The title image features Sandstone.
The inherent uniqueness of each stone is typically the main reason homeowners choose natural stone for their patios and walkways. But is it always the ideal choice? Read on to find out when natural stone would be your top choice for your patio or walkway in New Paltz, NY.
Aside from its incredible character, why choose natural stone over patio pavers? First, natural stone has stood the test of time. You can see stone structures all over the world that were built thousands of years ago and are still in use. Of course the stones have a timeworn patina, but they’re still there, and they have withstood the harshest conditions.
To ensure the longevity of your patio and walkway, choose hard-wearing Limestone and Sandstone from Unilock. Our stone slabs feature low water absorption, which helps make the stones less vulnerable to the freeze-thaw cycle.
Natural Stone Patios: Where Individuality Shines
When your eye is drawn to a single stone—perhaps one with a particularly beautiful pattern or veining—you really appreciate its individuality. But the real beauty is when you combine dozens or even hundreds of stones in one space. There will be a combination of subtle and dramatic patterns that cannot be replicated by any man made product, and your outdoor living space will be absolutely one-of-a-kind.
A great analogy is an orchestra: You may love the sound of a violin, but the music really comes alive when the violin is combined with other instruments.
Whether you enjoy entertaining all summer or your patio is more of a secluded retreat from your hectic life, you will get a powerful sense of enjoyment from your patio every time you step outside.
Natural Stone Walkways: A Warm and Timeless Welcome
For the same reason that natural stone is so wonderful in outdoor living spaces—the individual character of each stone—it’s also an ideal material for a walkway. You get the beauty, of course, but also the durability of a natural material that looks as though it belongs in the landscape.
Natural stone helps to integrate your home into the landscape, especially if you choose stone that could have been quarried locally. It’s a material that works with every architectural style and every landscaping theme.
Choosing the Right Stone
The biggest question is often not whether to use natural stone, but which style to choose. Unilock offers two timeless types of stone: sandstone and limestone.
Sandstone features two warm colors (Indian Coast and Autumn Harvest), which give your outdoor living space and walkway a warm, relaxed look. The cool, soft Stone Cliff Grey could be a wonderful complement to homes with a brick or stone facade, creating a slightly more formal look than the more vibrant sandstone colors.
Limestone features three shades of grey: a light Winter Mist, a mid-tone Hearthstone, and a dramatic Black River. Any of these would be an ideal pairing with more formal or historical homes. Limestone, with its subtle patterns, tends to be favored in sophisticated settings, but also in more rustic settings where the stone could blend in with surrounding natural stone features already present in the landscape.
Shapes
Natural stone from Unilock comes in large format slabs, which are a modern trend that gives your patio and walkway a more spacious feel. A thicker slab is also available, which can be used as the cap stone for pillars or retaining walls.
