Whilst it is very exciting to relax in your lounger on your new natural stone paving, we also need to be realistic.. living in the UK means 50% chances of rain all year round, so 50% chances of wet paving… and a wet lounger! However, this doesn’t mean that your paving has to be slippery and unsafe in these conditions.
You may be wondering what you can do to ensure that your natural stone paving is non-slip all year round? Read on to find out more!
Tip 1 – Select a stone that has been treated in order to achieve an optimum non-slip finish.
At Stoneworld, we go the extra mile to ensure your safety and maintain the high-quality nature of our product ranges. With over 20 years of experience in stone, we know our products very well.
For example, our La Roche limestone is acid-etched. By treating the surface of our La Roche limestone in this way, we achieve the optimum anti-slip finish, whilst maintaining the natural beauty of the stone.
Other suppliers will sandblast this limestone which results in a slip-resistant finish, but detriments the beauty of the stone as you cannot see the natural fossils, markings and highlights. Our Stoneworld La Roche acid-etched limestone is perfect for patios, pool copings and pool surrounds as it is safe whilst still looking fantastic!
Tip 2 – Ask an expert for a stone with the right finish for your requirements
At Stoneworld, we choose the optimum finishes and processes for our stones to ensure they are safe and non-slip – we care about your safety!
Although you may be under the impression that honed stone is typically very smooth, this doesn’t mean it has to be unsafe. For example, sawn sandstones such as Yellow Mint are indeed safe to supply as honed. People often find it hard to believe that these smooth, contemporary stones are not slippery, but due to the friction force of the stone’s surface, they are actually non-slip, meaning you can enjoy this stone without worrying!
However, from our 20 years of experience with stone, we know that other stones such as Raj Green and Kandla Grey sandstone cannot be safe when honed. These stones, when honed, can be very slippery in wet conditions (for example around a swimming pool, or when it has rained). To resolve this issue, we gently sandblast these types of stone to give them a non-slip finish. This makes stones like Raj Green and Kandla Grey sawn paving safe to have in your garden or around a pool without compromising the quality or beauty of the stone – that’s a win win situation if you ask us…
Tip 3 – Choose quality over quantity
We really do believe in sourcing quality stone from suppliers we have long-standing relationships with! We source our stones direct from quarries around the world, most of which we have 20+ year relationships with. This means we know where our stone comes from and how it is treated, to ensure consistent, high-quality and non slip products for you.
Frequently asked question: What can you put on your tiles to make them non-slip?
Answer: Rob Parker’s Best Anti-Slip Treatment
For stones or tiles which can be slippery when wet, such as polished marble, honed limestones or slates, usually internal stones, our Rob Parker’s Best range has an anti-slip treatment, which does not alter the surface.
This product is a treatment for mineral surfaces that improves slip-resistance properties. It can be used in factories, communal areas, gyms, wet-rooms, kitchen floors, swimming pool surrounds, and lots more – anywhere where floors are slippery, especially when wet.
This anti-slip treatment also seals porous surfaces to prevent staining and enhances the surface colour, yet it is not a coating. It is ideal for limestone, granite, slate and sandstone.
Purchase our Rob Parker’s Best Anti-Slip Treatment here.
Other products in our stone care range
Bonus question – is porcelain paving non slip as well?
The short answer is: Yes!
If you are looking for beautiful porcelain paving for a garden landscaping scheme or pool project, we can provide these with a safe, non-slip finish too.
- Our external porcelain ranges have a slip rating of R13/36+, including our porcelain pool copings and step treads.
- The slip rating of our internal porcelain flooring tiles varies – it is mainly R10, which is safe to have inside – but we also have options for grippier finishes, for when this is needed, e.g. steps and showers.
All of our stones and floor tiles have been carefully and consciously sourced, tested and proven, to ensure their safety, durability and quality.
All of our external stones, paving and pool coping stones have been certified at 36+ on the Pendulum test (a test used to determine the slip-resistance of a product). This means there is no need to worry which stone you choose in our external range.
If you have any questions, or would like to talk to us about how we can help you with a project you are working on, please contact us on 01844 279 274 or email us at sales@stoneworld.co.uk and we will be happy to assist you.
