Bluestone Tiles

In terms of composition, bluestone is made of mica, sand, feldspar, and various minerals. The distribution and composition of these minerals will determine how blue the stone is. “True Blue” bluestone refers to stone that does not exhibit any other colors except blue when removed from a quarry.

There are two distinct building materials called “bluestone” in Australia. In Victoria, what is known as bluestone is called basalt. In South Australia, the name bluestone is given to a form of slate which is much less durable than Victorian bluestone, but was valued for its decorative appearance.

Natural stone tends to cost more than brick pavers or poured concrete paving stones, mainly due to the cost of quarrying and availability of the product. Rare natural stones cost more, and bluestone is only available from certain parts of North America, making it highly desirable and often priced at a premium.

The most common bluestone surface finishes are sawn, semi-honed, honed and sandblasted. Other surface finishes such as bush hammered, chiseled, tumbled, polished and flamed are also possible.

Sealing bluestone is recommend to provide your pavers with maximum protection. Selecting a good quality sealer is crucial as good quality sealers will provide you with a longer lasting optimum protection. The last thing you want to do is use a cheap sealer which requires re-sealing every 6 months. Removing stains from natural stone sometimes can be quite a challenge, so it is imperative to seal your natural stone with a quality sealer. Sealing will also help you clean your bluestone pavers with greater ease.

There are 2 types of sealers. Transparent and enhancing sealers. Transparent sealers retain the natural surface colour. Enhancing sealers on the other hand provide deep colour enhancement.