Balfin Stone Slate for Pavings, Slate Pavers, Garden Paving with Slate Slabs

Slate has been used as a building stone for centuries. Its laminar nature makes it easy to cleave and work, rendering it a popular choice for roofing and walling as well as paving. However, stone is heavy, and slate is no exception, so, hauling paving or walling stone around the country didn't make much sense in the days before motor vehicles and a nationwide transport system, and consequently, it was only the high "added value" thin-cut slates for roofing that were worth transporting any significant distance. So, despite all it advantages, slate's use a paving material has been more or less limited to its immediate area.
The resurgence of interest in slate as a modern paving has seen new products come onto the market. The key features of colour and texture remain, but now we have a much wider choice of formats. Randomly-sized riven paving for a cottage garden patio remains popular, and rightly so, but regular sizes are preferred for more modern styling, and by mixing colours, chequerboards or more involved layouts can be created for use as patios or even for conservatory floors. Slate is highly versatile which allows it to be used in an almost limitless number of ways.

Slate Pavers for Patio, Driveway, Flooring and Landscaping

Slate pavers are made from the natural slate stone that is known for durability and strength. Slate stone is available across the world in different colors and properties. It consists of quartz, muscovite and very small amount of chlorite, magnetite and graphite. Slate stones for paving are available in straight edges, straight size and in various sizes and thickness. With these features it is really very easy to get beautiful slate pavers and slate patio pavers.
You can make various patterns and designs of slate pavers with this stone that has different textures on it. Also this stone has less than 5% absorption rate and has high compressive strength. Slate pavers can be a great alternative to walkways, decking and patios.
Like slate tiles and slate slabs you can also use slate planks for the same. The slate planks are of different length and width and looks like wooden planks. Gauging at the bottom is done for the smooth look. The slate stone can be cut into various dimensions, patterns and shapes.
It is recommended to install slate paver stone and slate patio paver on mortar. For high grade exterior installation the slate paving can be done on high grade plywood. But never install it on the sand. You can polish the slate stone if you like glossy look. But the gloss needs to be reapplied after wearing off.

Slate Paver Color

Slate tile come in all sorts of amazing colors and so does the slate pavers. From dark black to red, brown, purple all colors are there in slate stone pavers. No two tiles of the slate stone are same and that is the beauty of this stone. The distinct look of slate pavers make it perfect for the exterior as well as interior of the home. You can construct steps, put it on the walls and balconies because of slate stone's huge strength.
Dark colors of slate pavers are more likely to fade away because of the higher iron in them.
Make Slate pavers around the pool as these are slip resistant and perfect for this place. The slate stone practically unaffected by the acid so they are also perfect for the pool deck. You can seal the slate stone pavers once in three months so that the color does not fade away.

Shapes of Slate Stone Pavers

Many kinds of shapes of slate paver stones are available and the most common among these are:

• Rectangle
• Square
• Oblong
• Octagon
• Triangle
• Diamond
• Irregular Shapes

You can either use the single shape or can create a different look by combining different shapes. The slate pavers suppliers supply the custom made shapes.

Slate Pavers Applications

There are number of applications for slate pavers. The most common residential applications are patios, flooring , walkways, driveways, interior flooring, balconies, pathways and sideways. You can also make the wall cladding, steps, landscaping with slate paver stone. Slate pavers are also recommended by the architects and builders as number of designs can be created. Moreover this is highly durable, slip resistant and easy to maintain natural stone.

Garden Paving with Slate Slabs

03 May, 2010- Paving, roofing or walling- earlier centuries have witnessed slate as a common building stone for all of them. Most of the slate types are easy to cleave and work and that's why, slate in different forms- slate slabs, tiles and even slate waste had been used for garden paving along with decorating interiors of homes.

Slate Garden Paving Slabs

Garden paving slabs are portions of slate that come in various sizes. These slate slabs when used for garden paving, can create such spaces in your garden that can serve as functional areas, borders, walkways, edging, paver steps or even a mowing strip. Paving slate slabs in gardens is definitely a smart and economical choice due to the price, variety, and ease of installing slate slabs as well as their easy maintenance. Any slate that is equal to or more than 30mm thick is considered to be a slate slab. Some slate pavings that are relatively thin (less than 30mm thick) is considered to be a 'tile' rather than a slab by any paving expert. However, they can also be used for garden paving by laying them on a full mortar bed to give the slate full support. The set mortar becomes the load-bearing layer for the slate paving.

Slate as Garden Paving Slabs - Modern Interest

Earlier people had used riven paving flags for pavements. Paving slabs were even used to make kerbs and garden edgings. Many paving designs were made by combining different colored slate slabs and various patterns- sawn, riven and random paving- all was done. Modern times have seen, more or less similar craze for slate slabs for garden paving. The difference is that now paving slabs are available in more varied styles, sizes, textures and colors. While randomly-sized riven paving is still popular for country style patio and garden paving, regular sized slabs are preferred for more modern styling. By mixing colors, checkerboards etcetera various paving designs are created for patios and garden landscaping.

Garden Paving Designs

Slate slabs can be used in a variety of ways to create interesting garden paving designs.

• Cut the slate slabs into simple rectangles having 2:1 plan size. Lay these cut slate slabs with a simple effective basketweave pattern.
• For more creative and stylish effect, the slate could be laid in a herringbone pattern too. You can use alternate contrasting colors on consecutive courses. You can even use slate with a different plan size ratio (for example 3:1) for herringbone paving design.
• If going for a rustic outdoor decor for your home, try using tumbled slate pavers for an aged look. The slate slab manufacturers after making the slabs, put them into a huge tumbling drum where these slabs are turned over and over that makes them look aged.
• Use odd-shaped pieces of slate slabs as stepping stones in gardens.
• You can even use the old, unwanted or broken roofing slates for making attractive paving design for garden. Make slate strips from such slate slabs with a measurement ranging from 30-100 mm in width. Lay these slate strips on a bed of mortar. Then tap down the top exposed edges of the stone to level them. Brush in the joints with a dry mortar mix. This will give you a distinctive border, edging or a mowing strip.

While choosing slate slabs for garden paving, just ensure that the type of slate that you select is suitable for external use and will not get damaged by frost or such other adverse weather conditions. One more thing to consider while you buy paving slabs for your garden is that highly decorative material (such as slate slabs with metallic lustre) might need regular cleaning, or even sealing with a suitable sealant from time to time. As such, decorative slate slabs are not very suitable paving slabs for outdoor areas like patio and garden pavings.

Garden Paving Design with slate slabs, slate stone pavers

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