Sandstone slabs - Colour changing

[mrsc]

Apologies if this topic has been raised before. Last year we acquired some light coloured Indian sandstone slabs. The people who 'freecycled' them felt that they looked a bit harsh. They looked a bit light and harsh in our garden at first, but now they are the colour of York stone. Would this be because we laid them straight onto the earth as stepping stones?

We have now bought some more light slabs for a small patio by the back door. The question is, will they fail to darken down if laid on sand and cement?

Would it help if a layer of soil was added on top of the sand?

[Tony McC]

They should not have been laid on soil, but that is unlikely to be the reason for them 'mellowing' (as the suppliers of imported flagstones would have it). Some of the darker sandstones naturally fade when exposed to the atmosphere and/or UV light. Some are completely unaffected.

You would need to find out just what stone you have. It will have a name such as Modak, Camel, Mint, Raj or summat else. In theory, if you source the same sort of stone for your new project, and then lay it properly as described on teh main website, it should, over time, mellow to the same shade of what you already have.

[London Stone Paving]

All stone mellows, regardless of where its from. Diamond sawn Yorkstone is used extensively throughout London and within a matter of weeks it is unrecognisable from how it looked when it was originally laid. Portland stone is even worse, it turns almost black if left unmaintained. All stone needs maintenance to keep it looking fresh

[mrsc]

You would need to find out just what stone you have. It will have a name such as Modak, Camel, Mint, Raj or summat else. In theory, if you source the same sort of stone for your new project, and then lay it properly as described on teh main website, it should, over time, mellow to the same shade of what you already have.

Thanks for the advice. There is no way of finding out what the original stones were called by now. We have bought the new ones as a clearance offer from Travis Perkins. They are advertised as Marshalls sandstone multi pack, Sand. Hopefully, they will darken!

[London Stone Paving]

They will darken