This article is introducing a three part feature on choosing natural stone paving.  There are so many companies out there proclaiming that their natural stone paving is the best.  Whether its cheaper, better quality or more ethical.  This article is designed to bypass the jargon and give you the consumer a real definition of price, quality and service.  Hopefully allowing you to make a more informed choice about what you buy and who you buy it from.  The schedule for the articles is detailed below:

Natural Stone Paving.  Where to start? Part 1:  PRICE

This article will explain why different companies have different pricing structures and the effects of cheap pricing on quality and service.

Natural Stone Paving.  Where To Start?  Part 2:  QUALITY

This article will explain how to spot quality natural stone paving and more importantly how to identify poor quality material.

Natural Stone Paving.  Where To Start?  Part 3:  CUSTOMER SERVICE

This article details how to look for customer service and product after care.

We hope that you will join us over the next week.

Steve Walley London Stone

info@londonstone.com

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There is nothing worse to see than a beautiful natural stone paving patio which has turned green.  Natural stone paving turning green can be quite a common occurance, especially in North facing gardens.  Because natural stone is permeable it can act like a magnet to algae growth which, as long as the conditions are right (damp, permeable surface) will happily breed.

Fear not however.  If you do have a north facing garden and still love the idea of installing a natural stone paving patio, then there a few measures you can take to reduce and minimize algae growth.

1.  Choose a hard natural stone paving

What makes certain types of natural stone hard is that they are physically dense.  While all natural stone paving is permeable harder stones are much less porous.  Therefore they will be much more resistant to algae growth and to staining in general.  Some of the hard stones we recommend  for north facing gardens are Kandla Grey, Raj Green, Buff & Silver Buff.

http://www.londonstone.com/Exterior-Stone-Paving/Sandstone-Paving/product.asp?productId=6

http://www.londonstone.com/Exterior-Stone-Paving/Sandstone-Paving/product.asp?productId=35

http://www.londonstone.com/Exterior-Stone-Paving/Sawn-Paving/product.asp?productId=100

http://www.londonstone.com/Exterior-Stone-Paving/Sawn-Paving/product.asp?productId=128

2.  Use an impregnating paving sealant

Another way to reduce algae growth is to use an impregnating paving sealant.  This will seal the surface of the natural stone paving and prevent the algae growth from establishing itself.  There are a few common misconceptions about using paving sealant.  One of the most common ones is that sealing natural stone paving will make the surface of the stone glossy.  This can be the case when using cheap paving seals.  However we always recommend using the market leader in seal products, Lithofin.  Lithofin supply a product called stain stop.  While stain stop will make the stone appear ever so slightly darker it will not leave a sheen or gloss.  Always take professional advice before sealing natural stone paving.

http://www.londonstone.com/Sealants-and-Adhesives/Stone-Sealant/product.asp?productId=145

3.  Removing algae from natural stone paving

While algae does look ugly it wont cause any long term damage to your natural stone paving patio and is also easy to shift so if you do have an algae problem with your garden paving there is no reason to panic.  One way to shift algae is to treat affected areas with bleach.  Simply dilute bleach with water and apply to affected areas.  Leave the bleach to work ts magic for a few moments before washing it away with clean water.  It might be necessary to treat stubborn areas a few times but persevere and you will shift the troublesome green stuff.  There is also a product available from lithofin called outdoor cleaner which works in the same way as bleach.

The overall conclusion is that even if you have got a wet, north facing garden, with a bit of thought you can use natural stone paving for your garden paving and still have a beautiful algae free patio.  If you need any advice on natural stone in north facing gardens we are open 7 days a week and advice is freely given

Steve Walley London Stone

info@londonstone.com

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We are just in the process of designing our 2010 brochure. Its been two years since we udated the yearly brochure so there will be lots of new paving products. Also look out for the bull nosed step section (you can also see it @ http://www.londonstone.com/Exterior-Stone-Paving/Sawn-Paving/)

We are always on the look out for quality images of expertly installed natural stone paving. If you have any photos of completed projects using natural stone we would really like to hear from you. Any photos used will be credited with your company name & contact information.

