Why Should You Install Flamed Natural Stone Pavers?
Posted on: 20 March 2019
If you've decided to install natural stone pavers in your patio or garden, then you may have already chosen the type of stone you want to use. Your choices don't end there, however. You can also choose from a range of finishes for your stones. Your paving installer may have recommended you look at a flamed finish for the area you want to pave.
What is flamed stone and what are its benefits?
What Is a Flamed Stone Finish?
During the paver-manufacturing process, finishes can be added to natural stones to give them a certain look or texture. For example, a finish can accentuate certain colours, or it can change the surface appearance of the stone.
A flamed finish uses high heat to blast away the surface layers of a stone to treat it. When pavers are flamed, some of the substances in their top layers bubble up and burn off. When these layers are removed, you are left with the stone underneath the surface.
What Are the Benefits of a Flamed Stone Finish?
If you're installing exterior pavers, then a flamed finish can be useful because it can make walking outdoors safer.
When the top layers of a stone are flamed off, you often lose some of the stone's natural smoothness. Underlying layers tend to be rougher, and the flaming process itself may leave some rough areas on the stone.
This makes the stone less slippery than it may have been originally. So, if it gets wet in the rain, this rougher texture makes it less likely that you'll slip when you walk on the pavers. The flaming process gives the stones a more textured finish with a better grip.
Some flamed stones also change colour after the finishing process. This can be used to bring out the beauty of a stone underneath its surface layers.
You see more of the stone's natural colours once surface layers have been burned off. Plus, the flaming process may deepen, lighten or slightly alter the stone's natural colour shades. This can give you pavers with a unique decorative effect.
The effects of flaming on pavers vary depending on the type of stone you want to use. If you're interested in this finish, ask your paving company if they can show you examples of flamed pavers in your chosen stone. This should give you more of an idea of what your pavers will look like once they are laid.
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