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To Blog

Bluestone paving

October 10, 2018
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Construction, Paving
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Posted by Parveen

Bluestone – what is it?

Bluestone is not a geological term but refers to different types of stone depending on which Australian state your located. In Victoria Bluestone means Basalt. Basalt is one of the most commonly occurring igneous or volcanic rocks used in construction.  It is supplied as building blocks, cobblestones and statues.  Bluestone paving comes in all shapes and sizes and until recently it was the trendiest stone for landscape design in Victoria.

Australian bluestone v Chinese bluestone

Given that its natural stone, there are many grades available.  It’s worthwhile to know the product you are paying for and whether you’d like to invest in Australian bluestone or other imported e.g. Chinese bluestone.  The differences mainly lie in the quality of the stone and appearance, which in turn drives the cost.

For example, China tends to quarry their basalt shallower or nearer the earth’s surface than Australian quarries, making it softer with a higher porosity or a higher distribution of cats paws throughout the stone.

Natural ‘defects’ in Bluestone

It is a natural stone so some people may view its aesthetics as ‘defective’.  For example

  • lines; and
  • cats paws – refer to the attached picture.

Efflorescence & Finishes

This is discussed more in our recent article on paving.

Bluestone pavers with cats paws

Curling Bluestone

In my view, this is a true defect.  This issue has become a very real problem the use of bluestone paving recently due to the increase in use of imported bluestone.

The term Curling or Cupping refers to when the edges of the paver lift before the mortar beneath has had time to set.  This makes the paver ‘drummy’ or hollow.

There are a couple of reasons that cause curling:

Thickness of the paver –  The ‘standard’ thickness of a paver used to be 40mm. Today it is common to see bluestone 20mm thick or less. Obviously purchasing stone this thin has its advantages (less on-site excavation, cheaper to purchase etc.).  However, it will be more prone to movement and warping.

Density of the stone –  Imported stone costs a lot less than the price of Australian quarried Bluestone, so it’s not difficult to see why there is more demand for imported stone.

Ashburton B

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Ashburton A

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Vermont South A

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Vermont South B

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Camberwell

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Mapei Australia have put forward the following recommendations to avoid problems with curling bluestone paving:

  • Specification of a minimum thickness of 30mm so that the bluestone paving is not affected by dimensional change.
  • Use of a 20mm bluestone is still possible, however, with a fast acting adhesive that will set and cure in 5 minutes.  This short time prevents the stone from absorbing moisture and therefore warping.
  • A waterproofing membrane be used between the slab and your adhesive/mortar to stop any moisture from the concrete being absorbed.

It may take some time but eventually all landscape contractors and designers will be aware of curling bluestone. They will realise that stone less than 30mm thick is too thin, and that Chinese stone is more porous and therefore softer than its Australian equivalent. They will understand that 10-20mm bluestone, will undergo dimensional change when it reaches a certain saturation point, and that laying it on a rapid adhesive has been recommended as the only way to counter this change.

Blackburn - bluestone

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Camberwell

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Glen Waverley

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Kew

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Kew

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Sealing stone

This is discussed more in our recent article on paving.

Maintenance

Some stones like bluestone are sensitive to acids, meaning special care should be taken to keep its surface clean of even mild corrosive and staining substances.

Implications for landscape design

As landscape designers, although we need to be aware of these sorts of issues and have discussions with our clients, our drawings are specifically labelled ‘not fit for construction’ in accordance with industry practice as the responsibility for the installation falls onto the landscape contractor to install the material properly.

If you need further suggestions on all or any of the above, contact us for an onsite 90 minute consultation.  We charge $220.00 for the visit and can subsequently quote on implementing the entire transformation for you within your budget.

 

Refer to our portfolio for examples of where we’ve used bluestone in paving!

