39 questions answered
Sandstone FAQ
Short answers to the questions we are asked most about Sydney sandstone: prices, sizes, weights, delivery, finishes, colours and care. Every figure comes from Stone Front’s guides and price list, and each answer links to the full guide. Prices are Stone Front guide prices for stone only, ex-quarry at Glenorie NSW.
Quotes and buying
How do I get a sandstone quote from Stone Front?
Tell us the product, quantity and your suburb through the quote form at stonefront.com.au/get-a-quote and Stone Front usually replies the same business day. Photos, plans and cutting lists can be emailed to the same team.
How to get an accurate sandstone quoteWhat details do you need to quote accurately?
The product and finish, the thickness or size, the quantity (m² for paving, m² of wall face for blocks, lineal metres for edging, capping and coping, or a piece count for steps), your suburb, delivery access and timing. With those, nothing has to be checked back with you before the quote goes out.
What to measure and sendWhere does Stone Front’s sandstone come from?
From Stone Front’s own working sandstone quarry at Glenorie NSW 2157 in Sydney’s Hills District, where the stone is quarried, split, sawn and cut to size. You deal directly with the people who supply the stone.
Why buy sandstone quarry-directCan I visit the quarry and choose my own stone?
Yes, by arrangement. Ask when you request your quote and we will set a time for you to inspect stock, see the colours and hand-select rough squared blocks and boulders at Glenorie.
Inside the Glenorie quarryAre Stone Front prices supply only or installed?
Guide prices are for stone only, ex-quarry at Glenorie. Delivery is quoted separately by suburb and access, collection from the quarry is free, and installation is arranged by you or your landscaper or stonemason.
Sandstone price listPrices
How much do sandstone pavers cost?
Stone Front guide prices start from $65/m² for sawn modular paving, $85/m² for sawn flagging (crazy paving), $95/m² for hydrasplit paving, $110/m² for outdoor tiles and $120/m² for sawn all round pavers. Get an exact price by sending the product, area and suburb.
Sandstone pavers cost guideHow much do sandstone blocks cost?
Guide prices per square metre of wall face start from $120 for rough squared blocks, $180 for rockfaced blocks, $190 for hydrasplit blocks and $250 for sawn all round blocks. Split logs, billets and boulders are priced by quote.
Sandstone block pricesHow much does a sandstone retaining wall cost?
Materials start from $120/m² of wall face. A 10m wall 800mm high is 8m² of face, about $960 of stone in rough squared blocks or $1,440 in rockfaced blocks at guide prices, before capping, drainage, delivery and labour.
Retaining wall cost with a worked exampleHow much does sandstone edging cost?
Sawn sandstone edging starts from $35 per lineal metre, guide price. Hydrasplit strips, split logs and rockfaced profiles are priced by quote, and edging can be cut to the lengths you need.
Sandstone garden edging ideasWhy are some sandstone products priced by quote?
Logs, boulders, billets, steps, capping, handsplit flagging and crushed sandstone vary in size, tonnage and cutting from job to job, so they are priced for your quantity. Send the dimensions or tonnage and your suburb and Stone Front quotes the stone and delivery together.
How to get a quoteDelivery and collection
Does Stone Front deliver across Sydney?
Yes. Stone Front delivers from Glenorie across greater Sydney, from the Hills District, North Shore and Northern Beaches to the Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, CBD, Sutherland Shire, Western and South West Sydney, plus the Central Coast and Blue Mountains.
Sandstone delivery in SydneyWhen do I need a crane truck?
When pallets cannot be set down where the work is: steep blocks, narrow side passages, backyards behind the house, or where stone has to be lifted over a fence. A crane drop costs more than a kerbside drop but can save hours of double handling.
Crane vs kerbside deliveryHow much does a pallet of sandstone weigh?
Sandstone weighs about 2,300kg per cubic metre, so 50mm paving is about 115kg per m² and a 10m² pallet of 50mm flagging is about 1.15 tonnes. A 4m² pallet of rough squared blocks can be close to two tonnes.
Pallet sizes and weightsCan I collect sandstone myself?
Yes. Collection from the Glenorie quarry is free and the loaders will place stone on your ute or trailer. Ask for the pallet weight first and stay within your vehicle and trailer ratings.
Collecting from the quarryPaving
How thick should sandstone pavers be?
Use 50mm for paths, patios and pool surrounds, 75mm minimum where cars drive and 100mm for heavier vehicles or steep driveways. Thinner 30mm outdoor tiles are bedded on a concrete slab.
Paver sizes and thicknessWhat sizes do sandstone pavers come in?
Popular sawn all round paver sizes are 400x400mm, 600x400mm and 600x600mm at 50mm thick, and outdoor tiles also come in 300x300mm and 600x300mm. Any sawn size can be cut to order at the quarry.
Paver size tableHow much extra paving should I order?
Add about 5% for stack bond, 5–7% for stretcher bond, 5–10% for French pattern and random ashlar, and 10–15% for herringbone, diagonal layouts and crazy paving.
Paver calculatorWhat base do sandstone pavers need?
For foot traffic, at least 75mm of compacted crushed sandstone or road base plus a 20–30mm bed of bedding sand, on firm subgrade. Driveways need 150–200mm of compacted road base or a reinforced slab.
