Slate Paving Leeds

Slate paving

Slate is a natural stone that splits into hard-wearing slabs, ideal for paths and patios, and familiar from roofs across the country.

It's a metamorphic rock: shale, a fine mud-based rock, transformed by heat and pressure over millions of years. That gives slate its fine layers, and other minerals create variations in colour. Slate is still quarried in the UK, in North Wales, Cumbria and Cornwall.

Slate colours

Slate paving options

Natural slate comes in grey, green, red, blue, brown, purple and black. Iron oxide pushes it towards reds and purples; chlorite gives it a green tint.

For paving, the most common shades are greys with hints of green, blue, purple or copper, through to charcoal and black. Slabs come in several sizes, so you can lay a mixed pattern rather than one size across the whole patio.

Looking after slate

Because of its layers, slate can shed a few thin flakes from the surface when it's first laid. Once those loose layers are gone you're left with a hard-wearing stone. The edges of slate can be sharper than other paving, so a different stone often makes a better patio border.

For everyday dirt, leaves and droppings, a brush and, if needed, a gentle wash with mild detergent is enough. For a particular stain, use a cleaner made specifically for slate.

Slate paving questions answered

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