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Close up of bluestone paving and oversized pebbles in Burwood landscape design by Parveen Dhaliwal

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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ilandscapesolns

🎶The long and winding road, that leads, to your 🎶The long and winding road, that leads, to your door⁠⁠
Will never disappear, I've seen that road before⁠⁠
It always leads me here, lead me to your door⁠⁠
- The Beatles⁠ 🎶⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Your front yard is one of the first things visitors see when they arrive at your house – so you want to make it stand out. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Should you dress it up with colourful flowers, or keep it stripped back and simple? ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Should you add fancy garden edging, or create a pretty stone path? ⁠⁠
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There are so many options and that’s why I’ve put all of these wonderful front garden ideas in the one spot for you.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
This path for our Burwood is clean, simple and low maintenance. Paths don't need to be complicated.  They need to look welcome and inviting. 💚
Who ... who ... who ... 🦉⁠⁠
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💚⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Did you know that owls represent wisdom, knowledge, change, transformation, intuitive development, and trusting the mystery?⁠⁠
⁠⁠
They are tied to the spiritual symbolism of “death” which brings about new beginnings with a higher understanding and an evolved perspective. Owls can show up when you are being asked to listen to your intuition. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
They have been around for a long time and feature in many cultures. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Archaeologists have found owl fossils as old as 58 million years!  Images of owls have been found on cave walls in France, among Egyptian hieroglyphs, and also in Mayan paintings.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
If you're into Feng Shui as I am, you can use a figurine in the form of an owl to improve the energy flow of your home.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
For example, if the flow of traffic is perpendicular to your home, it creates a poison arrow that could lead to a loss of health or prosperity. Positioning the owl figurine facing the traffic outside your home will deflect the poison arrow energy, clearing the way for only good energy - positive chi - to reach the entry of your home! 💚
The lovely Bougainvillea 💚⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ A star The lovely Bougainvillea 💚⁠⁠
⁠⁠
A star plant in my view!  Stunning Colour - Climber - Feature Plant - Good screening⁠!⁠⁠
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I grew up with this plant as it was pretty much in every garden I've experienced, in Malaysian suburbia. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Its an easygoing plant being drought-tolerant and well suited to most soil types (with good drainage). It's easily propagated too, something I learned from my mum who admittedly went a little berserk trying to get all colours of this plant into her garden and those with unusual leaf characteristics (spotted, variegated etc). She became quite the collector!! ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
What I love most about this plant is how intense they flower and how spectacular they look smothered in them.  Good specimens are breathtaking with their colours so vivid that you can see it in the distance!⁠⁠
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To be honest and to my dismay, planting schemes in KL have become quite boring with a heavy handed emphasis on foliage over flowers.  In my humble view, I miss the gardens of the past where even the not so greened thumbed person would have their bougainvillea's at the front of their house, proudly on display.  On my recent trip to KL. there were only few houses in my own area left that had these plants and they definitely stood out!⁠⁠
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If you'd like to try these, here's some tips to try:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
🌼They prefer all day sun but will also thrive even with half a day of sun. ⁠⁠
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🌼Fertilisers - use those with a low nitrogen count (encourages leafy growth) and a higher potassium count (to encourage flowering). ⁠⁠
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🌼Bougainvilleas may produce more thorns if they are growing strongly. Over fertilisation can cause this as can hard pruning. ⁠⁠
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🌼They love a long deep watering but don't overwater as their roots with rot out. ⁠⁠
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Let me know what your favourite Bougainvillea plant or colour is!!!💚
Construction about to start on this design done fo Construction about to start on this design done for my lovely Murrumbeena clients! ⁠⁠
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Relatively low maintenance, this garden focuses on a number of architectural plants that will differentiate itself from its surrounds!  It will have a Cloud pruned feature tree which I've been dying to include in my designs and the clients have been willing to take up the challenge! ⁠⁠
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The garden beds have an unusual layout to it to enable my lovely clients to walk through and maintain the garden themselves with ease.  I can't wait to see it all eventuate in person, soon!⁠⁠
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I went for a softer look this time rather than my usual pops of bright colours so the rest of the planting focuses on soft whites and pinks with complimentary materials that would bring it all together.  Pssttt... the rocks will have pinks in it too💚!! ⁠⁠
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Three little penguins 🐧🐧🐧⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Ga Three little penguins 🐧🐧🐧⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Garage art murals are a great idea to freshen up or add interest to a dull looking garage door. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
You can either paint it your self if you have a steady hand or there are many websites that sell stick on ones. Change for each season. ⁠⁠
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This one was for our lovely client in Hawthorn.  Designed and painted by us to reflect the view of her garden past the doors! 💚
When the world wearies and society ceases to satis When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumonier⁠⁠
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This weekend, plan your escape to your garden.  Grab a book and your sun bed and enjoy. ⁠⁠I know I did all that today and loved every minute of it! 💚🥂
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Have a wonderful Easter and long weekend everyone!💚
Stepping stones can make a great design statement Stepping stones can make a great design statement in your garden and they are a way to minimise wear and tear on your lawn.⁠⁠
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You can use them to help create a fun pattern and if you have a lot of space and gardens on your property, you can use them to create a multitude of pathways. ⁠⁠
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Stepping stones can also be a great way to lead people to a hidden area, such as a secret garden, courtyard, or a water feature. ⁠⁠
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Be sure to add visual interest around the stones by framing the pathway with colorful blooms and lush greenery.⁠⁠
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Where will your stepping stones lead to? 💚
Excited to share that we won Best of Houzz 2021 fo Excited to share that we won Best of Houzz 2021 for Service!⁠⁠
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It's a warm feeling when your clients know that you really care about them and want to get the right results for them. ⁣⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Feeling grateful for the beautiful words received from our clients in their reviews and very appreciative of their time and effort in doing that for us!⁠⁠
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Thank you, @houzzau! ⁣⁠⁠
⁠⁠
@houzzpro_anz ⁠⁠
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#BestofHouzz2021
Bird of Paradise - Strelizia reginae ⁠😎⁠⁠ Bird of Paradise - Strelizia reginae ⁠😎⁠⁠
⁠⁠
This distinctive plant is one of the best known of all the tropical flowers and is also a cousin to the banana! 🍌. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Surprisingly, the Bird of Paradise is easier to grow than many tropical plants and makes for a vigorous, rapidly growing indoor plant. It can be moved outside in the summer, and in warmer climes, it thrives for half the year outside. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
The Bird of Paradise typically flowers in the late winter or early spring, but under optimal conditions, it flowers at other times and they can grow to 5 to 6 feet tall. So pick a spot with this in mind. ⁠⁠
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Plant type: evergreen, forms a trunkless clump⁠⁠
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Height: to around 1.2m tall by 2–3m wide with age⁠⁠
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Foliage: similar to a small banana leaf but on a stem, very rigid, green to grey-blue.⁠⁠
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Climate: tropics, sub-tropics, warm temperate and sheltered areas of cold temperate.⁠⁠
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Soil: light, free-draining with additional compost at planting time.⁠⁠
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Position: warm and sunny with protection from harsh or cold winds, will tolerate some shade.⁠⁠
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Feeding: annual application of controlled-release fertiliser.⁠⁠
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Watering: must have reliable moisture during hot, dry weather. 💚
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