Why is some Indian sandstone so much cheaper than other options?

Price differences between apparently similar Indian sandstone often reflect deeper differences in quarry selection, material quality, processing, quality control and labour standards. Lower prices can indicate softer or more laminated stone, wider thickness tolerances, minimal pre-sorting and little visibility of how workers are treated. Higher-end suppliers invest more in quarry choice, testing, ethical sourcing schemes and rejecting weak material before it leaves the yard.

How important is water absorption for sandstone paving?

Water absorption is a key indicator of how sandstone will perform in a wet, freezing climate. Stone with lower absorption generally takes up less moisture, is less prone to algae and staining, and better resists freeze–thaw damage. Reputable suppliers publish test figures for absorption, frost resistance and flexural strength so installers and clients can compare products on more than appearance alone.

What does ethically sourced sandstone mean?

Ethically sourced sandstone comes from quarries and supply chains where basic standards are applied for worker safety, fair pay and the prohibition of child labour. In the UK market, some suppliers participate in initiatives such as Marshalls' Fairstone programme, partnerships with UNICEF and the Stone Federation's Ethical Stone Register and Responsible Sourcing Pledge. These schemes aim to give traceability and improve conditions in quarrying regions such as Rajasthan.

Is all Raj Green sandstone the same quality?

No. Raj Green is a colour blend, not a quality mark. Products sold under the same name can come from different quarries with very different geology, consistency and quality control. Some Raj Green stone is dense, well-bedded and carefully calibrated, while other material may be softer, more laminated and less predictable. Choosing a reputable supplier with published technical data and a track record for quality is more important than the marketing name.

How does The Landscape Company choose which sandstone to install?

The Landscape Company starts with how the stone will look and perform in real gardens, then considers the quarry source, technical data and ethical credentials of the supplier. We favour brands that publish meaningful performance figures, demonstrate consistent quality control, and are engaged with recognised ethical-sourcing schemes. We avoid anonymous, price-only imports where there is little visibility of quarry conditions or long-term performance.

Cheap Indian Sandstone vs High-End Sandstone

Why some stone looks beautiful for decades — and some does not

When people choose Indian sandstone, they are usually picturing a finished scene: a warm terrace that flatters the house, crisp joints, and a surface that still looks good years from now. On a brochure page almost any sandstone can be made to look like that.

The reality on site is that some stones age gracefully and develop a lovely patina, while others start to flake, stain and go patchy after only a few winters. This guide explains why that happens and how we separate genuinely high-quality sandstone from material that only looks like a bargain on paper.

High-end Indian sandstone patio with subtle colour variation and neat joints in a landscaped rear garden — Well-chosen sandstone should look elegant on day one and continue to feel like part of the garden after many winters.

Why some sandstone simply looks better (and stays that way)

The stones that tend to age well share a few important characteristics:

Balanced colour variation — interest and movement in the stone without random blotches or muddy bands from poor selection.
Good surface integrity — the riven texture is part of the stone, not a soft layer that can peel away under foot traffic.
Consistent thickness and sizing — calibrated slabs sit properly on the bed and allow straight, crisp joints instead of wandering lines.

At the lower end of the market it is common to see:

Very mixed colours from different parts of the quarry all thrown into one crate
Soft, laminated pieces that feel sandy at the surface
Slabs that are under-thickness in places or badly out of square

These issues make it harder to create a patio that looks genuinely high-end, and they tend to show up more obviously after a few seasons of weather.

Comparison between a dense, well-calibrated sandstone slab and a laminated, chipped slab — Two stones can share a colour name but behave very differently. Dense, well-calibrated slabs (left) are easier to lay and age more gracefully than laminated, inconsistent pieces (right).

How to know if sandstone will actually cope with UK weather

Once you are happy that the stone looks right, the next question is whether it will survive British winters and clay soils. The most useful clues are rarely visible in a photograph.

Water absorption and frost resistance

Stone with lower water absorption generally:

Takes up less moisture and dirt
Is less prone to algae and severe staining
Resists freeze–thaw damage more effectively

Reputable suppliers publish test values for water absorption and frost resistance so that specifiers and installers can compare products on more than appearance alone. Many of the well-known brands in the UK market, such as Marshalls, Global Stone and Ca’ Pietra, provide this type of data alongside their sandstone ranges.

Flexural strength, thickness and bedding

Other important factors include:

Flexural (bending) strength — how well a slab resists cracking when the ground moves slightly or furniture loads one corner.
Calibrated thickness — a properly calibrated product (for example, 22 mm ±2 mm) is more predictable to lay and produces a safer surface. Large thickness swings lead to rocking slabs and thin spots that are more vulnerable to damage.
Bedding orientation and lamination — stone split correctly along strong beds behaves like one solid piece. Stone taken from softer, laminated layers can start to “onion peel”, especially on steps and heavily trafficked areas.

