How to use Copings Stones in Your Home or Garden 

Over the past 20 years Stoneworld has grown to be one of the UK’s leading suppliers of coping stones from our Oxfordshire home. With a considerable array of applications, we decided to take a look at some of the ways coping stones can be used to enhance your garden or interior project.  

What are Coping Stones?

First, though, what are coping stones?  

Dating back to at least the Roman architectural period, coping stones are used to “cap” a space, for example a wall or a pool, often with a particular edge profile permitting water to drip from the coping and protect the vertical surface, as well as adding a flourish to the construction itself. This edge profile can vary, and at Stoneworld, our masonry workshop can create a broad range of edging to any coping stone, from a standard bullnose, to a pencil roll or drop down and more.  

Pools

One of the most common applications of coping stones is in swimming pool surrounds. A smooth, edged stone allows for a comfortable point to hold onto when in a pool, and creates a unified, smooth aesthetic for the surround.  

In addition, with water flowing into the pool regularly, the overhang provided by a coping allows water to drip into the pool and not down the underside, meaning unsightly marks and stains can be avoided from surface water otherwise running down the side.  

Bespoke edge profiling, such as that provided by Stoneworld, can also help you achieve the look you want around your pool, from a traditional, smooth bullnose to a more contemporary drop nose or pencil rolled edge.  

Wall Copings

As mentioned earlier, one of the oldest applications of coping stones is in capping off walls. Placed on top of a wall, the coping follows the same principles as that of a pool coping. As rain falls on the coping, it is displaced and will run off the edge of the stone, rather than down the side of the wall where it may stain the surface or permit the growth of algae, moss or other organic matter. Without this protection, rain water can also soften cement or grout, causing it to fall away and over time compromise the structural integrity of the wall itself. For installations such as gate pillars, a pier cap can be added in order to achieve the same result, and unifying it with the rest of the walling.  

In many cases a drip groove can be added to the underside of a wall coping or pier cap to help water runoff. For traditional homes or curved entrance gates, for example, where copings, pier caps and parapets are present, bespoke profiles can also be created in our workshop to match architectural specifications for example, four-way weathered pier caps.  

Capping off walls in this way creates a more attractive wall and can help connect a wall to its surroundings and adjacent areas of your project. Stone copings can be matched to almost any material such as brick, drystone walling or cement walling allowing you to decorate the wall in a way which is both beautiful and practical.  

Step Treads

All of our coping stones are also available as step treads, allowing you to match steps to walls, paving and other elements of your garden. With a variety of edge profiles to choose from, Stoneworld copings mean you can achieve any look you desire. Additional features can be added such as strips for extra grip, or bespoke cutting to allow for features such as lighting. Our stone steps utilise slip resistant finishes, alongside our pool copings, meaning that your steps are safe to use and fit for purpose.  

Stone step treads can also be utilised in staircases, inside or out, offering a choice or edge profile and through our masonry team, the possibility to add bespoke features such as lighting, grooves, matching risers and more. Anti-slip strips can also be inserted in a variety of formats such as recessed brass or even texturised into the stone itself. 

We are experts in natural stone staircases, having created many ambitious and innovative projects across the country.   

Get your project off the ground

With copings stones becoming an ever more common feature in landscaping projects there are a wide range of possible applications for this unsung hero of the garden. Whether you are looking to create an eye catching swimming pool, a luxurious staircase, or simply match existing features to a rural home, Stoneworld can make it possible. Our team of natural stone experts help customers bring their projects to life with innovative solutions and state of the art technology. Take a look at our projects catalogue, and find out why we are one of the UK’s most respected coping stone producers.

Contact our team of experts today on (01844) 279 274 or or email us at sales@stoneworld.co.uk.