recommend using MOT type1 for the subbase and this can be purchased from us if required.
Sealing Limestone Paving
Limestone paving slabs in its various colours are both resilient and durable the three colours we supply don’t require sealing to keep the strength of the slab however with Black limestone, a sealant becomes more of a necessity to stop the limestone patio from turning a dull grey colour over the years this is caused by a reaction in the black pigment and UV light and high PH levels in rain fall.
What’s the difference between sandstone and limestone paving?
While there aren’t as many colour variations in natural limestone as there are in sandstone or slate, there are still many beautiful tones and shades of limestone. Whether you’re looking for pale grey, Jet Black or creamy brown, or a unique blue for a truly beautiful limestone patio
One of the key differences is that sandstone is slightly more porous, meaning it absorbs a bit more moisture than limestone paving slabs. With that in mind, you should consider what you will look like when wet. In the UK, you might find it rains more days than it’s dry, and it will make your sandstone paving look slightly darker, so it’s worth checking what stones will look like when wet.
Both natural limestone and sandstone materials are extremely durable, While sandstone does absorb a bit more water than limestone, both are relatively water-resistant, so you don’t need to worry about rain or frost breaking down the stone other than the change in appearance. when it comes to longevity and maintenance as the slightly lighter shades of sandstone may require a little extra cleaning to keep its original appearance. The only exception to this is with Black natural limestone as the Jet Black look can only be kept with an application of sealers due to the Black pigment changing to dark grey.
Is limestone good for an outdoor patio?
Natural Limestone offer 4 choices in colour and is a very popular choice for both long-lasting patios and garden pathways. The slight riven and textured surface of limestone paving slabs is another reason that Indian limestone is ideal for patios.
Is limestone paving slippery
Our limestone paving slabs have a course and riven surface making them non slippery . The slabs are hard wearing and are one of our more textured products so you can be assured they will be safe to walk across when wet.