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Anyone got a Raj Green sandstone patio?

LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,500
in Garden design
Has anyone got a Raj Green sandstone patio that can post photos please?

I'm soon to have a new patio laid and I've chosen Raj Green sandstone as I like the blend of colours, some buffs and the odd one with a green tint.

The samples I saw in the builders yard looked nice, as do Google image photos like the one below. But I would like to see photos of real patios if anyone has one please?

Sandstone Paving Raj Green - Hampshire Garden Supplies
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  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It's lovely when it's first laind, but Sandstone is quite porous so can get bacterial and fungal staining which doesn't look great and can't always be removed. It also attracts mosses and lichens for the same reason, though that's easily treated.
    I've also seen after a harsh winter the surface breaking up due to the effects of freezing and thawing.

    I don't know if these instances are quality issues of those patios I've seen or if that's typical of sandstone paving.
    I'd imagine there's a sealant available, but that usually change the colour of the stone.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    I had Raj Green sandstone in my previous garden and now have Raj Brown in my current garden. Both require regular maintenance to prevent algal growth which turns the stone green and can be slippery when wet.  Neither of them have had any winter damage through frost or freezing, but the mortar has had to be replaced in the lower area of my garden here because of frost damage.  If I was getting a new patio laid now I would choose porcelain rather than Indian sandstone as it is denser and less prone to attract algae growth.  I have porcelain tiles on some steps in my garden, they don’t get slippery either.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    With a name like Raj would that be Indian sandstone? That’s not always very good quality, particularly from builder’s yards rather than a specialist stone supplier. It can be hard to maintain and keep clean as others have said. A poorer, softer sandstone can delaminate and is more porous. It can be caused to pit badly by harsh cleaning methods such as pressure washing or using inappropriate acidic patio cleaners. Once it becomes pitted it attracts even more dirt and green gunge than before and deteriorates faster.

    I do have a sandstone floor inside and out, but I went for the hardest grade European honed stone and it is excellent and very easy to maintain. It still can be slippy when wet in the shady patio bits. I laid small textured granite tiles in between the 60x40cm slabs and that gives enough grip and a pleasing pattern.

    I’m not saying don’t buy that one, just be aware of the potential drawbacks of cheaper stone and the need for a proper maintenance regime with the right methods and products.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,360
    (oops, thought I'd posted this earlier but it just saved as draft)

    Not a patio, but a front path. Laid in early 2020 and, I confess, not cleaned, brushed or otherwise spruced since then... It has had occasional bulk sacks of compost / manure sitting for several days in the past 3.5 years, which probably accounts for the slight discoloration in the middle. But we've been very happy with it 🙂




    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,360
    We have a very similar sandstone - but not Raj Green - at the back. I agree with @Nollie about it being damaged by pressure washing and then needing doing more often thereafter. Not helped by the back being north-facing and in full shade for much of the year. That said, I don't regret getting it - I don't need or want it to be pristine and so just give a good clean once a year and am happy with how it looks. But realising the damage the first pressure wash did is one of the reasons for not having done anything to the front.
    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,500
    edited September 2023
    My current patio is concrete slabs and they do need a bit of a clean twice a year with the general grime that can appear, but it is south facing so doesn't really get algae.

    On my north facing block paved driveway I applied Resiblock sealant that kept it looking like new for about 6yrs, before needing reapplying. They do a sealant for Indian Sandstone which I might consider but I'd prefer not to use any sealant.

    Porcelain wouldn't look right for my 1930's house, I think it suits more modern properties with rendered walls and crisp clean surfaces/edges etc.
  • paulbaxendale4813wtYe2lypaulbaxendale4813wtYe2ly Posts: 65
    Mine has been down since  February and is still looking good so far.I don't pressure wash it but give it a hose down now and then and scrub the bird sh*t of with a scrubbing brush.
  • LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,500
    ^^ That looks a nice patio. I've edited your photo so that your BBQ and hose pipe reel don't slide off :)





  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Patio, needing new mortar!


    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


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