I found these unique marble tile patterns at an exhibition. They give a very striking and contemporary feel to a floor. I want to try these out with Galaxy Black and Ice Pearl natural slate Veneers as both flooring and wall cladding.
Rockery stone utilizes natural stone in its most raw form and can play an integral role in a stunning landscape. But its not as simple as it looks. This post is to outline the key factors of producing a beautiful Rockery Stone area, courtesy of Wadsworth Design
Having grown up with a family business in quarrying, I have had quite a lot of experience landscaping large rockeries including those within the quarry for safety and more decorative projects for both my own house, my parent’s house, for family friends and customers. Over these projects I have gained much experience with choosing, positioning and finishing the rockeries. So to help you with your landscape projects I have written a few pages on how to go about building your rockery.
The benefits of rockeries
Rockeries are not just an attractive way of landscaping your garden but are also great for supporting banks, patios and providing more room in your garden by making level areas supported by the stones, transforming sloping gardens into flat, more usable spaces. Below shows a picture of my on going project of my own house which now has a lot more usable space due to the leveling of areas.
Building a rockery is also relatively simple, it can be as supportive if not more so than a wall, it costs a lot less and in my opinion looks a lot more attractive and unique.
The style of your rockery depends very much on the materials you have to work with. Most of the stone we supply is newly dug from the quarries, hence giving very angular shapes. If you are lucky enough to have unearthed stones in your garden while doing building projects etc these are more likely to be a lot more random and rounded as more than likely they will have been deposited by glacial rivers thousands of years ago.
Both can provide stunning looks for your garden. Although the rounded ones often take a lot more work in positioning due to them needing seating with a lot more precision.
I often receive requests for weathered stone, to give a traditional look to the rockery. Wadsworth Design now does specific weathered rockery stone in the limestone and also often have stock of tufa and weathered sandstone. However if your stone isn’t weathered enough for your taste a way of speeding the process up is to cover the stone in horse manure for 2 – 3 weeks, this enhances the growth of algae on the stone and should give you that weathered look in no time. Most stables or farms will be happy to provide you with manure, some do charge a small amount for it but it’s usually only around a couple of pounds for a large sack.
If your taste is to keep the rockery shiny and new, and your after a more modern look, then the best way to keep this up is to jet wash the stone every 6 months or so. This way you inhibit the new growth of algae before it becomes older and has a much stronger grasp of the stone.
Rockeries look great if you spend some time with curving the lines to compliment the shape of your garden, and it’s surprising how easy this is to do. To get the lines perfect its best to set out some string, or even spray paint the lines so you can get a feel for how the stones will line up. This avoids laying the whole rockery to find when you sit in your living room you can see it’s really out of line with what you intended (I’m speaking from personal experience here!)
At Wadsworth Design we have a large range of beautiful rockery stone available to suit all types and styles of gardens. To choose your stone the key things that you want to bear in mind include:
Once you’ve got your stone and know exactly where the rockery is going to go, you can commence work. You need to familiarise yourself with the shapes of the stones you have purchased. One fatal error is to go along choosing all the easy shapes to lay, to find you are left with only awkward shapes which are very hard to position to get them to look right with the rest of the perfectly laid rockery. You need to look at the shapes available to you and try to use the awkward shapes as you go along.
Always start from one point. If you start from both ends of the rockery, it is very hard to get the right sized stones to fit in the middle, whereas your finish point can have a slightly larger or smaller gap and no one will ever notice.
Preparation is the key part of any landscaping project and building a rockery is no exception. To me Rockeries look best when they are laid in an organised manner, so it is important you get the levels right. Start by working out where you want the base of the rockery to lie. It’s a good idea to have the base of the rockery approximately six inches or more below the level of the lawn, patio or area in front of the rockery.
This gives a much more professional and natural look rather than having the lower stones bedded above the lawn or patio.
So start by digging a trench for the stones about 6 inches deep and as wide as the stones you are going to be using. Don’t discard any of the materials you have dug out as you will need this material to back fill behind the rocks and to help position the stones. Once the trench is dug have a look at how tall you want the first level of the rockery to be.
