The Gardenmakers
__________________________________________
Garden design and construction
Office 01295 712332 / Mobile 07962 155433
Landscape gardeners covering Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Northants and the Cotswolds
York stone. The King of paving…
Synonymous with stately homes and Manor houses, York stone paving has an almost mythical
status within the fine garden community. Properly laid and in the right setting it
has no
equal -
The subtle tones within the stone are the perfect foil for other quality landscaping
materials like
granite or York stone setts and handmade bricks.
The Gardenmakers are experts at the laying of York stone and natural stone paving.
It's an aspect
of our business that we are particularly proud of and over the years
we've laid thousands of square metres. Each terrace we build adds to our knowledge
and respect for this remarkable material.
In February 2009 The Association of Professional Landscapers awarded The Gardenmakers
with
their 'Supreme Winner' award for a garden we created using Yorkstone. The chairman
of the
judging committee and vice Chairman of the APL is award-
and he commented...
'The attention to detail and the craftsmanship, especially with the riven York stone
paving
and its detailing were a pleasure to see. Clearly a company with excellent
technical skills....
New or old?
York stone flags come in two basic forms -
a variety of sources including long derelict northern mills, private houses
and flagstone pavements
that were laid when times were more prosperous. This means
that you can get a century or more
of history with the stone but you can also find
painted yellow lines from parking bays, 50 year old blobs of chewing gum or holes
where heavy factory machines have been bolted to the floor. ‘Character’ is the word
most associated with reclaimed stone!
Reclaimed stone comes at a premium and as each source slowly dries up the price climbs
ever higher. However,a note of caution. This applies to ‘good’ reclaimed stone which
should have an even thickness of between 50-
New York stone, on the other hand, is still being quarried extensively and is usually
something like two thirds of the reclaimed price. It tends to be far more regular
in thickness (usually 50-
In 2011 the APL awarded us with the ‘Best garden over £100,000’ for a project that was predominantly constructed using York stone. Our track record with this material is very solid indeed.
Caveat emptor….unless you actually want to lay reclaimed York stone of this size! It always pays to see what you’re buying first.
lighter and easier to lay. Once laid, newly quarried York stone weathers quickly and beautifully. A new stone terrace looks absolutely superb and is undoubtedly a worthy investment for the right property.
So why is reclaimed stone so expensive?!
Well the name is a giveaway -
to lift it, clean it, measure it, palletise it and finally store it. Then
when it's purchased somebody has
to move it and bearing in mind that reclaimed flags
can be up to 6" (150-
New York stone is much easier to find and more sensibly priced. It tends to be thinner
so it's easier
to handle meaning that more can be transported on one lorry -
Using the stone.
York stone is not easy to lay properly. When a landscaper or builder gets blase about
'whacking
the York stone down' we start to get really concerned! When a terrace has
been laid correctly it becomes a combination of good building practice and an artistic
and sympathetic eye. Where each piece has been selected for being the very best
for its position within the paved area.
Bearing in mind that a stone terrace is almost always a 'one off' (and usually fairly expensive) opportunity to create something truly stunning we never fail to be amazed when the project is handed to a jobbing builder or a landscaper with no experience of the material. OK so they're cheaper....but there's a reason for that and you're going to be staring at it for a very long time!
So what should you look for?
Firstly check out your landscapers ability to lay the stone (this goes for any paving!) and think very carefully about using somebody with little or no experience. Do this by inspecting their work and use the criteria below to assess whether the finished product stands up to scrutiny.
There are just a few basic rules to follow when laying York stone. Look carefully at the photos on this page to see how they've been applied.
1. If the stone is to be laid in a random pattern then you achieve this by taking a smaller piece of stone and radiating bigger pieces around it. This theme is replicated throughout the terrace.
2. Avoid long straight joints. As a rule there should be no more than 3 pieces with their sides lining up. If the pieces are fairly small then you can get away with 4.
3. Keep your joints tight and even. Down to 5-
4. The stone should make a flat surface even if the individual pieces are deeply riven. This means that each edge should flow into the next as much as possible. This is often achieved by dressing the high points once the whole area is laid and pointed.
5. If a piece has to be cut (with a diamond or carbon-
This small article only touches on the art of laying York stone but hopefully it
will give you a greater appreciation of this wonderful material and how it can enhance
your property. You may now also
view the craftsmen that lay it with renewed respect.
You rarely get an operation where such brute force has to be combined with a genuinely
artistic eye and the patience to achieve the desired end result.
When it's laid well York stone will give a timeless quality to a garden that is unsurpassable.
Laid badly it's an expensive eyesore. So make sure you get it right first time!
If you are considering using York stone in your garden project please do get in touch if you need any advice . To contact us for a quotation call….
01297 712332/07962 155433
Ask to speak to David