Bluestone Pavers and Tiles

Bluestone: Melbourne’s Stone, Everyone’s Basalt

Bluestone is basalt, the volcanic stone Melbourne is built from: laneways, kerbs, church steps, half the city’s Victorian foundations. Dense, deep blue-grey and nearly indestructible, it is also the rare dark stone that is fully acid-proof, so lemon juice, wine and fertiliser leave no mark. This range carries it in every format a project needs, from 20mm tiles to full pavers, steppers, copings and treads.

Bluestone Tiles, the Format Most People Are Searching For

Bluestone tiles at 20mm are the on-slab format: bond them to concrete with flexible adhesive for alfresco floors, verandahs, entries and interior floors that want the real thing rather than a bluestone-look print. The bluestone tiles page covers sizes and laying; the honest comparison with bluestone-look porcelain is there too, because half of tile-format buyers are weighing exactly that. Short version: porcelain repeats and wears through its print; basalt is the same stone all the way down.

Pavers, Steppers and the Rest of the Set

At 30mm, bluestone pavers lay on road base or slab and carry driveways over reinforced concrete. Organic steppers cross lawns in the same stone, pool copings edge the water, treads and risers build the steps, and crazy paving does the relaxed version. One stone, ground to steps to pool edge, is the scheme bluestone does better than anything else in Victoria.

Catspaws, Colour and What Real Basalt Looks Like

Real bluestone carries small vesicles, the trade calls them catspaws, tiny bubbles frozen into the volcanic stone. Premium grades keep them small and scattered; they are identity, not defect, and the reason a bluestone surface reads unmistakably real. The stone runs darker when wet and sealed; a colour-enhancing sealer holds that deep charcoal-blue permanently if you want it, or a natural sealer keeps the dry soft grey.

Bluestone Interstate

Victoria’s stone travels: Brisbane and Sydney bluestone orders ride our scheduled freight runs weekly, and the delivered crate price surprises most interstate buyers pleasantly. Melbourne buyers can see full pavers at the Keysborough warehouse before committing. Samples are free everywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are bluestone tiles good for outdoor use?

Excellent: basalt is dense, slip-resistant in split and sawn finishes, colourfast and acid-proof. Use 20mm tiles bonded to a slab, or 30mm pavers on road base.

What is the difference between bluestone tiles and pavers?

Thickness. 20mm tiles bond to an existing concrete slab; 30mm pavers can also lay on compacted road base and handle driveways over reinforced concrete.

Does bluestone need sealing?

It survives fine unsealed, but sealing evens the colour and keeps cleaning easy. A colour-enhancing sealer gives the popular permanently-wet dark look.

What are the small holes in bluestone?

Catspaws, natural vesicles from the stone’s volcanic formation. Good grades keep them small and scattered; they identify real basalt and do not weaken the paver.