There are plenty of paving options to suit different styles. But if you want your home to stand out, consider limestone paving. It’s ideal for patios and pool pavers because it’s heat and slip-resistant with elegant texture.
Limestone is a timeless building material. Historically, people have used limestone in some of the greatest forms of architecture, for instance, the Fremantle Prison on Western Australia’s Indian Ocean and the pyramids of Egypt.
However, before investing in anything for your home, it’s essential to know its features, pros, cons, and maintenance costs. Here’s everything you need to know about limestone pavers.
What are limestone pavers?
Limestone is a naturally occurring sedimentary stone made up of calcite. It’s available in a range of colours; blue, grey, black, pinkish-white, and beige. Limestone is classified into three grades; premium, standard and commercial.
- Premium: This tile has well-filled pores and is cut in uniform thickness throughout.
- Standard: Available in uniform thickness with some unfilled pores.
- Commercial-grade: It has an uneven thickness with total porosity.
Advantages of limestone pavers
Several features make limestone pavers unique and an excellent choice for outdoor paving. They include:
- Limestone is weather-resistant and durable. This makes it ideal for outdoor patios, driveways, and pool areas.
- It’s available in a variety of colours and has a soft texture. It gives your outdoor paving an elegant contemporary style.
- It is relatively low maintenance, thus perfect for walkways.
- Although limestone is dense and robust, it’s easy to cut into various shapes and sizes to fit your style.
- Limestone withstands pressure from cars and high foot traffic. However, this depends on the thickness of the stones used and the installation technique.
- It is highly heat resistant. Therefore, limestone pavers do not get too hot in summer and stay moderately cold in the winter.
- It’s non-slip, making it ideal for swimming areas and driveways.
Disadvantages of limestone paving
Despite their superior characteristics, limestone pavers are not without fault. Here are a few things you need to know before you install them on your property.
- Limestone pavers are more expensive compared to concrete, sandstone, or bluestone.
- Its high density makes it relatively heavy and expensive, which increases transportation costs.
- Limestone has a limited colour palette compared to other paving options.
- It is more prone to fading than other natural pavers such as granite and sandstone. However, you can work around this by using a suitable sealant for limestone.
- Limestone pavers are susceptible to corrosion by acids. Contact with chlorine and acidic cleaners can cause damage which strips it of its smooth texture.
Sealing Limestone Pavers
Like all natural stones, limestone requires sealing to reduce porosity, increase longevity and maintain the stone’s aesthetic. However, that choice is up to you. A sealant prevents direct contact of contaminants with the limestone surface, avoiding wear, fading, and staining. So if you want darker pavers, using a sealer is more of a requirement than a recommendation.
Still, some homeowners prefer the aesthetics of unsealed limestone pavers which acquire a classic patina over time. Sealers also come in different qualities and forms, affecting the overall outcome of your limestone pavers. If you opt for sealing, check with your limestone supplier for sealant recommendations.
Limestone Pavers Maintenance Guide
Limestone is sensitive to acidic materials. Only use alkaline cleaners and a regular scrub brush to clean limestone surfaces. With a mild cleanser diluted in water and a stiff-bristled brush, you can easily remove efflorescence( a white powdery mineral deposit that accumulates on natural stone surfaces).
Wrap Up
Limestone has been a popular architecture material for centuries and continues to be one of the most dependable paving solutions on the market today. Keep in mind that the durability, porosity, suitability, and cost of limestone pavers are all dependent on the quality of stone a supplier stocks.