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As part of our committment to ethical trading we will be visiting China in 1 month.  We will be attending a meeting at the Xiamen natural stone fair on behalf of the ETI.  The ETI has a dedicated stone group which London Stone are new members of.  The ETI stone group are currently working with the Dutch working group regarding the practicalities of a sustainable stone label for suppliers.  While the ETI do not necessarily agree that a label is the way forward (ETI place a greater emphasis on continuous improvement) they do share some common values with the Dutch working group. 

www.ethicaltrade.org 

Its going to be a real eye opener to hear the opinions and views of  the Chinese suppliers who will be attending the meeting in Xiamen and hopefully we can find some common ground on the key issues which will undoubtedly be living wages, excessive working hours and health & safety.

I will be keeping you all up to date on the results of the discussions.

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We are looking seriously at stocking brush in jointing compounds.  To be honest I have never been the biggest fan of sweep in pointing but I must say my opinion has changed. 

We had a salesman at our yard last week and I was amazed at the speed at which large areas can be pointed.  We reckon that 1 man could easily point 150m2 in 1 day.  WOW!!!

These brush in compounds really come into thier own when pointing sandstone & granite sets.

We are looking for some Southern based paving contractors or landscape gardeners to test out a new type of brush in compound.  We will supply the poiting compound free of charge.  The only stipulation is that it’s got to be used on natural stone paving or set’s, oh and you’ve got to let us come down and watch.

Anybody who is interested should get in touch with London Stone:

info@londonstone.com

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Work on our brand new paving showroom is well underway now. We have been focussing on the inside for the past four months but as of tomorrow we will be starting construction of the exterior paving display. We are going to be putting a lot of effort into displaying the sawn sandstones & limestones which we are becoming quite well known for http://www.londonstone.com/Exterior-Stone-Paving/Sawn-Paving/.

We are currently in the process of building our York Stone processing facility which needs to be ready for the 01/03/2010.

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2009 is finally out of the way, I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief. It certainly was a tough year for all concerned and while the economy is nowhere near out of danger, a new year means we can all start looking forward with optimism to the future.
There are many exciting developments to tell you all about, new products, bigger showroom & improved product specifications to name just a few. However, when I look back on 2009 and on all the things that London Stone achieved, joining the ETi is what gives everybody involved with London Stone the most satisfaction.
ETHICAL TRADING INITIATIVE
Attending the induction at ETI head quarters in East London was a real eye opener and a thorough education in all the things I didn’t know I didn’t know. This analogy (stolen unashamedly from Donald Rumsfeld) was used by NGO coordinator, Peter Williams when attempting to explain the new journey we were all embarking on. The day was interesting, fun and it felt good to be involved in something so worthwhile and right. I have to admit that as an entrepreneur it felt at times, almost alien to be sat amongst trade unionist representatives but I have to say my long held views were challenged on many occasions during the course of the day and when it was time to leave I did so with a sure feeling that I had gained a deeper understanding of these different groups. The ETI meetings are made up of businesses, trade unions & NGO’s and this gives a real balance to discussions and ensures that everybody’s interests are protected. I think we have to give huge credit but at a time of diminishing natural resources, and with the world facing huge environmental challenges, more than ever the need for organisations like the ETI is essential in protecting the world’s most vulnerable people.
YORK STONE CUT IN LONDON
We are also excited to announce that as of March 2010 we will be cutting and processing York stone at our West London Depot. We will be able to supply cut paving, bull nosed step treads, coping stones, risers & sawn set’s. This decision was made for customer service reasons. Our York stone suppliers were quoting us a minimum lead time of 4 weeks, add delays and mistakes to the equation and we were regularly seeing 6 week lead times. I also felt strongly that the Yorkshire based suppliers did not appreciate the level of customer service that the city of London and the south of England in general demands. We will be offering Sawn York stone from £60 + VAT m2 with our usual free delivery and a lead time of just 2 weeks.
Hope that the first blog has been interesting, would really look forward to hearing any feedback so please feel free to contact me if you need to discuss anything raised. I look forward to hearing from you all.
Steven Walley
steven@londonstone.com

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LondonStone has started blogging! We will keep you up to date with all of our new products, trade shows, community projects and everything in between.

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