What's doing this on my bluestone patio??
ctlady_gw
6 years ago
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nancylouise5me
6 years agoctlady_gw
6 years agoRelated Discussions
400 sqft patio: bluestone or other recs...
Comments (2)I have a few thousand sqft of bluestone patio, some on the south side of my house. It does get hot, but not to where it's uncomfortable. I'm in CT. Mine is over several inches of compacted stone dust. It's been in for several years and there have been zero freeze/thaw heaving issues. I gapped the stones about 1/2" to 3/4" and pounded stone dust into the joints. We planted some creeping thyme in some places, other joints have moss in them. It looks great and it stabilizes the sontedust. Prior to that, for the first couple of years we'd get a bit of stonedust coming out of the joints here and there. I didn;t want any loose stonedust on my pool patio, so the pool is stone mortared down over a slab. A concrete slab gives a nice base, but it had better be properly detailed, to include drainage issues and properly spaced control joints. Any issues with the slab will translate up through the surface stone....See MoreNeed Advice on 1 year old Bluestone Patio Flaking and Chipping
Comments (58)Oh, how I wanted my natural bluestone patio...well, it now looks anything but "natural." It's a hot mess! Original landscaper installed and used polymeric sand because that was "best." He recommended not sealing it. Or, as he said, "Let it sit a year and then seal it if you want to." Very shortly after installation, stones started turning orange or had deep orange/rusty spots developing like a rash. The polymeric sand grout started popping up like worms after a rainstorm by year two. Hired a new hardscaping/landscaping company who--at year three of the patio--power washed it, swapped a few stones and tried to remove some stains, installed a new type of polymeric sand (which is supposedly better for the larger gaps the earlier landscaper used), and sealed it. First, the power washing did leave what looked like swirls of gray "graffiti" on some areas, but that seemed to go away with sealing. Until it rained, I wasn't sure they had yet sealed it, but it was evident when water beaded up and remained on the surface. After it dried, white patches appeared all over the stones. Reading how this can also occur with sealing concrete pavers, I'm now wondering if that composite deck idea was better! All I wanted was a beautiful, natural bluestone patio. I've stepped on countless university and college walkways that do not have these issues, and that is the look I was going for. How do they achieve such beautiful patios and walkways without the issues we homeowners face? I know they don't use polymeric sand and their "deep pockets" must be able to afford the best stone and best installers....See MoreBluestone Patio - Questions
Comments (2)Thank you! So what do you suggest we do to move forward? I called two dealers today and they are suggesting that this is not normal either and that perhaps their is a drainage issue underneath that is pushing the mineral deposits back up. I'm somewhat unsure how to manage this as this contractor was originally contracted through our project manager/landscape architect however the damage to the original project was done by a project we dealt with the contractor directly. Since this issue relates to both projects but more so the second, I am leaning towards dealing directly with the patio contractor but in the end, this is based on damage, not on the original contract. He seems less than willing to address the issue at this moment and I don't feel educated enough as to what should or should not be a reasonable request. Obviously, we didn't contract him to give us a spotted patio but he is saying that is what is supposed to happen to the stone. If I had known this was the result we would have never installed bluestone. And we did not get the "full color" variety. It was specified to grey/blue. Thanks again for the help....See Morewhat happened to my month-old bluestone patio?
Comments (3)Thank you for your responses so far! It is primarily on that compacted gravel, with the polymeric sand between the stone pieces. There are some concrete blocks along the edges of the patio....See Moremcsooey
6 years agospedigrees z4VT
6 years agoctlady_gw
6 years agospedigrees z4VT
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoctlady_gw
6 years agomcsooey
6 years agoctlady_gw
6 years agodeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
6 years agoctlady_gw
6 years agodeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
6 years agodeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
6 years agoctlady_gw
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoNHBabs z4b-5a NH
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agodeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
6 years agoctlady_gw
6 years agospedigrees z4VT
6 years agoctlady_gw
6 years agospedigrees z4VT
6 years agoprairiemoon2 z6b MA
6 years agoctlady_gw
6 years ago
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