Reflective Staining

What is Reflective Staining?

Reflective Staining occurs when a porous stone such as sandstone has been laid on a dot and dab base or ring base or basically anything that is not a solid base. 

Once your patio has been laid you will notice small patches or rings on the paving that looks like it hasn't dried out yet, these marks will be a reflection of the mortar bed underneath it hence the name reflective staining, and it's where the porosity of the slab has been changed at point of contact with the mortar. These marks usually appear within the first few months, over time these marks will become darker and more visible, salt deposits which have been pulled up through the stone from the mortar bed can also enhance the look of the staining but usually these can be scrubbed off to minimise the effect, algae can also be attracted to these salt deposits.

 To date there is not "cure" for the staining, no scrubbing or sealing will remove it, and it is very unlikely that it will fade in time. Because the stain is being pulled right through the slab from mortar to the surface no amount of cleaning, sand shot blasting will clear it as it will just reveal the next layer of staining. 

So the best thing is to get it right in the fist place, use a full solid base when laying your paving, this will give you a solid foundation for your paving with no voids that will cause your slabs to crack or rock.

For more information on how to lay a patio go to our helpful hints page.