Cut Bluestone
The color of natural bluestone will vary. This will greatly depend on the location of the quarry and the deposits of minerals in the stone itself. The colors can vary from blue / gray, to shades of tans, rust, and lilac. J & J stocks blue select in both natural cleft face and thermal finish, as well as full color in natural cleft face only.
Bluestone is available in 12” x 12” to 36” x 36” in 6” increments. Available in blue natural cleft face, blue thermal finish, full color thermal & full color natural cleft face.
Please note: Bluestone is subject to weathering and discoloration. A good sealer will help prolong the effects of the elements, and keep your bluestone project looking its best for several years.
Sample Installation of Bluestone – Dry Laid
Bluestone should be installed on top of a 4″ – 6″ base of processed gravel or stone dust. The gravel should be compacted, then a 1″ layer of stone dust or concrete sand spread over the top of the compacted materials; this is considered a bedding course. The bedding course will aid in the leveling process of the bluestone. Because natural cleft bluestone is seldom the same thickness, the 1″ of bedding material will allow you a tolerance to level the slabs. Stone dust or polymeric sand should then be swept into the joints to complete the project.
Thermal Bluestone
Thermal bluestone is cut and quarried from the same area of Pennsylvania as our natural cleft bluestone. The major difference is the process in which thermal bluestone is cut and finished. Thermal bluestone is the top of the line in bluestone flagging. Each stone is cut to a nominal thickness of 1.5″, then the top surface of each stone is run through a furnace and thermalled to create a uniform, consistent finish. These extra steps make the installation of this product much quicker and easier as the installer is able to screed his base level and set the stones. The need to adjust the base so each stone sits level is virtually eliminated,
Thermal bluestone is also more consistent in thickness. Because it is sawn rather than split there is more control in the manufacturing process.
Thermal bluestone is more expensive than natural cleft bluestone because of this process.
Natural Cleft Blue
Blue select natural cleft bluestone is quarried in the northeast region of Pennsylvania. Like the thermal bluestone, only bluestone with straight blue coloring is chosen for blue select flagging. It is originally cut out of the mountain in large square blocks and cut to the finished size in which it will be sold. These blocks are transported to a splitting room where they are split to thickness using wedges. This process of splitting these stones to thickness reveals the natural texture that was formed on the face over millions of years. This “texture” is referred to as a natural cleft finish.
Natural bluestone can be very inconsistent in thickness because of the predetermined veins in the stone which is used in the splitting process.
Natural Cleft Full Color
Blue select natural cleft bluestone is quarried in the northeast region of Pennsylvania. Like the thermal bluestone, only bluestone with straight blue coloring is chosen for blue select flagging. It is originally cut out of the mountain in large square blocks and cut to the finished size in which it will be sold. These blocks are transported to a splitting room where they are split to thickness using wedges. This process of splitting these stones to thickness reveals the natural texture that was formed on the face over millions of years. This “texture” is referred to as a natural cleft finish.
Natural bluestone can be very inconsistent in thickness because of the predetermined veins in the stone which is used in the splitting process.
Brownstone
Available in 18” x 18”, 18” x 24”, 24” x 24”, 24” x 36”.
Limestone
Available in 12” x 24”, 18” x 18”, 18” x 24”, 24” x 24”, 24” x 36”.
