The dreaded black limestone

[Thepinkpavingco]

heres a couple of pics of a driveway we did earlier this year may i think. it looked lovely when we finished now just lookout the state of it
any comments welcome.

[RAPressureWashing]

Pretty typical of Black Limestone, it's faded to late to do anything this year to damp & cold, but it will need a good clean and sealing with a colour enhancing impregnating sealer next spring.

[Andy Meechan]

If it's a daft question please forgive me,

But......

Whys the vast majority of the drive been done with slabs yet there's maybe six or seven patches that look like they're made up of units that look more like the size of block paving or setts?

I can see they're a different colour but why the different sizes?

Just made me wonder

[rab1]

my guess would be client choice...

[RAPressureWashing]

I didn't want to say anything, but personally I think it looks horrible, but as you say maybe clients choice?

[lutonlagerlout]

installation wise it looks great
cant for the life of me work out those patches of setts/blocks
run out of flags?
black limestone== you pays your money you take your chances

slim and none,and slim is outta town
LLL

[Thepinkpavingco]

we used the cobble areas to try and break the area up as it was quite plain looking.

[PavingSuperstore]

Stonemarket uses this effect on page 85 of their brochure with the Vintage Stone Frost paving. It adds a bit of texture to the finish, however in the pictures above it's a shame the setts have become lighter in colour than the surrounding stone.

[lutonlagerlout]

danny after all you have read on here regarding black limestone why did you agree to lay it?

the 3 stone that I refuse to lay are black limestone, rainbow sandstone and chinese granite

these 3 make up the bulk of all the complaints I have read on this site over the last 9 years

the installation is nigh on perfect but it just looks aged now

were the setts the same colour to start with?

cheers LLL

[PavingSuperstore]

Personally, I don't mind the way black limestone weathers as long as YOU KNOW it weathers and becomes a mix of mid grey shades. It's hard work if you want it to stay black and there are better options if it's the black look you're after.

[Thepinkpavingco]

the customer was adamant on the black so advised sealing it after install quoted them to do it but they refused.
the setts aren't setts at all they are alpha antique cbp from brett silver haze colour.

[RAPressureWashing]

That Silver Haze paving isn't going to go black imo. It will darken a bit with sealing but never going to match the Limestone if it does get sealed next year.

[Thepinkpavingco]

never intended for it to match, but to contrast

[Bob_A]

the 3 stone that I refuse to lay are black limestone, rainbow sandstone and chinese granite

I know this is an old thread but what can go wrong with Chinese granite ?
I'm considering mid-grey granite G654 whatever that means

[Tony McC]

Of the multitude of Chinese granites used for external paving, the 654 isn't too bad. It's certainly less problematic than the 603, which is now more-or-less exhausted, but it still has its quirks, chief of which is its tendency to have variable porosity which can result in funny-looking damp patches and a tendency to stain as soon as you turn your back on it.

Here's something I wrote for an enquirer just a day or two back.....

That is a particularly sensitive material to use, and I'm more-or-less convinced now, after a couple of decades of scepticism, that it really ought to be pre-sealed before being laid because it is so bloody precious when it comes to bedding and jointing.

It really must be laid on either trass bedding or silver sand with white cement otherwise it is almost certain to suffer with reflective staining and, if you've not had it pre-sealed, get it sealed in situ. The big problem with that is working in the New Year is probably the worst possible time for in situ sealing! The stone needs to be BONE DRY for an effective sealant to work.