New patio care - New patio being laid. top tips

[DanSnowdon]

Hi all, first poster here

I'm having a 22sqm patio laid in fossil mint sandstone in April. I've spent a lot of time reading this site to understand how to care for the patio from the outset. As always with a lot of advice it can be hard to distill this down to what you must do and what you should do. Can you check the below points and advise on my summary understanding:

Cleaning: clean with hot soapy water and stiff brush fairly regularly. Unclear if some bleach can/should be added. Could not see if this would damage indian sandstone.

Jet wash: will get it cleaner but at some risk to the surface if used incorrectly? Unlikely as I'd just get a Karcher for £80-100 tops. Maybe once a year only? Will regular brushing and washing eliminate need for jet wash?

Sealant: I was very interested in doing this to enhance the colour and protect the surface. I gather this is optional but a good idea considering patio will be down for up to 10 years I expect. Noticed advice toL lave patio for a year in case of eff and to check for any problem areas.

Any advice or general pointers much appreciated

Dan

[lutonlagerlout]

dan my first bit of advice is think carefully about fossil mint
its on the softest scale of indian stone and if its a cheaper one tends to delaminate quite easily

cleaning with a brush and water yes

I would only jet wash once a year in spring

if it gets a lot of algae and lichen bleach or roger's jollop may be used

cheers LLL

[DanSnowdon]

Thanks for the tip. I'll look into fossil mint a bit more before committing then. I hadn't come across any warnings that it might delaminate. I think/hope the place I'm buying from seems reputable and I'll ask the guy who is laying it for his take too.

Good to know it can take some bleach if it grows some algae or lichen. I'm determined to keep on top of the maintenance if I've got a smart new patio. The existing one is beyond hope now so has to go.

Thanks,
Dan

[Tony McC]

Avoid the jet washer as much as possible.

Look at using an anti algae treatment such as Wet'n'Forget which is far more effective than repeated washing and annual sealing

Up to 10 years? Is that all? I know contractors love it when customers change their patio or driveways every few years but a properly laid patio should give you at least 25 years of reasonably trouble-free service.

And Fossil Mint? I've had pies where the pastry is tougher than Fossil Mint!

[DanSnowdon]

Thanks Tony, I will check that treatment out.

That's two strong comments against Fossil Mint. Does that go for most Indian Sandstone or is Fossil Mint just particularly soft and brittle? There were quite a few other colours in the range at my local paving centre

I say 10 years as we expect to move before then. Ideally the patio would be in top condition longer than that.

[lutonlagerlout]

no just fissile mint
LLL

[KLS]

The basic rule with indian sandstone is the darker the colour the harder/stronger the stone. Autumn brown or raj green are both harder more durable stone. But then again if you end up buying a budget stone they will all delaminate over time.

Find out if london stone deliver down your way. if so use them.

[London Stone Paving]

Thanks for that KLS

Fossil mint gets a bad rep IMO. Ok, its not suitable in some conditions but in the right kind of scenario its a great stone. I laid some at my mums house over 10 years ago in stoke on Trent and its still going strong.

We have been using our native Portland Stone in the UK for centuries which is a lot softer than fossil mint but no one ever mentions that. Portland stone goes black/green very quickly but people accept it because its a "reverred" British stone

I have just had an email from someone I met in Ibiza 3 years ago asking me for advice on stone. I asked her the following questions:

1. How big is the area you are paving?
2. What sort of colours do you like?
3. Contemporary style or traditional?
4. Would you prefer to use one size or a mixture of different sizes?
5. What is your budget?
6. Have you got someone good to install?
7. Is the garden north facing or particuarly damp

If you answer those questions Dan I will definately be able to point you in the right direction

Cheers
Steve

[lutonlagerlout]

I see the portland on your webby steve

and I thought why? I know designers like the clean white lines

but it really is soft

the only thing softer is that I have seen is bath stone which I cut with a hand saw

LLL

[KLS]

I see the portland on your webby steve

and I thought why? I know designers like the clean white lines

but it really is soft

the only thing softer is that I have seen is bath stone which I cut with a hand saw

LLL

What about the old Totternhoe stone they used to build the local churches with Tony, thats mega soft.

[lutonlagerlout]

that totternhoe stone was the one i was thinking of doh! my bad
like slightly firm chalk
LLL :O

[Tony McC]

We have been using our native Portland Stone in the UK for centuries which is a lot softer than fossil mint but no one ever mentions that. Portland stone goes black/green very quickly but people accept it because its a "reverred" British stone

With a few exceptions around Salisbury and environs, Portland stone is rarely used for paving precisely because it is too soft (and too expensive), a point I struggled to make with one supplier at the EcoBuild show last week (see my Review in the News Section).

On the horizontal plane, it does go green/black because surface water penetrates and hangs around long enought to give sustenance to the algae, but in the vertical, when it's used as building stone, water runs straight down and off, so it keeps its clean looks for that bit longer.

But Fossil Mint is still crap! :p

[DanSnowdon]

Hi Steve

Thanks for the additional info and offer. I've answered your questions below. I feel put off fossil mint now and we're leaning towards Modak instead. Fossil mint looks a little light in colour I think now, unless it's sealed with wet look - a hassle.

1. How big is the area you are paving?
22 sqm. Angular lines and right angles. Simple

2. What sort of colours do you like?
Buttery, slight tint of red or purple. We have an area of purple chipped stones in the garden so it can match that.

3. Contemporary style or traditional?
Not quite sure how to answer. Traditional I think. We're looking for a solid, classic patio

4. Would you prefer to use one size or a mixture of different sizes?
Mix of sizes. The Indian sandstone kits locally have about four sizes

5. What is your budget?
We were going to pay £25 per sqm for calibrated Indian sandstone. The guy in the shop indicated calibrated stone tends to be better overall. Not sure if that's a sales spiel or true. Only worked out at £62 more for calibrated overall so no biggie

6. Have you got someone good to install?
Yes, I think he is good. His other work has been very dependable

7. Is the garden north facing or particuarly damp
Neither

[London Stone Paving]

With a few exceptions around Salisbury and environs, Portland stone is rarely used for paving precisely because it is too soft (and too expensive)

Its used loads in london for paving, steps and coping, all items that sit horziontally. Also we see loads of specs for paving projects and we regularly see Portland specified for paving

[Tony McC]

I wouldn't say "loads". It's specced by those who know no better, but it's a drop in the ocean compared to York, Pennant or Granite.