Laying natural slate paving...

we laid a slate path & patio last autumn; our main issue was the quality of the slate;

long story short: the client chose the slate company/ product and although it was substantially cheaper than others, the slate itself had a tendency to flake, and the difference in depth was noticable, making laying harder.

as regards cutting, yes, you need to remember how slate naturally breaks, so a clean cut can be trickier to achieve.

we used welsh blue slate, (I'll tell you the actual quarry/ company privately if thats ok) with a coloured mortar for pointing

there will always be the potential for some discolouration with a natural product, minerals seeping through, etc some areas whwere slate is quarried are more prone than others

the slate we had was welsh slate, but not the best quality welsh slate;having uad experience of it as a client many moons ago, believe me it can be spectacular and i think generally out performs imported slate on many levels.

the finished patio & path did look good and the clients were very pleased; we have ghad request to design & lay another slate patio as part opf a re-design - but this time I'm insiting that I choose the Welsh quarry source!

The photo is before we swept up so excuse the dirt!

When laying slate the most important thing to consider is that slate is a lot less porous than sandstone and limestone. This makes adhesion between slate and bedding layer much more difficult. I would always advise using a bond bridge. This is a layer of SBR & cement slurry painted on the back of the paving. It takes a bit longer but it is worth taking the extra time.

Slate can also be a bit chippy when its cut, so its important to have a good quality diamond blade. Slate does not fade so there is absolutely no need to seal it, unless you want to achieve a glossy look.

I agree with Marie about Welsh slate being of superior quality. The problem is that costwise, it is beyond the budget of most people. Brazilian slate is the best imported slate. Chinese slate is also good quality as well. Dont touch Indian slate with a barge pole, its rubbish

"On choosing the height of my henchman Tim it was easy it was determined by the height of my valued regular bread and butter customers hedge height requirements so I could work on them without them having to resort to getting contractors in .
Another…"

"Spot on! I had a heavy fall from a tripod ladder, and part of my safety check now is a taught chain and front leg vertical and midway between both back legs. Absolutely never lean, always cut immediately in front of you! "

"They had the niwaki pro to try out at NEC Gardeners World. Reassuringly robust. I'm still contemplating 8 vs 10 vs 12 though.
i can't reply to all the helpful comments and suggestions but it's appreciated to have the wisdom of you all. "

Comments

Marie-Plews Garden Design March 20, 2012 at 8:40am

hi

we laid a slate path & patio last autumn; our main issue was the quality of the slate;

long story short: the client chose the slate company/ product and although it was substantially cheaper than others, the slate itself had a tendency to flake, and the difference in depth was noticable, making laying harder.

as regards cutting, yes, you need to remember how slate naturally breaks, so a clean cut can be trickier to achieve.

we used welsh blue slate, (I'll tell you the actual quarry/ company privately if thats ok) with a coloured mortar for pointing

there will always be the potential for some discolouration with a natural product, minerals seeping through, etc some areas whwere slate is quarried are more prone than others

the slate we had was welsh slate, but not the best quality welsh slate;having uad experience of it as a client many moons ago, believe me it can be spectacular and i think generally out performs imported slate on many levels.

the finished patio & path did look good and the clients were very pleased; we have ghad request to design & lay another slate patio as part opf a re-design - but this time I'm insiting that I choose the Welsh quarry source!

The photo is before we swept up so excuse the dirt!
Steve London Stone April 7, 2012 at 8:14pm

When laying slate the most important thing to consider is that slate is a lot less porous than sandstone and limestone. This makes adhesion between slate and bedding layer much more difficult. I would always advise using a bond bridge. This is a layer of SBR & cement slurry painted on the back of the paving. It takes a bit longer but it is worth taking the extra time.

Slate can also be a bit chippy when its cut, so its important to have a good quality diamond blade. Slate does not fade so there is absolutely no need to seal it, unless you want to achieve a glossy look.

I agree with Marie about Welsh slate being of superior quality. The problem is that costwise, it is beyond the budget of most people. Brazilian slate is the best imported slate. Chinese slate is also good quality as well. Dont touch Indian slate with a barge pole, its rubbish