I have to admit I have been a stalker without posting anything on this forum for quite some time now as I wanted as many tips on slab choice etc before going ahead and splashing out on a new patio !...
Anyways to cut a long story short, I went for the dreaded Black Limestone and it was laid a couple of weeks ago now.
I have a couple of questions for all you pro's, firstly do you think it looks like I have ended up with mortar stains on the slabs ?
secondly on a few of the slabs they appear to have what looks like a gold ringmarks / watermarks or stains ! (hope it shows in the pics).
The landscapers have told me that the slabs are as clean as they will get them so as you can imagine I'm not overly happy with the end result!... or am I just being too picky ?
I was wondering if I should just get them cleaned myself professionally and just pass on the bill to the landscaper? ???
Photie 1 looks like a stain of some kind
Photie 2 is very definite weathering/belaching marks, probably permanent if left untreated
Photie 3 could well be a mixture of geological artifacts (completely natural) with what looks like a cement-covverd bootprint
Photie 4 is unclear but I'm veering towards artifacts from tis distance
Photie 5 is complicated by the shadowing but just looks like slightly untidy pointing.
It would be worth getting them professionally cleaned and then deciding whether you want to run with a colour enhancer/sealant
rob after reading all the stories why did you go for black limestone?
and apologies to some landscapers who are very good but most are clueless when it comes to patios and their proper construction
I feel your pain, we also went for the dreaded black limestone (again chosen by the other half, why do they always put style and looks over practicalities?) and have ended up with acid damage due to incorrect cleaning by the landscaper!!
I'm still waiting for them to come back and rectify the problem (the test area using LTP products has come out ok) as we can't use our patio properly until they do (can't put plant pots on it plus we are frightened of making it worse as limestone is such a delicate surface without sealant being applied!!).
rator bob,
You are not a million miles from me, as we are based in Staines, and the photos on the Limestone pages on the main site are our work, if you want to drop me an email with your address details I'll drop by and have a look at this for you if you want?
so as you can imagine I'm not overly happy with the end result!... or am I just being too picky ?