Using Natural Stone Paving Materials

Many people would love to use natural stone on patios, walkways or landscape retaining walls. I don' blame them...what could be nicer than incorporating materials with such beauty? However, just using stone does not always make for a great project. There are other things to consider, such as the following:

Choosing The Best Stones For The Project

The stone should blend or contrast well with the surroundings. For example, if your house is brick, you need to select a stone that will compliment your home. Bluestone typically goes well with brick. The two colors are good together and the contrast in the stone textures works well too. Using brick with a brick house creates too much competition and it's usually hard to find a patio brick that will match a house brick.

Make Careful Selections When Using More Than One Stone

An example of this would be if you have a patio with a landscape retaining wall nearby. The patio stone and the wall stones should coordinate with each other. One combination I like is bluestone (yes, again!) with a stone wall. The stone might be fieldstone which can be dry laid. There are many types of stones that you can choose, but the color should go well with the bluestone. You would think any stone would look good, yet if you look closely, some stone color blends look better with bluestone that others.

To go one step further, it would also depend on what type of bluestone you are using. Is your patio or walkway to be bluestone that is all blue? This is where all stones are the same bluish-gray color. Perhaps you have chosen full range, where there is a mix of blues, gray, and tans. With full range, it is even more important to match the wall stone correctly. A stone with a blend of similar colors or even just one nice color might be the way to go.

Choose Stone That Compliment Your Landscape

I love travertine pavers. However, I would not use them with a log cabin. They have an elegance to them that belongs in the right type of setting. Another example would be Idaho quartz. This is a beautiful stone which has many great features and is lovely. However, it does have a "glitz" to the stone, and therefore does not belong in a very rustic landscape. For that type of project, perhaps an irregular bluestone would look better.

When you are considering a stone material, your project will be more successful if you consider these suggestions. And, of course, great workmanship is a must!

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Susan

Landscape Design Advice