Paving Walthamstow ⋅ Tottenham

Quick ∙ Paving ∙ Porcelain Guide ∙ Buying Guide ∙ Tottenham ∙ Walthamstow

Hers is our quick guide to paving and buying a stone.  What to buy.  Where and how to buy your stone.  What else do you need to purchase to complete your paving and porcelain project, Walthamstow?  There’s also a quick guide to sealing stone and ideas on drainage.

Natural Stone ∙ Paving ∙ Porcelain ∙ Tottenham ∙ Walthamstow

Natural stone paving is a great addition to any garden design project…

©fertile ground garden design ⋅ landscaping ⋅ porcelain paving ⋅ tottenham ⋅ Walthamstow

Building Suppliers ⋅ Paving Porcelain ⋅ walthamstow tottenham

Your local independent builders merchant, usually stocks paving.  Price is variable.  And so is what’s in stock. You may bag a bargain, if its sale day. However, their stone is usually more expensive than other outlets.  The range of stone stocked, can be limited.  And the lead time for orders can be considerable.  

Product Knowledge ⋅ Paving Porcelain ⋅ walthamstow tottenham

Product knowledge can be low.  Remember you will always pay considerably more if you are not a trade customer.  ‘Open to the public’ usually means paying a lot more than the local trades man!

©fertile ground landscaping ⋅ porcelain paving · Walthamstow ⋅ Tottenham

Specialist stone companies ⋅ Porcelain Paving ⋅ Walthamstow ⋅ Tottenham

Why not go to a specialist.  With local showrooms.  Usually with a large range of products.  With high stock levels.  You will always get a better price in winter.  Delivery may be charged.  Good specialist knowledge.  London stone is one of the best.  Great product advice.

Reclamation yards ⋅ Porcelain Paving ⋅ Walthamstow ⋅ Tottenham

You want those aged sandstone flags.  High prices with little negotiating room.  Be wary, as they won’t always exchange materials, if you order to much.  Or simply don’t like the quality. 

Restocking Fee · ⋅ Paving Porcelain ⋅ walthamstow tottenham

They may try to charge you a restocking fee. Or buy back the items at a significantly lower price.  Quality of materials vary, even on one pallet.

Online shops ⋅ Porcelain Paving ⋅ Walthamstow ⋅ Tottenham

Usually, appear the ‘cheapest’.  Product knowledge or customer service is not always great.  Stone quality varies a lot.  Remember to check the thickness.  You may be buying a thinner indoor product.  Generally, you want your pavers around 20 – 27mm.  These thick slabs are frost resistant.  And they won’t crack when laying on your patio.

QUALITY ⋅ QUALITY ⋅ QUALITY

Be careful with bargains.  Remember a ‘bargain’ is sometimes not the one in the long run.  You usually get what you pay for.  Customer support is important.  So is the products overall finish.

Labour Costs ⋅ Paving Porcelain ⋅ walthamstow tottenham

Remember, the labour cost for a patio. Usually out ways the material costs.  Cheaper materials can cost more time to lay.  And can be harder to cut.  A problem with porcelain products.  Cheaper materials are also prone to breakages when cutting a laying. Increasing your material costs.

Always let your eyes be your judge of quality.  If unsure, speak to a landscaping company, Watford.  Remember, if it appears cheap.  It usually is.  And won’t last well, over the years.

End of line sales  ⋅ Colour  ⋅ landscaping watford

Be careful of end of line sales.  Especially when buying porcelain. If you need more stones.  It can be difficult to find stones which match.  Always check your stones colour.  When you crate of stones arrives. You may have a mismatch of coloured stones.  A crate, created from the yards left over ‘odds and sods’.

SENDING IT BACK ⋅ PORCELAIN PAVING WALTHAMSTOW

The Delivery ⋅ Paving Porcelain ⋅ walthamstow tottenham

Stone by its very nature is heavy. And can be awkward to move.  Have a good think about where to put the delivery.  It needs to be within 3 meters of the curb.  That’s assuming the lorry has a crane.  Some internet companies will leave curb side.  Delivering a few tonnes, on a hand pallet truck.  With one grumpy lorry driver. Make sure the crate is loaded onto a level surface.  Preventing it from tipping when unloading.