Find a suitable sized stone to fill this space; you need the majority of the weight to sit at the back of the stone so that it leans back into the rockery rather than being unstable and falling forwards. Its stability can be increased by putting an inline in the trench so that the stone would fall backwards into the bank if it had a choice. The trench needs to be free from large stones and with a relatively level surface, or a rough surface that is the mirror image of the side of the stone that will be placed upon it. Clay is ideal for bedding as you can loosen it and once the stone is placed it will compact to suit the shape of the stone. If using a mini digger the stone can be pushed into place with the blade and then it can be adjusted to the right angle by using the bucket or again running into it with the blade. Once the stone is in place back fill behind the stone with any excess materials from the trench. Avoid back filling with any material that could decompose like tree roots, as in later years this could result in the stones moving.
Decide which is to be your next stone, then measure the side you want to face outwards. If it is shorter than the first, simply fill in your trench to get the top to the same height or vice versa if the stone is larger then dig your trench a bit deeper to compensate. I Feel the rockeries always look better the tighter you get the stones, although having said this once they have been planted if you do have a few larger gaps, no one will notice, the soil and plants are a bit like tile adhesive, it hides all the mistakes! And I can promise you the little floors in stone placing will only be noticed by you, as you’re the person who knew it was a little out of line when placed it. So now you can follow this procedure for the remaining first shelf of the rockery, but remember to think logically about which stones you are using. If one looks like its going to be much better for the next step up on your rockery then make the effort to save it for such a position.
Once your initial stones are in place you can start on the next shelf. Hopefully you will have used all the largest looking stones in the bottom, making it easier for you to position these ones, as now there not at ground level you have less room for maneuvering them.
This post is courtesy of Wadsworth Design
If you are starting to look for walling stone you will probably have come across many different terms which may seem alien to you. So here is a quick briefing about the terminology of walling stone.
Cropped Stone
“Cropped” is the term we use to describe a process where a rough stone is taken and put through a “Cropper” which is essentially a large guillotine made for stone. This splits the stone and creates a Flat face which we then use as the visible side of the stone when building with. An example of this is our cropped limestone walling stone.
Faced
Facing a stone is the term used for the process after the stone has been cropped. The stone mason goes round the edges with a hammer and knocks of the crisp edges created by the cropper. Which tidies up the appearance of the stone. This is a vital part of building in stone. Most walling stone is sold Cropped(not “cropped and faced”), meaning it needs “facing”. Where a builder has been employed that has little experience of working with natural stone and doesn’t know they have to face it can leave to buildings having a very poor finish.
Bed width
The bed width is the distance from the front of the stone to the back. Essentially the depth of the wall.
“Backing off”
This is the term used for when the stones bed is too deep and the builder has to chisel the back of the stone to get the bed size right. This is usually when a house wall is built with only one skin of block work and then a cavity between that and the stone wall.
Course
The “course” is the term used to describe the height of each of the stones within a wall relative to each other. For example A coursed wall would contain stones with all the same height.
Random Course
A random coursed wall is where the stones have a variety of heights. So the builder makes a pattern up from the stone available
Jumper
A “Jumper” is the word used to describe a large stone placed in a random coursed wall which “Jumps” two or more courses to give a new level to the course.
Coursed
A coursed wall is one which contains all the same heights of stone. The length can vary, but height of each stone remains constant throughout the wall. For example our Cropped and coursed Limestone building stone.
Roughly coursed
Roughly coursed walling stone is where each “individual course” of the wall remains the same height. But throughout the wall the each course can vary in height.
Coins
A Coin is when the building has special corner stones made, these are usually large stones cut very neatly in the same of differing materials. For example you often see Sandstone Coins on a house with cropped limestone walling stone as it is much easier to create perfect shapes in sandstone.
Dry stone walling
Dry stone walling is the term used for when mortar isn’t used to create the joins between the stones. The wall is effectively dry and relies upon the skilled builder placing the stones in a manor where the weight of the stones supports the wall itself.