Two stones that look similar on your kitchen table can behave completely differently after five or six years outside. We care more about the hidden numbers and the quarry they came from than the brochure photograph.

Illustrated cross-section comparing well-bedded sandstone with a laminated, weaker deposit — Strong, well-bedded sandstone (left) behaves as a single unit. Laminated, clay-rich layers (right) are far more likely to flake and peel.

Why technical data and quality control matter

Once appearance and basic suitability are established, long-term performance comes down to testing, grading and what never makes it into a crate in the first place. This is where reputable suppliers separate themselves from container-only imports.

Testing, standards and published performance data

High-quality paving suppliers routinely test their natural stone against recognised British and European standards, measuring characteristics that directly affect durability in UK conditions. This typically includes published data for:

Water absorption rates
Flexural (bending) strength
Frost resistance
Thickness and dimensional tolerances

These tests help predict how a stone will behave once laid — particularly through repeated freeze–thaw cycles, prolonged damp conditions and everyday foot traffic. Lower water absorption, for example, generally means reduced staining, less organic growth and better resistance to frost damage over time.

Established UK suppliers often go beyond minimum requirements. Marshalls, for example, publish detailed information on their Stone Standards , explaining how their natural stone paving is tested, graded and assessed against relevant British Standards before it reaches site.

This level of transparency allows designers, contractors and homeowners to compare products based on measurable performance — not just how they look in a brochure image.

Quality control and batch consistency

Another key difference between premium paving suppliers and commodity importers is what gets rejected before it ever reaches a lorry.

Well-established brands such as Marshalls, Ca’ Pietra and Global Stone typically:

Select quarries with suitable geology and proven long-term performance
Carry out dimensional and visual checks during processing
Grade out soft, heavily laminated or visibly cracked stone
Monitor consistency from batch to batch over time

Natural stone will always retain variation — that is part of its appeal. However, consistent quality control greatly reduces the risk that a patio is built using marginal material that should never have left the quarry.

Sandstone quarry with adult workers wearing protective equipment while cutting and handling stone — Responsible suppliers invest in safer working conditions, training and quality control throughout the quarry and processing stages.

The human story behind sandstone: ethics and child labour

A large proportion of the sandstone used on British patios is quarried in Rajasthan, northern India. Investigations by organisations such as UNICEF and the Ethical Trading Initiative have highlighted serious concerns in parts of this industry:

Long hours in extreme heat with limited protection
Exposure to stone dust without adequate respiratory equipment, contributing to silicosis
Use of child labour in and around quarry sites, often connected to family debt

The good news is that some UK companies are actively working to improve this picture. Marshalls’ Fairstone® programme, for example, was developed to provide traceable, ethically sourced sandstone. Marshalls has also worked with UNICEF on projects in Rajasthan aimed at reducing child labour and improving education, health care and safety for children and families linked to the stone sector.

At an industry level, the Stone Federation has introduced the Ethical Stone Register and the Responsible Sourcing Pledge. These schemes help specifiers identify quarries and suppliers that are willing to have their labour practices, environmental impact and governance scrutinised and independently assessed.

For most of our clients, the decision hierarchy is simple: the stone has to look right, and it has to last. Once those boxes are ticked, many are pleased to know that we can also steer them towards suppliers who are trying to do the right thing for the people who extract and process the material.

How The Landscape Company balances beauty, durability and ethics

Our starting point on any project is always the same: does this stone look right for your house and garden, and will it stand up to our local soils and weather? From there we look more closely at where it comes from and who stands behind it.

When we recommend sandstone, we favour suppliers who:

Publish meaningful technical data for water absorption, strength and frost resistance
Demonstrate consistent quality control between batches
Are open about quarry locations and processing routes
Engage with recognised ethical-sourcing schemes or responsible sourcing pledges

Well-established UK suppliers such as Marshalls, Global Stone and Ca’ Pietra tend to meet these criteria more consistently than anonymous imports marketed solely on price. This does not guarantee perfection, but it significantly reduces risk for our clients and produces better long-term outcomes.

Established sandstone terrace with light natural weathering and planting in a UK garden — High-quality sandstone should mellow and improve with age, not break down or become a maintenance burden.

A simple checklist for homeowners

If you only remember a handful of questions to ask before choosing sandstone, make them these:

Where is the stone quarried, and which quarry group does it come from?
Does the supplier publish technical data for water absorption, strength and frost resistance?
Is the product calibrated, and if so, to what thickness tolerance?
Is the importer or brand engaged with any ethical-sourcing or responsible-sourcing schemes?
Has your installer used this exact product locally, and what does it look like after several winters?

You do not have to become a geologist or supply-chain expert to make a good decision. Asking a few well-chosen questions and working with a contractor who has seen how different stones behave over time will do most of the heavy lifting.

Discuss Your Sandstone Patio