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New Patio which sort of flags should we go for?

horseychick28horseychick28 Posts: 1,713
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in Advice #1
Hi all,

I'm having a patio built and I've chosen blue/black limestone as I really like the colour. However, we've had a patio deck built and as soon as it gets wet its a death trap! So we really dont want anything slippy again?

Does limestone get slippy when its wet or is there something else I should use instead of the dark coloured limestone?

Any suggestions would be appreciated before we go ahead with it!

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    MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    #2
    Depends on if you get a lot of sunlight as its the moss that causes the slippage, if you get good sunlight then you can probably use anything but if not try get something textured and now and again use a jetwasher and a stiff broom to make sure it doesn't get too slippy
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    stringmanstringman Posts: 252
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    #3
    go for a combination of European flags? I personally like the combination of German and Belgium:)







    sorry I just couldn't resist it
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    horseychick28horseychick28 Posts: 1,713
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    #4
    It does get quite a lot of sun its not sheltered so I'm thinking I'll get a piece of it and tip some water all over it, see what happens, if I end up on my a**e then its not for me!
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    evil cevil c Posts: 7,833
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    #5
    In Feb 2011 I decided to have a new back garden with a lawn, beds and paving to replace the all paved 'garden' on a recently purchased property. I thoroughly researched all the different types of paving slabs money no object. I found some really beautiful smooth polished natural stone ones that looked fantastic when wet and sent off for free samples, which I showed to my builder.

    He said to avoid them as a) they were as slippery as hell when wet, b) even if they were sealed it would need to be renewed every couple of years at high cost, and c) their natural properties made them highly susceptible to frost cracking or cracking from heavy objects dropped on them, the more so if the depth was under 30mm.

    I made appointments and he took me to every paving supplier in a 30 mile radius where I saw every type of paving you can think of and spoke to the boss of every firm, all of whom confirmed what my builder said.

    Taking their advice I sent off for the Marshall catalogue and found the perfect solution for me which was Marshall Firedstone 'Autumn'. This is 38mm depth coloured textured pressed concrete that has the appearance of natural stone. It is hard wearing, non-slip, doesn't crack, looks great when wet and requires no sealing. The texture is not so deep that dirt and soil builds up in it. Also the price was right and I paid cash to get a better deal.

    The builder recommended 3 different sizes to make a better pattern; 600x600, 600x300 and 300x300. Roll forward to today and it still looks as good as when I first bought it. None of the slabs have cracked or faded (the garden is south facing) and I would strongly recommend it.

    I bought 52 each of the 600x600 and 600x300, and 54 of the 300x300 from the Wolseley Build Center in Widnes, which together with the sand and cement cost £766.42 with free delivery by the Build Center in my home town.

    Link: http://www.marshalls.co.uk/homeowners/view-firedstone-flame-textured-garden-paving

    Two things that are very important though. 1) make sure that the slabs are all from the same batch as there are slight colour variances, and 2) it is vital that the bed is completely level, and of the correct constitution and depth to support the slabs.
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    grumpyscotgrumpyscot Posts: 11,354
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    #6
    .... and also ensure you maintain drainage, otherwise in extreme wet weather, the water might not drain away and your garden - or house in worst case - may flood.

    Our council now has rules as to what type of paying you can have - and we aren't in a high risk flood risk area!
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    HotgossipHotgossip Posts: 22,385
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    #7
    We had our garden redesigned a couple of years ago and had a lovely oval lawn made with paving all around and lots of nice areas to sit in.

    We chose york stone in various shades and sizes and we are very pleased with it. It looks lovely after some rain and gives a lovely golden glow.
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