Mortar
Mortar is the name commonly used to describe the “glue” between the Stones in a wall. It is usually made up of a mixture of sand, cement and water. Sometimes referred to as “Gobbo”
Lime Mortar
A Traditional mixture of lime, sand and water. Most buildings now use cement mortar, but where traditions are to be upheld such as in listed buildings lime mortar is still used.
For More help and information regarding all types of Landscaping Stone and UK Stone please visit – Wadsworth Design Advice Pages
An Alternative to traditional walling stone is the range of Lite Stone external stone sheets. Available in Black Basalt Buff and Red Sandstone colours they are ideal for any external application. You can view these here – Lite Stone Store
Lite Stone Limited has formally launched their new site and business – www.lite-stone.co.uk
After months of hard work to organize the site, new stock and marketing campaign we are very happy to have the new site online with the online shop fully operational and lots of information and images for our products.
We supply natural stone veneer format. This is a relatively new way of manufacturing natural stone which makes it lighter and easier to store, fix and handle. It maintains all the natural character and beauty of traditional stone formats and is competitive in price.
Were looking forward to an extremely busy and successful 2016, take a look at some images of projects using our material below and feel free to visit our site – www.lite-stone.co.uk
Following on from my previous post outlining what a stone veneer is and its advantages I want to take some time to explore the full range of its potential applications. As normally with the veneer format stone veneer and slate veneer are considered two different products I am going to post two different articles to explore their applications separately so this is the first of a two parter!
From a practical perspective the difference between the two types of veneer is the back with the stone backing being cotton this makes it more breathable and able to be used in all kinds of ways outside as well as in.
It looks fantastic as wall covering on buildings, steps and external flooring as an alternative to traditional paving. It can also be used internally in bathrooms, kitchens, floors, walls and fireplaces.
Take a look at the images below and please post a comment if you have an ideas for other ways the materials could be used?
For more information please visit – Lite Stone
What is Stone veneer? Stone and slate veneer is 100% natural stone. Its essentially an ultra thin, light and flexible stone tile. The technology and manufacturing process for this was created in Germany and the top layer of the veneer tile is natural stone backed with polyester resin to a fiberglass or cotton backing.
The advantages to using this format of natural stone are great, less wastage, little to no cracking and damage whilst handling the materials are no chipped edges and corners.
The standard tile size is large and with larger sheets available it is possible to clad furniture, vanity tops, kitchen units, doors etc to provide a natural stone finish in areas where previously this hasn’t been viable or practical.
Also the material is flexible so it can be applied directly to circular columns and radius corners without the need for a joint.
It is much easier to install in comparison to traditional stone tiles. It can be fixed by a carpenter, decorator, mason or DIY enthusiast with general woodworking tools and adhesives, no specialist stone masonry tools are required.
There’s a fantastic range of colours, for more info and prices you can visit – Lite Stone
Translucent slate veneers are one of our most popular product ranges as they provide a genuine back lit natural stone finish that can be used in so many ways. In this blog we will breakdown the key points and give you guidance on the best way to create a beautiful translucent slate veneer back lit finish for your project.
We have five main translucent slate veneer finishes that we regularly keep in stock. The most popular are falling leaves and Rustique which are available in both 122 x 61cm and 240 x 120cm sheet sizes. We also stock Bianco, D black and Caldera Gold only in the 122 x 61cm sheet size.
Translucent slate veneer needs to be adhered to a transparent backing, this usually perspex, acrylic or toughened glass. We recommend lighting the sheets with LED light panels or LED strip lights. Adhere the veneer to the backing panel and then run the lights behind.
There are so many different ways you can use our translucent slate veneer. The most popular applications are for the front of bars and counters, closely followed by feature walls. They can also be used for one off feature pieces and light boxes. They are most popular as features within high end commercial hospitality projects and residential projects also.
When you select the lighting for your project keep in mind the colour of the light will have a big impact on the final look of the translucent slate when the lights are on. If you use a warm orange light you get that effect, if you use a blue, green or red light then the slate will be that colour when the lights are on.
When working with our translucent slate veneer It is really important when applying the adhesive to spread a thin layer of adhesive across the back of the sheets as if you apply the adhesive in blobs or lines you will see those when you switch on the lights.
