Granite

Granite chippings are made up of crushed granite. Granite chippings get their hard wearing characteristics from the way they are formed. Granite is created when molten rock cools slowly, deep underground.

This cooling process causes a crystalline structure, making it a very hard wearing, weather resistant material, perfect for decorative projects that need to look good for a prolonged period of time.

For a normal shed base, patio, path or driveway sub-base, both granite and limestone can be suitable if they are supplied as a proper MOT Type 1 / granular sub-base. Type 1 is graded to compact into a stable, load-bearing layer.

Granite Type 1 is particularly better suited where heavy loads or vehicle traffic is likely, whereas limestone would not be suitable where heavy loads are to be expected, although often limestone is the cheaper alternative which can make it a perfect choice for smaller projects such as patios and pathways.

Red Granite can be used for a variety of jobs, including borders, driveways, paths and to cover large patches of ground. Red Granite is low maintenance and can be used across large areas to great effect.

Yes, granite chippings can slightly fade when exposed to sunlight and continual weathering. Although it is not ideal, granite chippings are relatively resistant to UV and the fading process is slow, over multiple years.

14mm granite is a good choice for a domestic driveway with normal car traffic. The smaller 14mm granite chippings create a comfortable area to walk on with a decorative, easy to maintain appearance. For areas where heavier traffic is expected, a larger 20mm gravel would be a better choice.

Yes, granite can be used as a sub-base for artificial grass, but you should use the correct graded material. Granite is hard and durable, and properly graded Type 1 granite compacts tightly and provides a stable foundation.

Granite chippings can cost more than some other decorative aggregates because granite is a hard, durable rock that is relatively expensive to extract and process.

Other contributing factors include the decorative nature of certain granite chippings which can also impact the price.