Paver Patio Designs

Paving that utilizes natural stone has been used since ancestral times. Using natural stone to make a traversable pathway is one of man’s earliest technologies. Stone is a natural product with an incredible variety of texture, shape and color to suit your paver patio designs. No modern technology gave stone its color and shape, but nature itself.

It is obvious that the final appearance of your patio design will ultimately depend on the shape and color of the stones which are used in the project.

There is the interesting option to source and use stones from rather exotic parts of the world. One example here would be to go with Indian sandstone or granites from Brazil and China. How about marbles and slates from southern Europe?

Nowadays, natural stone paving uses modern machines to cut, finish and dress. Whatever plan size, thickness and finish desired, the stone can be cut into all sizes and shapes.

However, compared to other paving materials like concrete, stone is certainly not the cheapest option.

You also could choose to use reclaimed stone flags, i.e. salvaged from old streets or yards.

This gives the benefit of a more immediate and natural character compared to newly cut stones.

But also newly cut flagstones will develop their own character over time as they are weathered and worn, but they can look amazingly pristine when just laid. With the old flagstones you will achieve instant charm on your patio and they will look beautiful for example in a garden setting.

Buying New Stones for your Paver Patio Design

You will likely be offered a choice of thicknesses, and the stones will then be cut to suit the specification. Some vendors can also supply flagstones that are sawn on the top surface only, with a cleft base and fettled edges.

There is a variety of finishes available, examples would be ‘combed’, ‘riven’, ‘picked’ and ‘flame-textured’. A number of stone manufacturers offer finishes only available with their own products, either because of a unique characteristic of the stone itself or resulting from their special finishing process. It is important to know that some finishes can retain their special character for decades, while others could disappear quicker due to wear and weather.

Cons of using natural stone patio paving:

• Quite expensive compared to other paving materials like concrete.
• Requires a lot of intensive and time consuming work.
• Due to the varying shapes and sizes, arranging them into a reasonable pattern can be like solving a jigsaw puzzle.
• Must be properly drained to a suitable point.

Pros of using natural stone patio paving:

• Good quality stone flags, well laid and in the right setting are truly a joy to the eye. Very natural and organic looking.
• Minimal risk of color fade compared to colored concrete products.
• Can add more value to your property than concrete.
• Will last longer than man-made paving stones

One thing to consider: Before employing a paving company or hiring a contractor for the patio paving project, insist on seeing some previous work where they used the same materials. Skills and experience are required for natural stone patio paving, unlike easier ones like block paving.

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