If you have any questions related to natural stone paving then you are at the right place.
Here, we will not tell you about what is natural stone paving but will also tell you why natural stone paving is the best choice making your outdoor paving not only look the best but also be the best. Besides, we will even tell you about the popular natural stones. But before we get there, let’s start with the obvious.
What is Natural Stone Paving?
The form of outdoor paving that is usually used for driveways, pavements, and patios, etc. is called natural stone paving. Thus, the materials used in this paving are obvious from the name itself, i.e., that is natural supplies formed in nature.
The other way to understand this is that natural stone paving doesn’t require manufactured concrete from any manufacturing plants instead is quarried directly from the miners themselves. The natural stone falls into the three main categories. They are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic and each represents a unique stage in the rock cycle.
Based on this, there are three different types of natural stone paving and they are as follows:
- Sandstone: Found in abundance near deserts, lakes, and oceans, sandstones are the most commonly found natural stone. It is also cheaper than both its other natural stone brothers, i.e., limestone and granite. Sandstones are used for many purposes of which paving, patios, and pavements are a top choice too.
- Limestone: Similar to sandstone, Limestones are found in abundance throughout the world in a water-based environment. Limestones are popular for providing a luminous effect and compared to sandstone it’s expensive. Limestones are mostly preferred by paving companies as it offers a beautiful array in the color variations.
- Granite: These natural stones are good for outdoor paving, wall cladding, and flooring due to its high resistance to wear and tear as it has high integral strength and density that ensures easy maintenance overall.
Which is Best – Sandstone or Limestone Paving?
Even though we know that natural stones are the most suited for paving, one can still have trouble deciding on the type of natural stone. And when it comes to natural stone paving both sandstone and limestone are undeniably better than granite. However, this could be still some confusion lingering between choosing either sandstone or limestone for stone paving. Still, this doesn’t mean that there are no pros and cons of sandstone and limestone.
To help you clear any lingering confusion with either, I have compared both of them based on durability, texture, style, and versatility to see which suits better as the natural stone paving choice.
- Durability: However, both the sandstone and limestone absorb minimally. They are best suited for outdoor spaces. Even in rainy areas, they are the most ideal options available. However, there is minimal difference between the two as limestones that reflect lighter shades absorb a little less water than darker shades of the sandstone.
- Style: Again, both available in great styles and variations. However, the real test comes when both the limestone and sandstone are seeing in wet condition. And this is where sandstone shines brightly because of its darker tones and non-porous surfaces.
- Texture: This is where the differences between the sandstone and limestone show themselves up as both have highly differentiable textures compared to each other. When it comes to texture limestones are flatter and smoother in touch and have fewer ridges in their finish. Sandstones, on the other hand, display an uneven and rippled texture. However, after the sawn finish sandstone tends to perform as a better contemporary option.
- Versatility: With versatility, we are almost back to square one. As both the limestone and sandstone come in various sizes and shapes and can fit anywhere. This makes it tough to pick a winner in this category. But if you are looking to select your natural stone. Then you must know that sandstone is a great choice for contemporary, traditional, garden path paving, and patio for any property. Similarly, Limestones are best suited for internal and external driveways, stepping stones, gardens, and patios.
So, based on the given quality sandstone turns out to be a slightly better choice than limestone. And Vardman Industries Indian natural sandstone exporter and manufacturer has the best sandstones available for you to purchase from.
