Limestone Paving

Limestone is arguably one of the most unique stones on the market.

Formed naturally in the ground in various colour palettes, Limestone paving can be an impressive show piece for someone’s garden.

Limestone paving slabs are an amazing choice if you are looking to create a contemporary garden with a truly standout feature.

The main downside is that limestone changes colour with age. Our Kota Black fades from deep black to dark grey unless it is sealed, and the blue and yellow shades soften over the years. Limestone also reacts with acid, so vinegar, acid-based patio cleaners and some drinks can leave dull marks. Like all natural stone it can show efflorescence (a white, chalky bloom of salts that washes off in time). None of these are faults, but they are worth knowing before you buy. 

No. Limestone sits at the affordable end of natural stone. Our Kota Black Limestone mixed packs start from around £24.50 per m², with single-size 60 x 60cm and 60 x 30cm slabs from around £23 per m². That puts it close to our Kandla Grey sandstone and well below granite or most porcelain. 

Yes. Limestone is a dense stone that absorbs very little water, so there is little in the slab to freeze and crack. Our Kota Black, Kota Blue and Yellow Limestone are all sold for outdoor use year round in the UK. Where limestone fails in winter it is almost always the laying, not the stone: slabs bedded on dabs of mortar trap water underneath, which freezes and lifts or cracks them. Lay on a full mortar bed with proper drainage falls and a limestone patio will shrug off frost. 

A properly laid limestone patio will last for decades, and 30 years or more is realistic. The stone itself is dense and hard-wearing and does not wear thin under foot traffic. What changes over that time is the colour: black mellows to grey and the lighter shades soften. The things that shorten a patio’s life are a poor sub-base, spot bedding and loose jointing, so the groundwork matters more than the slab. 

Neither is better; they suit different gardens. Limestone gives a smooth, even surface with a consistent colour, which suits modern, clean-lined patios, and our Kota Black is the strongest contrast you can get in natural stone. Sandstone has a riven, textured surface with more colour variation across the pack, holds its colour better in sun and is less affected by acid, so it suits traditional gardens and busy family patios.

Limestone is smoother than riven sandstone, so it can be slippery when wet if algae is allowed to build up. Kept clean, our Kota Black has a light natural pitting that gives reasonable grip, and our Yellow Limestone has a more textured surface. The practical steps are to lay the patio with a fall so water runs off, clean it once or twice a year, and avoid gloss sealers which can make a wet surface worse. 

Yes, with a little care. Use a fan nozzle rather than a pencil jet, keep it around 30cm from the surface and work along the slabs rather than across the joints so you do not blow the pointing out. If the joints are filled with our Joint-It Simple they are rated to withstand a pressure washer. The bigger risk is the cleaner, not the washer: avoid acid-based patio cleaners on limestone and use a pH-neutral stone cleaner instead, then reseal black limestone if you want to keep the depth of colour. 

Limestone slabs need a full mortar bed. Spot bedding (dabs of mortar under the corners and centre) leaves hollow voids under the slab, so our 22mm sawn limestone can crack under a point load and water collects in the gaps, causing frost damage and the dark patchy staining limestone is known for. Lay each slab on a full semi-dry bed of 1 part cement to 6 parts sharp sand, around 50mm deep, over compacted Type 1, and prime the back of the slab with a slurry so it bonds.