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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:24 pm
by angeldust1
Currently planning our new patio and like the look of Stonemarket Truslate (copper). Local garden center does it for £31 per square meter, and found is online a little cheaper (~£27). A internet search brought me to a company called Nustone (based in Hull) which has similar copper slate type flags for a much cheaper £15 per square meter. I've asked to be sent a sample. Does anyone have any experience of using this company and the product in particular. Any advice much appreciated.
Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:16 pm
by MBPM
Tried to purchase some slate and setts from them a while ago. After a fews days and much prompting I was told... "their warehouse didnt have the facilities to dispense the order at the time". ie- about as much use as a chocolate teapot.
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:04 am
by Tony McC
Nustone seem to be running at about 50/50 in terms of customer satisfaction. Some customers are delighted with the low prices, while some are underwhelmed by the slow service, poor quality or incorrect orders. Naturally, I tend to hear about things when they go wrong, so you should bear that in mind.
However, a general comment about buying online: if you run short, break too many or have any sort of problem with the supplied paving, how easy would it be to get replacements/additions? If you buy locally, it's usually much easier to get spares. This is worth giving extra consideration if you're using a tradesman to lay your paving. Let's say they are charging 300 quid per day and then you realise you are 4 flags short. Do you nip up the road and get 4 extra flags or do you try to contact the online retailer and then pay the contractor to return a week later to finish the job?
Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:32 am
by angeldust1
Thanks for the replies. I will be laying the patio myself, so saving 50% on the cost of the paving material is very tempting. If I have any problems with running short of flags my local supplier stocks the Stonemarket varient (at double the cost, but that won't matter for a few flags). My main concern is what sort of quality the Nustone product is. I'd rather pay double and get a decent quality product, but how do I assess the Nustone product without seeing a full pallet or the product laid and weathered? They are sending a sample but I don't expect this will tell me much. I may try and visit their site when I go up North to see family. In the meantime any more advice would be very welcome. 50/50 customer satisfaction doesn't fill me with confidence, even if that is weighted on the disatisifed side.
Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 11:36 am
by MBPM
Personally I found CED Ltd at Langley Mill in Notts far more helpful. You can actually inspect what you are buying rather than just looking at a "show piece" made from the best peices they could find.
Plus being able to look at the various options is a good thing. I'd set my heart on black slate, but I ended up leaving with green slate which I am much happier with. 
Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:43 pm
by rimexboy
Angeldust
ive used nustone in hull...
i had sandstone 3 patio pack pallets, very good at taking the money but a little slow to deliver but they did get it to me in the end, all in all if you do use them then order around one week early then all will be ok,
hope that helps
simon
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:52 pm
by angeldust1
Thanks rimexboy. I take it you were satisfied with the quality?
Could anyone help me with what to look out for when assessing quality? Are there any obvious tell-tell signs, or will it only become obvious in time after the material has been laid and subjected to the weather?
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:39 pm
by rimexboy
angeldust1 wrote:Thanks rimexboy. I take it you were satisfied with the quality?
Could anyone help me with what to look out for when assessing quality? Are there any obvious tell-tell signs, or will it only become obvious in time after the material has been laid and subjected to the weather?
Hi angeldust1
yes i am you will get a few in a patio pack that may be more riven than others but i used them for cuts or they was left overs.
its like the other say you may be better going to a local supplyer so you can take a nice look and also ask if they will replace more riven free or not..
nustone dont do that, they just sell at a price and thats it,
apart from delivery i would use them again.. just place my order sooner.
i hope thats of some help to you, im not sure what area you are in but the guys are all more than helpfull on here and would know of some supplier near to you.
im based in essex and even with the delivery charges on my order from nustone they was alot cheaper than N&C near me.
regards simon
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:07 pm
by angeldust1
I've now recieved small samples from both Nustone and CED, and as I suspected I'm still none the wiser! They are both about the same thickness (thin ~1cm, but this may be on purpose to save postage cost?), perhaps the CED is more uniform - it's difficult to tell on a ~10cm x 10cm sample. Visually they are strikingly different. The Nustone sample is either dull or subtle, depending on your point of view, while the CED sample is either striking or garish depending (again depending on your POV). Thing is, I've seen a Stonemarket pallet, and if you took the shinest example and the dullest example you could probably match both of what I've got in front of me. The CED sample is so bright I suspect it may have been sealed with something. The Nustone was very dusty and even when washed with water, then meths, and left to dry, a black dust came off when rubbed with white kitchen towel. The CED slate was shiney and didn't rub off. Is this a sign of better quality or just that CED seal their samples to look better?
To be honest I think even if they are representative samples I would be visually happy with either. Can anyone help me with what to look for quality wise?
BTW CED customer service was excellent with a very fast response. Impressive, and they appeared very professional. Nustone were not quite so fast (or professional, i.e eager to please) but still provided a sample within 4 days, so I can't complain. Still, I'd expect good service when they are trying to get my business!
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 11:40 am
by SketchUpMonkey
Hi All
I may be biased here as I'm based on the outskirts of Hull.
I have designed several gardens this/last year based on getting the paving from NUSTONE and one of them is one that I am asking laying advice on in The Brew Cabin. These jobs are going to be constructed on-site by the customers, who all just happen to be builder's working on their own gardens!
All I will say is that, of the jobs that have been constructed so far, the service was good, the materials were good quality and arrived very promptly (one job granite, the other slate).
Re: samples, yes the fact you can't go anywhere to see any is annoying (I actually drove to their address un-announced to see if could view some samples, but all I found was an un-manned warehouse!).
Overall, I think you just have to accept that this is new (northern based) company that has a good product at a good price and is having a few teething problems distributing their product nationally.