Natural stone pavers create timeless and elegant patios with durability and long-lasting appeal. Whether you’re designing a rustic retreat or a modern outdoor living space, natural stone pavers can enhance your home’s curb appeal while ensuring resilience against the elements.
In this guide, we’ll explore the different types of natural stone pavers and their advantages. We’ll also provide essential cleaning and maintenance tips to keep your patio pristine.
Types of Natural Stone for Pavers
When selecting natural stone pavers, it’s important to consider factors such as climate, intended use, maintenance requirements, and aesthetics. The shape and pattern of the pavers can drastically impact the feel of a patio, from structured geometric layouts to more natural, freeform designs.
Flagstone Paver Patios
Flagstone is also an excellent choice for garden pathways due to its irregular shapes and natural, rustic appeal, which blend seamlessly with landscaping. Its non-slip texture provides safe footing, even in damp or shaded areas where moisture or moss may be present.
Flagstone comes in a range of colors, including shades of gray, brown, red, blue, and green, depending on the individual stone’s mineral composition.
- Key Benefits: Natural aesthetic, slip-resistant, durable.
- Best Uses: Garden pathways, patios with an organic look.
Bluestone Paver Patio
Bluestone pavers feature a rich blue-gray color and are known for their slip-resistant surface, making them ideal for contemporary and traditional patio designs alike. The durability and load-bearing quality of bluestone pavers make them suitable for driveways, ensuring both beauty and long-term performance.
Available in rectangular, square, and irregular shapes, bluestone can create both structured, geometric layouts and organic, natural aesthetics.
- Key Benefits: Stylish color, highly durable, non-slip texture.
- Best Uses: Formal patios, pool decks, driveways.
Limestone Paver Patio
Limestone pavers are popular for their smooth texture and neutral tones, making them a sophisticated choice for elegant outdoor spaces. They are available in rectangular, square, and irregular shapes, allowing for both structured, modern designs and more natural, freeform layouts.
Limestone is a popular choice for outdoor kitchens and areas surrounding fire features due to its smooth texture, neutral tones, and heat-resistant properties. However, since limestone tends to have a smoother surface, it may not provide the best slip resistance in areas prone to spills or frequent water exposure. If safety is a concern, opting for a textured finish or sealing the surface with a slip-resistant treatment can help improve traction.
- Key Benefits: Classic appearance, comfortable underfoot, heat-resistant.
- Best Uses: Outdoor kitchens, areas around fire features, high-end patios.
Granite Paver Patio
Granite pavers are among the most durable options, providing excellent resistance to scratches, stains, and heavy foot traffic. Unlike polished granite used for countertops, granite pavers have a textured, flamed, or tumbled finish that enhances slip resistance and durability. They are available in square, rectangular, and cobblestone shapes, allowing for structured or more natural design layouts.
Granite pavers come in shades of gray, black, pink, and speckled combinations, giving them a timeless and sophisticated appeal. Their extreme strength makes them ideal for driveways and high-traffic areas, as they can withstand heavy loads without cracking or wearing down over time.
- Key Benefits: Extremely durable, low maintenance, high-end appeal.
- Best Uses: Driveways, patios in high-traffic areas.
Granite Paver Finishes, Decoded
- Textured: A rough, non-slip surface that enhances grip, making it ideal for outdoor walkways and wet areas.
- Flamed: Achieved by exposing the stone to high heat, creating a slightly rough, slip-resistant surface with a natural, weathered look.
Tumbled: Softened edges and a worn-in appearance, giving granite pavers an old-world, rustic charm while maintaining durability.
Sandstone Paver Patio
Sandstone pavers are known for their warm earth tones, including shades of tan, beige, gold, brown, and rusty red, and their ease of cutting. Because sandstone is so easy to cut, it is ideal for creating custom patterns or fitting stones into more intricate designs.
Sandstone pavers’ natural UV resistance helps them maintain color and structural integrity even with prolonged sun exposure, making them ideal for sunlit patios. Additionally, their light tones reflect heat, keeping the surface cooler underfoot compared to darker stones.
- Key Benefits: Natural look, easy to work with, available in various shades.
- Best Uses: Sunlit patios, garden pathways.
Travertine Paver Patio
Travertine pavers have a naturally porous texture that enhances grip, making them slip-resistant—an important feature for wet areas like pool decks. They stay cool underfoot, making them a great option for poolside patios and warm climates. Travertine comes in a variety of warm, earthy colors such as ivory, beige, walnut, and gold. It is available in rectangular, square, and French pattern layouts, allowing for both structured and more intricate designs.
We often recommend travertine pavers for homeowners looking to create a Mediterranean aesthetic. The warm, earthy tones evoke the architecture of sun-kissed Mediterranean coastal cities. It’s no surprise that Italy and Greece are two major exporters of travertine!
- Key Benefits: Stays cool, slip-resistant, available in warm hues.
- Best Uses: Pool decks, Mediterranean-style patios.
Choosing the Right Stone for Your Patio
Selecting the best stone paver for your patio depends on several factors:
- Climate: Freeze-thaw cycles are a major consideration for continental climates such as the Midwest and American Northeast. Bluestone and granite are excellent choices, as they are the most resistant to cracking and cold weather wear. Travertine can still be used but requires proper sealing to withstand freezing conditions, while sandstone is best suited for covered or less exposed areas to prevent erosion from moisture and ice.
- Usage: High-traffic patios benefit from durable stones like granite and flagstone.
- Aesthetics: Consider the color and texture that best matches your outdoor space. Check out our guide on How to Choose the Right Paver Patio Color Palette for inspiration.
- Maintenance: Some stones require more upkeep than others. If you want the lowest possible maintenance, granite or limestone may be a better choice.
Paver Patio Stone Comparison Chart
|
Stone Type |
Climate Suitability |
Durability |
Aesthetic Appeal |
Maintenance |
|
Flagstone |
All climates |
High |
Rustic, irregular shapes |
Moderate |
|
Bluestone |
Cold climates, freeze-thaw resistant |
High |
Rich blue-gray, slip-resistant |
Moderate |
|
Granite |
Cold climates, highly resistant to moisture |
Very High |
Speckled colors (gray, black, pink, textured) |
Low |
|
Travertine |
Warm climates, requires sealing to withstand freezing conditions |
Moderate |
Warm tones (ivory, beige, gold), porous texture |
Moderate to High |
|
Sandstone |
Best for covered areas, can erode in moisture-heavy environments |
Moderate |
Warm earth tones (tan, beige, rust, brown) |
Moderate |
|
Limestone |
Cold climates, can be sealed for additional durability |
High |
Neutral tones, smooth finish |
Low to Moderate |
Let's Design Your Perfect Patio
Natural stone pavers offer an unparalleled combination of durability, beauty, and timeless appeal for your patio. Whether you prefer the rustic charm of flagstone, the elegance of limestone, or the durability of granite, there is a perfect natural stone option for your outdoor space.
At Elevate Outdoor, we craft stunning outdoor patios using natural stone and high-quality alternative materials like Belgard pavers. Connect with one of our experts today for a free consultation and let us help you create the perfect patio that complements your home!
