In the construction industry, the term pavement refers to an outdoor floor. Pavement or paving material includes natural stones, bricks, ceramic tiles, concrete blocks, and asphalt. Stone pavers used since ancient eras. With the advent of stone quarrying, cutting, and finishing technologies, usage of various types of stones increasing everywhere including paving.
Paving stones used in patios, garden walks/paths, driveways, road sidewalk, and in courtyards. Each application demands different properties of stones in terms of durability, strength, surface structure, texture, absorption rating, the coefficient of friction, and oxidation.
Based on the location-requirements, we have to select the stone type for the corresponding application. Therefore, today, I would like to introduce you at least top ten (10) types of natural paving stones for patios in 2019.
Limestone for Patios in 2019
Almost 10% of all sedimentary rocks are limestone types. Lime or calcites are building blocks of this category of stones. Sea debris, fossils, and other organic materials when combining with calcites, various natural patterns developed. Marbles of different types are ideal examples of it.
When different types of minerals & non-organic substances such as sand/silica combine with calcites that makes a granular appearance thanks to weathering effects. Travertine is a suitable category of such limestone. It is a banded and compact variety of limestone. We used to prefer limestone in patio paving for the following distinct characteristics.
- Limestone is available in fine texture with a distinct and velvety finish.
- It found in dark, blue, and pale gray colors, cream and tan are easy to find varieties in colors.
- Compared to other stones, it has even distribution of colors.
- Its fine grains make easy cutting for decorative shapes.
- Some areas in the USA are devoid of availability of limestone in the vicinity. Thus, import from far regions makes it a bit costly for your patio paving.
Sandstone – All-around Selection for Your Stone Patios in 2019
Sands, minerals, and rock fragments from the sandstone where sands or silica/quartz is predominant component. Due to mineral impurities, various colors found in sandstone.
- The most common colors are brown, tan, yellow, red, and pink along with black & white.
- Due to porous nature, it is easy to cut and work to create exclusive patterns and designs on your patio paving project.
- It has hard individual grains with uniformity in grain size and friability.
- Due to the availability of large quantity everywhere, it is used the most in patio paving in the USA and across the globe.
Slate Stone – Outstanding Texture & Color for Your Patio Stones in 2019
Slate stone has finer grains, foliated, and homogenous rock material mostly composed of clay or volcanic ash. When fine-grained clay flakes strongly compressed, foliation or salty cleavage takes place. When slate-stone cut parallel to foliation, it gives an incredibly smooth and flat sheet of stones, which used in roofing, as roof shingle, and other horizontal laying/construction applications.
- Low porosity of slate makes it an ideal material where waterproofing or low water permeability required.
- It is an excellent material for heat resistance applications like fire pits and kitchen.
- It has high electric current resistance property that makes it an ideal choice where electrical instruments have installed.
- It has chemical inertness that makes it right candidate for patios outside the home and under the tree. The tree foliage cannot leave stains due to the decomposing process.
These above-described properties of slate stone render it a perfect selection for your stone patio paving. Slate stones have subtle color pallets including pastel blue-gray, muted reds, lavenders make it visually appealing. When maintenance is an issue, the slate is an ideal stone material for your backyard patios.
Granite Stone – Unbeatable Strength & Durability for Stone Patios in 2019
Granite is a massive, hard, and tough variety of natural stones used in human civilization. Therefore, no stone type can beat granite on durability and strength when you think of a stone application for external spaces like backyard patio paving.
- It is available in uniform dimensions as well as irregular shapes like flagstone.
- It is available in wide color pellets including light to dark gray, tan, grayish blue, brown, honey yellow, red, pink, and greenish shades.
- It is also available with or without spots/grains or blotches.
- The hardness of granite makes it a long-lasting solution for your backyard patios.
Bluestone – Charming Stone for Your Patios in 2019
The name Bluestone derived due to bluish-gray hue comes with the commercial stones. Fundamentally, it may be a variety of Basalt, Limestone, Sandstone, or Slate. Sandstone found in New York and Pennsylvania, which is known as Pennsylvania Bluestone. Limestone found in Shenandoah Valley is famous as Shenandoah Bluestone.