CHECK ⋅ CHECK ⋅ CHECK ⋅ LANDSCAPING WATFORD

Check the stone.  Breakages should be noted and photographed.  Check the quantity.  Next check the colour.  Natural stone will always vary slightly in hues.  And check the colour between palettes.  If you are not happy. Be brave and send it back!  Better to do this and argue the case later.  Then having to pay for the stone pallets to be returned.

BUY LOCALLY ⋅ LANDSCPAING ⋅ WATFORD

This is where a delivery from a local company, comes into play.  They may seem slightly more expensive. But will be more worried about their local reputation, than a national on-line store!

AVOID MISMATCHES ⋅ LANDSCAPING ⋅ WATFORD

Don’t buy stone from different suppliers.  Especially part way through the project.  Hoping it will match up.  Colour and finish will vary.  Especially on coloured porcelain tiles.  It’s always good practice to buy a few extras stones.  Making replacing stones latter down the line, easier.

When you are matching stones.  Let your eyes, be the judge.  If you can see a stone doesn’t match, then someone else will.  One solution is to remove an existing stone. From a less obvious place.  And replacing it with a new stone.  Gaining you a stone. More work.  But less annoying visually.

You can get away with adding an extra paved area.  If the new stone compliments the original stone.  Sometimes, breaking up an area with sets.  Makes a new stone area, look intentional. Rather than a mistake or a poor match

Why Seal ∙ Paving ∙ Walthamstow ∙ Tottenham ∙ Tottenham

General wear and tear.  Dirt.  Bird waste.  Pets.  Cooking grease and oil.  Stains from drinks.  Mould, Mildew and black spot.  Maybe it’s a good idea to seal your patio & paving and porcelain Tottenham & Walthamstow.

Which Stones to Sealed ∙ Paving ∙ Walthamstow ∙ Tottenham

Most natural stones will benefit from sealing.  Sandstone Natural stone paving looks great.  In both contemporary and traditional garden design projects.  It’s textured and riven.  This can lead to an annual build-up of moss and mildew.  Sealing with help!

Limestones look great sealed especially if the sealant has a colour enhancer.  Darken the stone.  Preventing it from lightening over time.  Choose a sealant that has a built-in colour enhance.  Test an on a test piece first.  As some enhancers can give Unpredictable results. Great paving and porcelain Tottenham & Walthamstow.

Granite can be smooth or textured.  The lighter stones can stain during the laying process.  Iron from the sand can leach up and stain the stones over time.  Sealing the top and bottom will help to prevent this staining. Great paving and porcelain Tottenham & Walthamstow.

Slate doesn’t really need sealing.  It’s pretty stain resistant.  As the surface is impervious.  Sealing can also be hard.  Due to the non-permeable nature of the stone.

Porcelain isn’t a natural stone.  It’s a man-made product.  For this reason.  Porcelain is very consistent in colour, texture and appearance.  It’s extremely non-porous.  Impervious to stains.  Spill oil on its surface.  Mop up the oil with a soft cloth.  Clean with detergent and water.  For this reason, porcelain doesn’t need sealing!

When to Seal ∙ Paving ∙ Walthamstow ∙ Tottenham ∙ Porcelain

These are two points to seal your paving. b Before the laying process.  And after the laying process. It really depends on what you want to achieve.

Pre-sealing ∙ Paving ∙ Walthamstow ∙ Tottenham ∙ Porcelain

Pre-sealing ∙ when laying some types of stones.  It’s a good idea to pre-seal your paving.  Lighter sandstone.  Especially shot blast stones.  Have a tendency to stain.  From the mortar bed below.  And during the laying process

Mortar Beds ∙ can be problematic for lighter stones.  Sandstone Natural Stone Paving.  And Granite paving.   Some of the dark sands can contain Iron.  Which can leach up and stain the stones.  Sealing will help the process.  A belt and braces approach can include.  Sealing the stones.  Using river washed sand.  White cement.  And adding a water-cement slurry to the back of the stones during the laying process.

