subject: Debunking The Misconceptions Surrounding The Prices Of Stone Paving [print this page] When it comes to stone paving, there is a lot of confusion surrounding how much it actually costs. This has led many homeowners believe that this is something that they simply cannot afford to install in their homes. The term stone paving, however, is one that is used very generically by everyday people, and it has lost meaning over time.
There are three categories that all come under the heading of paving:
Natural stone
Brick
Concrete
There are actually a number of differences between each of these categories, the price being one of the main ones. For the purpose of this article, we will be looking specifically at natural stone paving.
Basically, natural stone is not man made it is mined from quarries deep in the earth where it was naturally formed millions and millions of years ago. Unlike brick and concrete, natural stone can be easily installed as paving by even the most novice homeowners, as all you need is a dry sand bed.
Whilst it may seem more expensive to invest in natural stone paving than it would be to invest in brick or concrete, there are a number of reasons that could actually make this option work out much cheaper for you. These include:
If you make a mistake, you can simply remove the paving stones and begin again. If you were to make a mistake with concrete or brick, pulling up the offending area will be time consuming and you will not be able to reuse the materials.
You only need a sand bed and a heavy mallet for laying paving stones, whereas concrete requires you to mix up the solution before pumping it out and bricks require mortar to keep them together.
Paving stones can actually withstand huge amounts of pressure, meaning that the chances of them breaking or being subjected to damage are far less. Bricks and concrete, on the other hand, are known to crack easily.
Paving stones are very low maintenance and easy to replace, as all you need to do is remove the offending stone. In terms of concrete, the entire slab would need to be replaced, and replacing a single brick often results in the surrounding ones also being damaged.
There can be no denying that stone paving is one of the most expensive additions you can make to the outside of your home, but the savings you will make in other ways will more than make up for it. Not only will you be rewarded with a low maintenance patio that also looks fantastic, you will be able to do all of the work yourself, as well as any repairs down the track.