Bluestone comes in different grades, such as
- Natural Cleft Bluestone – It has multiple irregularities, which makes it more textured looking stone variety. It is lesser smooth and comes in rust orange, and grays in colors apart from blue shades.
- Thermal Bluestone – Fundamentally, it has very smooth and unnatural surface when cutting the row stone. After a thermal backing process, it can re-texture.
- Irregular Bluestone – It is known as Flagstone everywhere, and has incredible irregularity.
- It has good resistance to weather conditions like rain, heat, and snow.
- Bluestone has natural earth-tone in colors and looks gracious as well as attractive.
Cobblestone – Classic Looking Stone for Your Patios in 2019
It primarily derived from Basal Rocks. Due to be cobble shapes and sizes, it famously termed as cobblestone in the industry and available in rounded or ball shapes. For centuries, it was used to construct roads. Its pitched surfaces have made it infamous due to noise created by frictions between tires and road. Sandstone and Granite stone also form cobbles.
However, today, many varieties in size, shapes, and colors are available for the construction industry. It has made it suitable for patio paving use. The set is distinct being regular in shape and size, but cobble stone wins more natural look-n-feel for patio use.
Cobblestones make surfaces non-slippery and heatproof and most preferred to apply to larger paving areas. Sett and Cobble are available in regular brick or box shapes as well as irregular natural looking rock shapes. You can buy finished or non-finished products as per the requirements of your application.
Travertine Stone – Stunning Stone Choice for Your Patios in 2019
It also is known as Travertine Marble and applies to external applications like patios in the backyard or garden as a comfortable choice. It has pitted holes on the surface that consider as a typical characteristic.
The formation of travertine takes place in mineral springs, particularly in hot springs. It is available in tan, cream, and rustic colored varieties. If you are arranging parties frequently on your patios, travertine tiles are an excellent preference to explore.
Due to its high porosity and low weather resistance, it is less likely a choice for harsh weathered regions.
Flagstone – Give Sturdy Option to Your Stone Patios in 2019
Being a flat stone with cutting in required sizes and shapes Flag is the most popular choice for external paving needs including patios. It allows you to create innovative design and patterns — the Large and flat pieces of flagstones when creating colorful surfaces under the Sun. Moreover, the speculative scenario creates under the foot with blue, brown, red, white, black, and gold colors. It provides timeworn look-n-feel thanks to its natural impacts.
Fieldstone – Give Sturdy Option to Your Stone Patios in 2019
As its name implies, it used to collect from the agricultural fields. In some regions of the world, limestone and some other natural stone types existing on the topsoil surfaces and prove a big obstacle for easy farming. Therefore, people in the older era have to dig up those stones from the fields and used in various construction applications including external paving.
Today, with modern machines, fieldstone gets required shapes and textures to compete with established stone types as a building material. You can apply fieldstone in your farmhouse patios, urban area home patios, and many other external paving applications.
Fieldstone is available in various colors, shapes, and sizes to display your creativity in designs and patterns for your patios.
Marble – Give Luxurious Look-n-Feel to Your Stone Patios in 2019
Marble is a luxurious choice for flooring material. It gives an elegant and sophisticated look to your spaces. However, all marbles are not suitable for the external application. Therefore, tumbled or lower grade marbles mostly used in outside projects. Some use leftover marble pieces to construct patios.
Five-star hotels and other similar places choose to use marbles for external usages including flooring or paving. They select non-slipper marble types and treat it differently to make it compatible with external use. You can get myriads of effects on marble surfaces and speculate vision of your visitors.
Conclusion:
Where to Get Quality Stones for Your Patios in 2019
If you live in the USA, I will prefer to advise you to visit World of Stones once and check stone options with real-life touch-n-feel. There is a vast inventory of all trendy and precious Gems you can bring to your spaces. You will have excellent choices to make to decorate your home, offices, or any construction space. Find the right match with your styles, themes, and architectural aesthetics.