When using the material in a wet area like a kitchen or bathroom it is important to apply a sealer at the end of the project to protect the stone finish from staining as you would with any natural stone finish in these areas. It is also possible to back laminate the veneer to toughened glass so the glass is the surface finish which then means the sheets don’t need to be sealed and the feature is very easy to maintain.
Slate veneer is a resin backed ultra thin layer of natural stone. The multi brick format is a brick pattern made from many small rectangles of slate veneer which are then adhered to a mesh backing. A multi brick sheet is 120 x 60cm and made up of approximately 70 individual brick pieces which are two different widths. Multi brick is a light weight easy to install alternative to split face cladding.
You work with multi brick in the same way you work with regular slate veneer. It is important with multi brick to make sure you don’t let any of the glue bleed through the individual brick pieces. Multi brick can also be easier to cut as you can remove individual brick pieces from the mesh backing as well as cutting the full sheet.
Slate veneer multi brick can be used for all kinds of internal and external feature walls. They can be used around fireplaces, their heat resistance is up to 120 degrees Celsius. They are also suitable in wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens. There are 6 different material finishes that offer both contemporary and traditional styles and a varied range of colour tones.
As Slate Veneer is a relatively new natural stone format this post is dedicated to answering the basics in the regards to these materials.
The material:
Q: Is the top surface completely natural and does the pattern repeat?
A: The top surface is completely natural just like traditional stone and slate tiles. The pattern will repeat if it repeats in the block of slate the sheets are processed from.
Q: What is on the back of the slate to make this format possible?
A: On the back of the slate is a special mix of fibre glass and polyester resins which enable our product to be strong, thin, flexible and light weight.
Q: Is Slate veneer ok to use as flooring and wall covering?
A: Our Slate veneer
sheets can be used for any internal wall application. For internal flooring it has a PE2 rating which means they are suitable for bathroom floors and general low to medium usage residential living areas. They are not suitable for heavy usage floor areas.
Q: Can Slate veneer be used in a shower enclosure or wet room?
A: It can be used in wet rooms and shower enclosure, but it is important to tank the room before fixing the Slate veneer sheets to ensure the area is water proofed.
Q: Is the Slate veneer fire retardant and can the material be used as a fire place or cladding around an AGA?
A: It is fire resistant up to 120 degrees. It is also possible to make the veneer fire retardant to European standards Cd0s3 at an additional cost. It can be used near an AGA and as part of a fire place but not directly under a log burning stove.
Using the material:
Q: How easy is Slate veneer to install?
A: Our slate veneer can be installed by any kind of contractor, joiner or decorator or a keen DIY enthusiast. It does not require any specialist masonry adhesive, tools or knowledge to work with Slate veneer.
Q: Does the material require sealing?
A: The top surface does require sealing just like traditional slate tiles. Only use a water based sealant with slate veneer, never solvent based.
Q: What can I use to cut Slate Veneer?
A: A normal tile saw or wet blade on an angle grinder is sufficient for making cuts in the sheets for an installation.
Q: What adhesive should I use for Slate Veneer?
A: This depends on what type of surface your fixing to. If your fixing to wood you can use a polymer wood adhesive such as Soudal PU. If you are fixing onto existing tiles or plaster then use a cement based standard set flexible tile adhesive.
Q: How do I joint the slate veneer sheets?
A: It is possible to both joint the sheets close together like wall paper and grout joints for a traditional tile effect.
Project: External wall cladding and internal flooring.
Materials: Red Multicolour 3cm thickness, polished. (origin India) / Jersualem Gold 3cm thickness, natural finish. (origin Palestine) / Crema Marfil 2cm thickness, polished. (origin Spain)
Specification: Mechanical fixing, large format tile sizes and detailed edge profiles.
Many types of natural stone can be used in external areas including Granite, Limestone and Slate. It is important to consider the technical data of any stone used before application. Internally it can be difficult to fix traditional stone tiles and slate and stone veneers can be a more practical and light weight wall cladding.
