Choosing stone (by intended use)

How do I choose stone for outdoor paving

Paving for public spaces (airports, train stations, hospitals, supermarkets, exhibition centers, restaurants, hotels, correctional facilities, etc.) is characterized by heavy foot traffic.

Specific requirements: durability, low slipperiness, low water absorption, high compressive and flexural strength, high abrasion resistance, low maintenance cost. Paving for pedestrian walkways, driveway entrances, and other vehicle-traffic paving is less demanding, requiring only a suitable base layer and cleaning 1-2 times a year plus resealing before the cold/snowy season.

Depending on the surface’s specific requirements, we recommend: granite, sandstone, or slate cobblestones for heavy traffic (certain varieties even handle vehicle traffic in public projects), and marble, limestone, and travertine for lighter traffic, preferably in private projects. Thickness varies with traffic, from 2 to 10 cm. For vehicle traffic, thickness starts at 7 cm. Pedestrian traffic needs a smaller thickness, depending on intensity: 3-7 cm.

Unpolished finishes are recommended, since they reduce slipperiness (equivalent to R11-R13). A polished finish has the downside of a higher slip coefficient, offset by the advantage of lower maintenance costs.

Tiles used for flooring can range from small sizes, starting at 10 x 10 cm, up to 90 x 60 cm (even larger), and thicknesses from 1.2 cm. Tolerances are standardized, generally within 10% of thickness.

How do I choose garden features

In the garden-design category on our website, we have statues, benches, fountains, pebbles, rockery stone, water spouts, grills, ovens, and grill/oven accessories.

Public garden design is carried out by specialists known as landscape architects.