Marshalls has undertaken extensive testing of a range of Indian Sandstone paving available on the market today and has discovered that 50% do not meet the British Standard.

At Marshalls all of the sandstone products supplied carry the 'Stone Standard' trademark and have been tested at its in-house laboratory so that customers can be 100% sure that every single one meets or exceeds the British Standard.

The company has launched a Stone Standard webpage with guidance on what to look for when choosing sandstone for a garden or driveway.

Sandstones can appear the same when displayed at a merchant or in a brochure, but they do have different properties and can perform very differently when installed.

There are three key factors that must be considered when purchasing stone to be installed as paving in the UK and these are, water absorbency, flexural strength and frost resistance.

A stone with high water absorbency will not only turn green, which is a common consumer complaint with sandstone patios, but may also be more susceptible to frost action which will degrade the stone.

In terms of flexural strength, a stone with poor strength could be easily damaged in transit, during the installation process, or simply by everyday use.

It's also important to consider frost resistance. A stone that loses strength when subjected to repeated frosts is far more likely to fail.

There is a British Standard that covers these issues. The design and installation standard BS7533 part 12 covers the technical performance of stone, for example it provides guidance regarding the maximum water absorbency for product supplied to class 2 is 2.5%.

To ensure you select stone which is technically up to standard, Marshalls advises using a supplier that tests all its products and can supply you with an in-date test certificate, or declaration of performance.

If a supplier is unable to supply these details there's no guarantee that their stone is technically sound.

So choose Marshalls, the UK's leading hard landscaping manufacturer, and have complete assurance on the sandstone you buy.

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