Frequently Asked Questions

Our range of Natural Paving products is available to purchase through our extensive network of distributors and stockists. To find your nearest stockist, please contact us directly or use our find a stockist service.

As the stone is natural, no two pieces are the same, allowing designers and homeowners to create stunning bespoke and individual designs which will outshine the likes of concrete and other man-made building materials. Some of the benefits natural stone has to offer include:

• Natural stone is generally easy to clean.
• Using natural stone materials may add greater value to your property. Natural stone is uniquely formed, each piece of stone has its own characteristics, colour variations, veining, markings and occasional charming imperfections.
• The diversity of the product allows it to be used in several applications.
• Each piece of natural stone has a unique blend of colours and tones.
• All of our Natural Stone makes a durable frost-resistant paving and walling.

Multiple types of stone are formed under different conditions over time:

Igneous

Igneous rock comes in two forms, Extrusive or Intrusive. Extrusive rock is formed on the earth’s surface, when there has been a volcanic eruption, i.e., Lava which then cooled rapidly forming small crystals, of which basalts are an example. Intrusive rocks crystallise within the earth’s crust without erupting, the magma cools slowly allowing large crystals to form. Intrusive rocks are generally granites.

Sedimentary

As the name suggests, these rocks are formed from sediment that has settled at the bottom of a body of water or been deposited in a desert environment and have then been compressed over millions of years. Examples of sedimentary rocks include Sandstone and Limestone. Sandstone is predominantly silica sediment, often with beautiful shade variations and unique striations, that are even further enhanced when wet. Limestone is predominantly carbonate, such as calcite and dolomite. Our limestones are very dense with low absorbency, displaying the occasional unique mineral vein. Our sandstone and limestone ranges are versatile and broad in choice.

Metamorphic

These are originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks that have been exposed to concentrated heat and/or pressure which causes them to change into a denser form of rock. Examples of metamorphic rocks include Quartzite, Marble and Slate. Our Slate ranges are resilient to weathering and are easy to maintain.

Being fully aware of the inhumane practices that exists in parts of the world, Natural Paving Products has made a firm commitment to demonstrate to our industry just how natural stone mining should be conducted successfully and ethically. We are a part of the Ethical Stone Register and ask that when you purchase your natural stone products, you ensure they are ethically sourced.

By only purchasing ethically sourced stone you will help to ensure that:

• Child labour is not used for the quarrying of stone, allowing children to instead get an education, which then allows their parents to get work in the quarries.
• The hours of work are not excessive.
• The working conditions in which the stone was mined are safe and hygienic.
• Fair wages are paid to the workers who quarry the stone.
• Workers are treated in a fair and humane way

Understanding the importance of ethical sourcing is vital. By supporting and working with the Ethical Stone Register, we can help to eradicate not only child labour in the stone industry but also inhumane and unsafe working conditions for all stoneworkers.

By sourcing stone ethically, we are helping more children get into schools, giving them the best possible start to life, whilst also allowing their parents to have a secure and safe job. Natural Paving Products has engaged with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian children’s rights and education advocate and an activist against child labour. He founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA Save the Childhood Movement) in 1980 and has acted to protect the rights of more than 83,000 children from 144 countries.

As part of the BBA auditing process, Kailash and his team have visited our factory and he is now working very closely with us on various charity projects with our ultimate aim of eradicating child labour and improving education standards within the stone regions of India.

There are a few things to consider when placing your order for natural stone:

• If you have received a sample piece, please be aware that this is only a small representation of the colour blends that can be present in the stone. Remember each piece of stone is unique, sometimes displaying differing shades, mineral content and veining.
• It is recommended that you visit a local stockist of Natural Paving Products to see the stone laid out where possible. Only selecting from photos, catalogues, websites or one sample is not advised.
• We recommend mixing from as many different packs as possible during installation to create a natural blend. As we work through a quarry and its different seams, a batch may exhibit some variation in general shades and characteristics from the next, even whilst within our product specifications.
• Order enough of the product to cover the entire area you wish to pave, as above, batches can vary through different seams in the quarry. The colour tones of today’s order will not be the same as an order for the same product at a later date.
• When placing your order, we recommend you order an extra 10% to allow for any cutting, personal selection or breakages that is required.
• Consider the choice of the surface finish you have chosen and take into consideration the people who will be using the area. For young children and older people, a more textured finish may be better suited as this gives extra/additional traction.
• Consider where you are going to be installing the stone. If the area is shaded, the stone will be more likely to attract organic growths that result in staining, as it will remain damp for longer periods. If the stone is going to be in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of the day, you can expect some fading over time.
• Products being delivered directly to the site/ homeowners will be delivered kerbside from our merchants. The driver must have easy access and manoeuvrability at the delivery site. Please note that the drivers cannot unload very far from the vehicle, so you will need to consider how the products will be moved to the project area.
• Finally consider what the stone is going to be used for. For example, not all our products are suitable for vehicular traffic or around swimming pools.

For information on installation methods for our Natural Paving Products see our Guide to Planning & Installing Natural Paving

On patios and paths, for easy, all-weather joint filling on all our stone ranges, you can use Pavetuf Jointing Compound. For joint widths of 3mm – 20mm, a minimum depth of 20mm. Refer to www.pavetuf.co.uk for full details.

For use on patios and driveways, a stronger, rapid-setting mortar that is suitable for all our stone ranges, use our Pavetuf Jointing Mortar. More suited to professional installers, for joint widths of 5mm – 50mm and a minimum depth of 200mm. Refer to www.pavetuf.co.uk for full details.

Alternatively, you can point with a traditional mortar joint. Mix four parts of building sand with one part of cement. Add as little water as possible to bind the mortar, and use a plasticiser as directed. Use a small pointing trowel to feed the pointing mortar into empty joints from the edge of a larger trowel and then use a pointing bar/ iron to press it down, taking care to clean the edges of the slabs with a wet soapy sponge as you go.

You must always lay the largest face (and uncalibrated, riven face) upwards. Please see our Guide to Planning & Installing Natural Paving for further information.

There are many sealers available on the market that offer different finishes. Natural stone does not have to be sealed so sealing is a personal choice. Some sealers are designed to affect the appearance of the stone, such as leaving a satin finish. Sealing can help delay the absorption of liquids also.

An important factor to consider if deciding to seal your stone is whether or not the sealer is breathable, because if it is not then mobile salts in solution can be trapped beneath the surface. An example of a potential problem caused by the use of the wrong sealer could be where efflorescence develops but the sealer prevents salts from exiting through the sealed surface. The build-up of the salts not only can result in a difficult-to-remove stain but can often cause disruption and breakdown of the surface itself.

With un-breathable sealants, manufacturers will normally recommend that you wait three months before sealing your recently paved area, to allow efflorescence to appear. This can then be washed off before sealing.

If using a breathable sealant, the paved area can usually be sealed straight after installation, but always check with the product manufacturer.

If you make the decision to use a sealer on your natural stone, test the product on a small, discreet area first, to make sure you are happy with the result.

It's good practice to maintain areas where leaves fall by regularly brushing them up, as some leaves and plant life will leach tannins when they lay on the ground which can discolour paving and standing water. Do not worry though, if you have any paving where the leaves have left stains, our Pavetuf Green-Off Cleaner is the perfect choice to remove these easily. Green-Off is simple to apply and works very quickly to remove staining from the affected paving areas. It contains no solvents, acids or caustic soda, meaning it will not damage the treated surface and is safe to use on all natural stone, including sandstone and limestone, granite, marble, porcelain, ceramic and any kind of concrete and decorative paving.