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Original poster

Indian stone is awful

39 replies

OneTealDog · 19/03/2025 22:39

My hubby has decided that he wants Indian stone for the back garden.

I hate it.

Every time I see it in gardens it looks like it needs to be repointed and just looks awful.

Please tell me there are other stones?

OP posts:
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lifetheuniverseandeverything42 · 20/03/2025 16:31

Slightly left field... You could consider a resin bonded gravel. Won't be slippy, no grout lines, lots of colours , easy to make curved shapes and permeable so better for drainage. You can use different colours to make a border.

Regretsmorethanafew · 20/03/2025 15:48

OneTealDog · 19/03/2025 22:45

Clearly just looking for ideas.

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In AIBU? You know there's a gardening forum, right? And homes.

Fargo79 · 20/03/2025 15:04

Find a stone supplier with a showroom and go and have a look. There are hundreds of different options.

BestDIL · 20/03/2025 15:01

OneTealDog · 19/03/2025 23:53

You've not seen it in real life.... I've not seen it look good

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I have Indian Sandstone in my garden and absolutely love it. The fact that it isn't perfect suits us. I can only assume someone laid it incorrectly.

MarkWithaC · 20/03/2025 14:55

I didn't even know porcelain patios were a thing Confused
Apart from the potential for going arse over tip and breaking something, if the pic on here is representative they look awful. Like a shiny horrible kitchen but outdoors.
I'd go with terracotta, or maybe slate.

Autumn1990 · 20/03/2025 14:41

I’ve got Indian sandstone all round the garden and throughout the house It’s really hard to keep clean and it keeps coming loose in the garden and loads of pointing has fallen out.
If you have Indian stone with crap pointing there is an epoxy type stuff you can report with. Ask at your local builders.
If you are trying to avoid Indian stone marshall’s do some lovely concrete pavers and they last really well

Slushynana · 20/03/2025 14:32

We have grey porcelain, mine has a rough surface and is not slippery at all when it is wet. It has minimum maintenance and looks lovely

DoNoTakeNo · 20/03/2025 14:22

Apparently it’s not all ethically mined & processed, including the use of child labour.
Unfortunately I’ve no reference point or source for this; used to have reliable info, which is why we didn’t use Indian sandstone for our paving.

Time40 · 20/03/2025 14:20

York Stone.

SoOxon · 20/03/2025 14:11

you could move house, resolving your essential conundrum?

Historyofwolves · 20/03/2025 13:58

OneTealDog · 19/03/2025 23:11

Is that grey

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😂

snafflezoom · 20/03/2025 13:28

I am always a little puzzled about how these types of posts are written. This just reminds me of my Mum looking over the pan I was stirring and saying "eurgh, what's that?" just completely rude.

What was wrong with asking for patio slab suggestions without dissing Indian stone which a lot of people have myself included. All patios look shit if not washed and looked after re weeds and moss in the grout lines or algae and lichen spots on the slabs. I repointed mine 2 years ago after it had been down a decade. Looks beautiful to me which is why I chose it Grin

kaysee01 · 20/03/2025 13:06

ErrolTheDragon · 20/03/2025 00:13

Looks like a skating rink.

limestone can be slippery when wet too IME.

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Had just been hosed down, they are matt non slip, no problems at all

kaysee01 · 20/03/2025 13:05

Jannie62 · 20/03/2025 01:42

We had a porcelain patio laid last year. Our slabs are a matt, non-slippery, version which we are very pleased with. It’s so easy to keep clean, we have mopped it over a couple of times and it comes up beautifully. The only problem now is we will have to fork out for some expensive garden furniture to do it justice!

Yes ours are the same, it had just been hosed down in the photo I posted, not slippery at all, except when icy like everything is then!

Jannie62 · 20/03/2025 01:42

We had a porcelain patio laid last year. Our slabs are a matt, non-slippery, version which we are very pleased with. It’s so easy to keep clean, we have mopped it over a couple of times and it comes up beautifully. The only problem now is we will have to fork out for some expensive garden furniture to do it justice!

TheSilentSister · 20/03/2025 01:23

I've got 'council' slabs, lol. I only realised when I jet washed the other day - they were black and now they are white! Basic but neat and not slippery.
Indian stone looks OK to me.

BereftBeyondBelief · 20/03/2025 01:03

Our neighbour broke her hip and elbow slipping on her porcelain patio. Avoid that.

Agapornis · 20/03/2025 01:02

Have something porous, my parents went for porcelain/ceramic something, it's slippery and stays wet until it evaporates. But not smooth sandstone, too slippery.

Bricks are great for drainage. I like Scoria bricks for a more historic industrial look, or whatever brick is made with local materials so it fits in well with the landscape.

Circular, chevron and/or diagonal brick patterns always look good.

Obviously you have to be more tolerant of things growing between bricks, unless you like weeding a few times a year. I dont mind a bit of moss.

SnowFrogJelly · 20/03/2025 00:56

YABU for calling your DH ‘hubby’

ScottBakula · 20/03/2025 00:22

Try York Stone it's a warm soft yellow and doesn't get mossy easily.

ErrolTheDragon · 20/03/2025 00:13

kaysee01 · 19/03/2025 23:28

Try porcelain slabs instead

Looks like a skating rink.

limestone can be slippery when wet too IME.

Em308 · 20/03/2025 00:00

We have it, I love it.

Catchmeifyoucam · 20/03/2025 00:00

SabbatWheel · 19/03/2025 23:59

Friend has a porcelain patio and it is SO slippery when wet. She broke her arm not long after having it laid.

I was just about to comment a similar story! Do not recommend