Recommend patio material please

[parietal]

Please recommend the best material for a shaded patio. I need something low maintenance that will not grow algae or get slippery in the wet. This area gets no sun and plenty of foot traffic.

I've looked at stone and fake stone and tiles but can't tell what would work best.

Style is modern but simple (not fake marble tiles). Budget is mid range.

Suggestions please!

Do you use the patio for anything other than walking through?

If not then would just a path and shady/moisture-loving ground cover plants work? I'm thinking about permeability and wildlife.

This is the area immediately outside the garden door in a north facing garden. It currently has decking (rotten and hosting rats) and pots.

I have a v wildlife friendly garden with pond and trees and woodpiles etc but this area needs to be a hard rat-proof surface.

In my experience all north-facing areas will eventually grow moss and algae.

Choose whatever materials you like - Indian sandstone or limestone are nice and less expensive than York stone - and have a plan for regular cleaning.

Limestone or cast concrete much less slippy than York which can be perilous.

i would always think about what complements the house

Please recommend the best material for a shaded patio. I need something low maintenance that will not grow algae or get slippery in the wet. This area gets no sun and plenty of foot traffic.

You're going to get algae and it will get slippery, that's a given, if the area is shaded and without any sunlight.

be prepared to have to clean the surface whatever you choose at least one a year. I normally do our patio (which is sort of South East facing and also the flags at the front of our house which is North facing in the late summer / early autumn, for safety reasons, so we don't go into the winter with a treacherous surface that can also become an ice rink. It's a job you can't get away from I'm afraid, but safety first!

20mm gravel with stepping stones

Also.. on slabs, Wet and Forget is brilliant.

Anyone who has walked in the Yorkshire Dales knows that limestone is treacherous when wet. It has a thin layer of algae which absorbs water.

probably less inclined to grow moss as free draining.

This has lots of information about the various materials available