 

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Garden Statues and Ornaments.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Do you Garden Statues and Ornaments.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Do you have any in your garden?⁠⠀
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I love seeing these in my client's gardens as they are heaps of fun and add so much personality into a design!⁠⠀
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This lovely creation was by a client's parent who loves creating 3D mosaic pieces and came all the way from NZ!⁠⠀
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Do try styling your outdoors with some wonderful pieces like these and it really doesn't have to be something new - upcyle and use your imagination to create something wonderful and unique!⁠⠀
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Have a go and let me know what you come up with! 💚
Grasses.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ One element to design I real Grasses.⁠⠀
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One element to design I really love using is to incorporate different types of "grasses" into my designs⁠⠀
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I find them easy going maintenance wise and if used properly, quite visually and physically textural.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Here is an example where I've used about 5 types - from broader leaved versions to thin and wispy flowering types! A couple of my favourite's have a quirky "Mr It" type effect! ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Which grass types appeal to you? And what do you love about them? 💚⁠⠀
Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to be Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Beginning makes the condition perfect ... and anytime is a perfect to play in your garden! 💚
Do you have a favourite nook in your garden that y Do you have a favourite nook in your garden that you can relax in?⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Perhaps somewhere to read a book or a magazine or to just laze about?⁠⠀
⁠⠀
These things are important when designing your garden as it's not only about creating something special to look at but also creating a space to be part of and to immerse yourself in. ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
What is your favourite gardening spot and how do you spend time in it? 💚 ⁠⠀
A snippet from a favourite design from 2020! ⁠⠀
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Completed last Sept and about to arrange for some professional shots of it soon!⁠⠀
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Probably the best part of the design for me was to see my client's fervour around building the nautilus feature and actually making that happen!  You'll have to see it in real life to believe it as it not only looks amazing but gives her a sense of pride whenever she drives home!⁠⠀
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No more a boring front garden with a square grassed area but something unique to come home to, surrounded by plants that make her happy and a garden she loved designing for herself! 💚
This is one thing that continues to fascinate me!⁠⠀
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I LOVE it when ferns unfurl.  It's almost magical and done with such grace of movement!⁠⠀
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From the alternating leaf pattern, the prominent lateral veins to the spores that finally appear underneath their leaves, it's so well planned and amazing!⁠⠀
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Isn't nature simply beautiful!!? 💚⁠⠀
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What's your favourite fern?
Feature pots for smaller spaces or courtyards. ⁠ Feature pots for smaller spaces or courtyards. ⁠⠀
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The decision is a little trickier than you would initially think but here are some tips that can help!⁠⠀
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🌿Colours - lighter to make the area larger⁠⠀
🌿Size & number - would also depend on what you intend to plant and the aesthetic you'd want to create but if space is really limited I'd perhaps chose a single reasonably sized pot (to facilitate good root growth) that would allow for some layering of plants⁠⠀
🌿Opening - what  I mean by this is the "mouth" of the pot.  This has practical implication for on-going repotting and maintenance.  The wider the opening the easier to repot down the track!⁠⠀
🌿Texture - i love the earthy ones as they feel natural and similarly anything with laid stone or are handcrafted just adds that something extra but these tend to be expensive!⁠⠀
🌿Type - chose the look that compliments the overall style and aesthetic for your space.  For example, you'd not want to chose an ultra modern geometric pot for a farmhouse style cottagey space!  The pot here was chosen to compliment the earthy paving colour and was in line with the shapes of other structures in the courtyard!⁠⠀
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What are your key styling tips!  Do share! 💚⁠⠀
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⁠Slow and steady gets there eventually!⁠⠀
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Finally my dwarf senecio has got to a reasonable size and is looking very adorable at the moment!⁠⠀
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What especially I love about it is that it has a rounded growth and almost 'shines' at night against the moonlight which is why I've planted it next to the path!⁠⠀
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What's your favourite succulent? 💚⁠⠀
Need I say more? Well I'm pretty much plant and g Need I say more?  Well I'm pretty much plant and garden obsessed anyway LOL!⁠⠀
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Hope that you’re making your garden your priority in 2021. It's good for the mind, body and soul! 💚
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