Bluestone pavers are a great way to add a beautiful walkway or patio to your home. With bluestone, you’ll find the perfect look for your space, whether it be modern, rustic or something in between. It is a popular choice for outdoor living hardscape because bluestone is durable and it will last for years to come. This Design & Build Blog breaks down this incredibly versatile natural stone that comes in different sizes, finishes and styles.
Bluestone is Affordable and Durable
Bluestone flagstone and pavers are a great choice for exterior landscaping due to their affordability, unique coloring, and most importantly, durability. Peninsula Building Materials sources bluestone primarily from Pennsylvania and New York. This natural stone is resistant to the harsh freeze-and-thaw cycles, making it an ideal choice for any outdoor project. This hardy sandstone doesn’t scratch or chip as easily as other natural stones. Investing in bluestone is sure to be a long-term decision that will bring beauty to your property for years to come.
Three popular colors include:
- Full Range Bluestone: Full range of colors including relaxed greys, blues, plums and browns. The full range may also have some greens and copper. This natural stone compliments many natural landscaping settings.
- Bluestone Select: A more formal, stately character with a cool blue/grey color. Our bluestone select consists of selecting only the blue pieces of natural bluestone. In addition, by choosing pieces with varying shades of blue – this will give a more consistent element to the landscape.
- Italian Bluestone: Saint Cormeli, our new exquisite bluestone from Italy captures the soul of this romantic country. Its cool slate grey color displays a regal presence that can be used in formal applications or easily applied in a more relaxed manner. The finish of the Saint Cormeli is Bush Hammered. This gives it a wonderful texture and shadowing to the stone. This is also available in treads.
DYK: According to Connecticut Stone, New York bluestone tends to be more variation in the stone’s surface. It can be harder and denser than Pennsylvania bluestone.
Bluestone’s Surface Finishes and Texture Variations
Peninsula Building Materials has bluestone available in a variety of different surfaces and texture finishes. These finishes include:
- Natural Cleft: This is created when the stone is split at the quarry; producing natural ridges with variations on the surface. Natural cleft has a lot of highs and lows due to the layers, natural cleft can feel more classic or traditional.
- Flamed/Thermal: A textured, even surface achieved by using an intense flame abutting a stone’s wet surface. All caps, tread, and coping pieces are flamed. Flamed is a preferred choice if a customer wants a consistent surface (no highs and lows) without being slippery. The flamed or thermal finish often lends itself to a more formal/finished look of the stone.
- Honed: This stone is smooth to the touch. It’s worth noting it’s super slippery outside, but it’s great for applications such as counters, walls, accent pieces or interiors. Please note: Peninsula Building Materials does not keep honed in stock.
Shapes and Sizes
Peninsula Building Materials carries bluestone in a variety of shapes and sizes. These shapes include:
- Dimensional: Cut stone, generally square and rectangular shapes.
- Flagstone: Random irregular shape with natural cleft finish. No defined size.
Stair Treads and Capping
To make a patio or landscape design complete, complimentary bluestone treads are any easy choice. Bluestone treads can also be used for pool coping, wall caps, custom fire pit caps and more. Capping material can be custom fabricated in radius shape too.
- Treads: Use for stair treads, pool coping, call caps, and more.
- Steppers: Use for stairs, but much thicker.
Bluestone Installation
There are two methods to install bluestone. It can be installed on a concrete pad as long as the pad is in excellent condition. It can also be installed on baserock and sand.
- Concrete: Usually can support various thicknesses with no minimum
- Baserock and Sand: A minimum thickness of 1.25” – 1.75” is required
Pavers and flagstones are a great choice for homeowners looking to add a unique and sophisticated touch to their outdoor landscape. Due to the nature of the stone, it is not recommended for driveways because it lacks the density vehicular traffic demands. If you are looking for a natural stone driveway, check out PBM’s natural stone cobbles.
Looking for More Inspiration?
For more inspiration, check out the Peninsula Building Materials website or the PBM Pinterest page for ideas. If you have any questions or a topic you’d be interested in learning more about – leave us a comment below or on our social media. Or reach out to us directly.
