Natural Stone or Concrete - Which Paving Should I Choose?

If you're planning a new paving project, should you choose natural stone or concrete paving - what are the pros and cons of each option? Here Paving Superstore explains some of the fundamental differences to help you make an informed choice.

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CONCRETE / MANUFACTURED PAVING

 

Stonemarket Millstone Paving

In years gone by, the only affordable option for all except the rich and famous, was concrete paving designed to mimic the styling and surface texture of natural stone. Traditional tried and tested products such as Marshalls Heritage paving or Stonemarket Millstone paving fall into this category. They are dyed in a range of colour blends to replicate the colour variation seen in natural stone and have names such as Old Yorkstone and Olde London to highlight the period features of the stone. These paving ranges are often priced in the region of £40 + per m2 which these days, is considerably more than many of the natural stone counterparts these products initially set out to imitate.

Of course there are better value options with concrete paving - often with a flat or slightly riven surface, priced from around £14 per m2, but these are intended as economical paving options to give an instant face-lift to your garden rather than a long-term investment as colour fastness will not last as long as a similar priced natural stone product.

Stonemarket Haus Paving

 

Concrete paving has evolved into other styles that are not necessarily similar to natural stone equivalent options, for example there are several polished concrete paving styles that have appeared over the last year or so that offer a contemporary finish to your garden. These resemble the highly polished terrazzo flooring styles seen in mediterranean palaces and premium homes and come in a range of colours from black through to maroon and buff.The benefit of this type of stone over natural stone paving materials is the uniformity of colour and texture and the simplicity of cleaning.

Global Stone Ceramic Paving

Although not technically a concrete paving material, but still classified as a manufactured paving material, is ceramic exterior paving.  This material has uniformity of colour and an easy clean surface enabling it to be mopped.   At prices from £48+ per m2, it is at the higher end of the scale when choosing suitable paving options for your garden, but should not be dismissed as a great choice for contemporary design themes.

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NATURAL STONE

  Natural stone paving is a generic term that covers a broad range of materials suited as a hard surface in the garden. The types of material are exhaustive, but some of the more popular stone types are natural sandstone, limestone, slate and granite paving. Each has it's own set of characteristics and price ranges as follows:

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Natural Sandstone Paving

Sandstone comes in several colour ranges from light buff through to beige, silver grey and the darkest shades of brown-black. Within each shade group there are complementary shades and bands of colour which appear subtle when dry and much more vibrant when wet. The lighter shades of sandstone are slightly more porous than the darker hues and tend to require additional cleaning or may benefit from sealing if desired, or if laid in a north facing or damp area, may be treated with an algae inhibitor. Natural sandstone has a riven (rippled/ uneven) surface and hand-cut edges and can either be a hand-cut thickness or calibrated to a relatively even thickness to speed up the laying process. It's priced from £19+ per m2 incl vat & delivery for big brand name paving (note that it may be possible to find cheaper sandstone, but not from a major brand where the paving is tested for climate suitability in the UK).	Natural Paving Lakeland Sandstone
Stonemarket Vintage Sandstone	Natural sandstone also comes in other finishes that offer a different effect. Antique / tumbled sandstone has been finished with a time-worn effect with a slighter flatter surface and rounded edges to give the appearance of paving that has been walked over for centuries. The colours are often the more muted shades of sandstone making the paving especially suited to older style properties and period homes. Prices start from £27+ per m2 incl vat & delivery.
Natural sandstone with a sawn finish has a completely different appearance, making the paving modern and contemporary in style. It usually has sawn straight edges to enable close jointing which complements the contemporary theme. Sawn sandstone usually has either a honed surface making it smooth to the touch, or a sandblasted texture, giving a sandpaper, gritty feel. Prices start from £37+ per m2.	Global Stone Sawn Sandstone

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Natural Limestone Paving

Natural limestone paving is similar in appearance to sandstone, but tends to have a flatter surface with fewer riven ridges and more of an orange-peel texture. The colour ranges are more limited than sandstone, with three main colour choices: buff-grey, blue-grey and blue-black. Although there is always a variation in colour with natural stone, limestone exhibits less colour banding and variation of shade than sandstone. The buff-grey shade is a good option when a buttermilk, cotswold stone shade is required. Limestone prices start from £22+ per m2

Natural limestone in buff colour

   

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Natural Slate Paving

Pavestone midnight slate paving

Slate paving is a traditional material used in many parts of the country as a roofing, walling and flooring material. Its silky grey tones suit both traditional and modern styles alike. The surface of slate paving is formed of thin shale layers which may lightly flake away when first laid, but overall, the finish is relatively flat. Predominantly grey, there are also other slate shades such as rustic gold or copper where additional mineral deposits offer contrasting bronze, gold and ochre colours in additional to the blue-grey colouring and green slate which offers a soft green hue to the grey colouring. Slate paving prices start from £29+ per m2

 

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Natural Granite Paving

Stonemarket Granite dusk and glacier

Granite paving is a hard-wearing material suited to modern styles or those that require a tough material with a flat, slip-resistant texture. The colour spectrum with granite is mainly grey fleck, but other ranges such as pink and yellow granite offer an interesting contrasting shade. The colours are always flecked with sparkling quartzite minerals which make the paving light and reflective. Granite may be used where a hard-wearing concrete product has been specified as its resilience can often surpass the qualities found in concrete and will undoubtedly offer a more aesthetically pleasing finish. Basalt has a similar appearance to granite, but with fewer crystals resulting in more of a matt appearance. It is a dark grey, almost black paving material, especially when sealed or wet. Granite paving prices start from £34+ per m2 incl vat & delivery.

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This guide is designed as an overview of a few of the most popular types of paving slab materials to help you consider alternative options to traditional concrete paving. We hope you have found it useful, however should you like further information on paving materials, styles and uses, please call us on 08458 332337