Rippon Buff Sandstone

Buff sandstone is a warm, light stone in the cream to honey range, and in Rippon Buff it carries far more colour than the name suggests. Ours is a true blend: creams and yellows running through oranges, soft pinks, purples and the occasional grey. Seen as a whole patio it reads as a warm, golden surface rather than any single shade. It is the warmest stone in our sandstone range, where Kandla Grey is the cool, uniform alternative.

It is a blend, and one of the most varied stones we sell. Each slab is mostly orange and buff, swirled with pink, purple, grey and the occasional yellow, and no two slabs are the same. That variation is natural to the stone, not a fault, and it is what gives a Rippon Buff patio its warmth and depth. If you want consistency across every slab, our Kandla Grey sandstone is far more uniform. Always order the full quantity in one go, as blends vary between batches.

A pH-neutral patio cleaner is the safest choice for Indian sandstone. Avoid acid-based cleaners and brick acid, which eat into the stone and can bleach the colour out of a blend like Rippon Buff. For general grime, warm water with washing-up liquid and a stiff brush does most of the work. For algae and black spot, use a dedicated patio cleaner left to dwell, then rinse thoroughly. Bleach and strong detergents can leave pale patches, so test any cleaner on an offcut first.

There is no single best colour; it depends on the house and how much sun the patio gets. Warm buffs and golds like Rippon Buff suit red brick, stone cottages and shaded gardens, where they lift a dull corner. Greys suit modern houses, render and grey window frames, and hide dust well. Dark stone looks striking but shows pollen and dries slowly. As a rule, pick up a tone already in your brickwork or render. Order a sample or view slabs before committing, as photographs rarely show stone accurately.

Open several packs at once and mix the slabs before you start, rather than working through one pack at a time. Each mixed pack holds four sizes: 90 x 60cm, 60 x 60cm, 60 x 29cm and 29 x 29cm. Dry-lay a few square metres first and shuffle them until no two neighbouring slabs share a size or a dominant colour. Because Rippon Buff varies so much slab to slab, spreading the darker oranges evenly across the area matters as much as varying the sizes.

Choose the 90 x 60cm single size when you want a clean, modern layout with large slabs and simple straight joints, or for a narrow path where small slabs would look fussy. Each slab covers 0.54m², and packs come as 1, 10, 20 or 32 slabs, so 32 covers 17.28m². It is also easier to plan cuts with one size. The mixed pack suits a traditional random layout, and works better on an awkwardly shaped area.

Buff sandstone shows organic stains such as leaf marks, barbecue grease and red wine more readily than dark stone, simply because there is more contrast. It hides dust, pollen and general dirt better than black limestone, which shows every speck. Sandstone is porous, so the real defence is sealing: a breathable sealer stops spills soaking in and makes marks far easier to lift. Deal with spills quickly, keep leaves swept off in autumn, and clean once or twice a year.

Yes. Sandstone is the most popular natural stone for patios for good reason, and our Rippon Buff is 22mm thick with a riven surface that grips well underfoot in the wet. It handles family use, garden furniture and regular foot traffic without trouble. What it needs is laying properly: a full mortar bed over compacted Type 1, never spot bedding, so nothing rocks or cracks under load. For a patio that also takes a car, see our driveway paving instead.