Stains From Laying ∙ You need to be careful during the laying process.  Stains from mortar can easily ruin your patio.  Handprints, stains from footprints and mortar generally dropped onto stones.   Washing your stones thoroughly and keeping a tidy site will help avoid staining.  Sealing will help with textured and lighter stones.  Which always seem to stain!

Post-Sealing ∙ great for sealing your paving after the laying process.  Prevent stains during the general wear and tear of your patio.  It’s a good idea to leave a new patio for a few months before sealing.  All new patios can suffer from efflorescence.  Salts from the ground or mortar bed.  Can travel through the stone forming white crystals on your newly laid patio.  It can be unsightly and there are products to remove the crystals.

Sealing the stone early on can slow down the movement of crystals.  And extend the efflorescence.  Taking months to resolve.  Better to wait a few months before sealing to be on the safe side!

TYPES OF SEALANTS ∙ PAVING ∙ PORCELAIN ∙ WALTHAMPSTOW ∙ TOTTENHAM

 There are type main types of sealants.  Water-based sealants.  And epoxy or Polyurethane.

Water Base Sealants ∙ These are certainly the easiest to apply.  Less messy and the chemical are less toxic.  They give a natural finish to your paving project.  It’s not the gloss wet look.  You won’t really know the paving has been sealed.  It’s you are looking for a wet look.  Why not install a porcelain patio.

Epoxy ∙ Polyurethane Sealants ∙ These are specialist products.  Best left to the skilled contractors.  The products are toxic and unpleasant to apply.  They are also tricky.  And can easily ruin your new patio. Once they are applied.  They are hard to remove.  Always test an area.  Prior to applying the sealant.  They can give the paving a glossy wet look.  Which can look unnatural and plastic.  And why not simply install a porcelain patio! Great paving and porcelain Tottenham & Walthamstow.

APPLYING WATER BASE SEALANTS PAVING ∙ WALTHAMPSTOW ∙ TOTTENHAM

Cleaning ∙ Paving ∙ Walthamstow ∙ Tottenham ∙ Porcelain

It’s a good idea to clean your paving before applying your water base sealant.  First, give the patio a good sweep or blow to remove any dust and dirt. Great paving, landscaping and porcelain Tottenham & Walthamstow.

Jet washing ∙ Paving ∙ Walthamstow ∙ Tottenham ∙ Porcelain

Need to give the patio a good jet washing to remove deeply ingrained dirt and grime.  Be careful not to point the nozzle.  Too close to the paving.  As it will mark softer stones.  Such as sandstone natural paving. Great paving projects and porcelain Tottenham & Walthamstow.

Apply the Cleaner ∙ Paving ∙ Walthamstow ∙ Tottenham ∙ Porcelain

It’s always a good idea to buy a quality patio cleaner.  Pave Seal have some great products.  Dilute the cleaner a per instructions in a bucket.  And apply with a deck brush.  Check the dwell time.  How long do you need to let the cleaner sit and the stones before washing off?  Brushing to the patio.  Add extra water if it starts to dry out.  Finally hose down the patio and brush.  To remove all the cleaning residue. Great paving and porcelain Tottenham & Walthamstow.

APPLY THE WATER-BASED SEALANT ∙ WALTHAMPSTOW ∙ TOTTENHAM

Weather ∙ Paving ∙ Walthamstow ∙ Tottenham ∙ Porcelain

Now for the sealant. You will need a roller and tray.  Weather is important.  Obviously, avoid wet days.  As your sealant will be washed off your patio.  Warm works well.  As it speeds up the curing process of the sealant.  Avoid hot weather as the sealant will dry out too quickly.  Windy weather can blow dust and debris onto your paving! Great paving and porcelain Tottenham & Walthamstow.

Applying ∙ Sealant ∙ Paving ∙ Walthamstow ∙ Tottenham ∙ Porcelain

Work from one end of the paving to the other.  Apply the sealant with the roller.  Evenly coving the paving.  Avoid creating puddles of sealant.  Most products require two coats.  Leave to dry for 24 hrs before using the paving area Tottenham & Walthamstow!

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