Stonemarket
0345 302 0603
[email protected]
www.stonemarket.co.uk
Oxford Road, Ryton on Dunsmore,
Warwickshire, CV8 3EJ
Stonemarket’s stone expert Rory Kendrick
discusses the popularity of Indian
sandstone and how landscapers, installers
and garden designers can assess the
quality of the stone they select in order to
avoid performance issues.
Indian sandstone has become increasingly popular over recent
years. It’s an absolutely stunning product associated with a highend luxury look and customers put a great deal of perceived value
or prestige in having a natural stone patio.
However, there are many hundreds if not thousands of different
types of sandstone available as paving in the UK and they all vary
greatly in looks and performance. Many of the more commonly
available varieties come from Rajasthan in India, or Shandong and
Sichuan provinces in China.
Sandstones can appear the same when displayed at a merchant
or in a brochure, but they do have different properties and can
perform very differently when installed. Laboratory testing gives
you a full picture of the technical quality of stone.
There are three key factors that must be considered when
purchasing stone to be installed as paving in the UK and these are,
water absorbency, flexural strength and frost resistance.
A stone with high water absorbency will not only turn green, (a
common consumer complaint with sandstone patios) but may also
be more susceptible to frost action which will degrade the stone.
In terms of flexural strength, a stone with poor strength means
that the product could be easily damaged in transit, during the
installation process, or simply by everyday use.
Splitting of the bedding planes
Surface delamination
It’s also important to consider frost resistance. A stone that loses
strength when subjected to repeated frosts is far more likely to fail.
There is a British Standard that covers these issues. The design
and installation standard BS7533 part 12 covers the technical
performance of stone, for example it provides guidance regarding
the maximum water absorbency for product supplied to class 2
is 2.5%.
But not all the sandstones on the market meet the British Standard.
We undertook testing on a range of stones available on the market
at our in-house laboratory and found only 50% met or exceeded
the British Standard. Therefore, according to our testing, half of
the stones readily available on the market are not technically up
to scratch. This could cause a wide range of issues for landscapers
and installers.
To ensure you select stone which is technically up to standard, we’d
advise using a supplier that tests all its products and can supply
you with an in-date test certificate, or declaration of performance.
If a supplier is unable to supply these details there’s no guarantee
that their stone is technically sound.
At Stonemarket we’ve tested all our stone to be 100% sure that
every single one meets or exceeds the British Standard.
Look out for ‘The Stone Standard’ trademark which indicates the
product has been tested.
Synonymous with quality and cutting edge design, Stonemarket
is the supplier of choice to garden designers and those seeking a
high-end look for their gardens and driveways.
Moss & algae growth
Not frost resistant