How to lay sandstone paversWhat is the difference between handsplit and sawn flagging?
Handsplit flagging is split by hand along the stone’s bedding for a riven, traditional face and comes in 10m² pallets in regular (50–75mm), thin (30–50mm) and track (75–100mm) grades. Sawn flagging has diamond-sawn edges, comes in 50, 75 or 100mm and starts from $85/m².
Sandstone flagging explainedWhich sandstone finish suits a pool surround?
Sandblasted sandstone is the most slip-resistant finish and the usual choice for pool surrounds; sawn also gives good grip. Coping is cut 400mm or 500mm wide with a bullnose edge and sealed with a sealer rated for salt and chlorine.
Sandstone pool coping guideWalls, blocks and logs
What are the standard sandstone block sizes?
Standard blocks have a 110mm bedwidth, the same as a brick, and are 100, 150, 200 or 250mm high, plus a 300mm-high block at 130mm bedwidth. Lengths are random, so blocks are sold by the square metre of wall face.
Block sizes and weightsHow heavy is a sandstone block?
At about 2,300kg per cubic metre, a 110 x 200 x 400mm block weighs roughly 20kg, and each square metre of 110mm wall face weighs about 253kg.
Block weight tableHow many sandstone blocks do I need for a wall?
Divide the wall height by the block height to get courses, then multiply by the wall length for lineal metres of block. Rough squared blocks come in pallets of 4 layers covering 4m² of wall face.
Sandstone block calculatorShould I use sandstone logs or blocks for a retaining wall?
Logs (about 300 x 300mm) build fastest because each course is 300mm high and they go in with small machinery. Blocks allow curves, mixed heights and four face finishes and can be laid by hand.
Sandstone logs vs blocksHow high can a sandstone log wall be without engineering?
A single-skin log retaining wall typically goes to about one metre before engineering is needed. Most NSW councils require approval for retaining walls over about 600mm or close to a boundary, so check with yours first.
Retaining wall approvals and drainageWhat are sandstone sleepers?
Sandstone sleepers is a common name for sandstone logs laid in courses like timber sleepers. Stone Front’s split logs are about 300 x 300mm, sawn top and bottom, and weigh about 207kg per metre.
Sandstone sleepers guideWhat are sandstone billets?
Billets are large-format sandstone pieces, often around a tonne each, for structural retaining walls, commercial landscaping and features. They are always machine placed and priced by quote.
Sandstone billets guideColours, finishes and cutting
What colours does Sydney sandstone come in?
The Glenorie quarry produces ten colours: Marbled White, White with Greys, Light Yellow, Banded Yellow, Light Yellow Multicoloured, Medium Yellow with Purples, White with Browns & Greys, Browns, Orange and Purples. Quarry-run pallets blend them; single-colour selections cost more.
Sandstone colour guideWhat is hydrasplit sandstone?
Hydrasplit sandstone is natural stone split by a hydraulic machine, leaving a flat but textured face with crisp edges. Hydrasplit paving is 50mm thick, can be split to any width and starts from $95/m².
What is hydrasplit sandstoneWhich sandstone finish has the most grip?
Sandblasted is the most slip-resistant finish, sawn gives reliable grip for outdoor paving and step tops, and honed is smooth and best kept to indoor or covered areas.
Sandstone finishes comparedCan sandstone be cut to size?
Yes. Pavers, outdoor tiles, treads, capping, pool coping, edging and sawn blocks are cut to size at the Glenorie quarry, with square, bullnose, pencil-round or chamfered edges. Send a cutting list with sizes and quantities.
Sandstone cut to sizeHow wide should sandstone wall capping be?
Cut capping to the wall width plus about 20–30mm overhang on each side, so a 230mm brick wall takes capping about 280mm wide. Wall capping is usually 30–50mm thick and pier caps 50–75mm.
Sandstone wall capping guideCrushed sandstone and gabions
How many tonnes of crushed sandstone do I need?
Multiply length x width x compacted depth in metres to get cubic metres, then multiply by 1.8–2.0, because compacted crushed sandstone weighs roughly 1.8–2.0 tonnes per cubic metre.
Crushed sandstone calculatorWhat is the difference between 75mm minus and 150mm minus?
150mm minus is the coarser grade, used first to build up levels and as fill; 75mm minus compacts into a firm base and path or driveway surface. 20mm minus fill sand is used for bedding and blinding.
Crushed sandstone guideHow much stone fills a gabion basket?
A standard 2m x 1m x 0.5m gabion basket takes approximately 1.5 tonnes of 75–150mm gabion spalls.
Sandstone boulders and gabion wallsSealing and care
Does sandstone need sealing?
Sealing is recommended for paving, pool coping, capping and outdoor surfaces. Use a penetrating (impregnating) sealer on clean, fully dry stone and reseal every 2–3 years outdoors.
How to seal sandstoneHow do I clean sandstone?
Sweep regularly and wash occasionally with a pH-neutral cleaner. Never use acid cleaners on sandstone, and treat specific stains with the method that suits them.
How to clean sandstoneRecycled bricks
How many recycled bricks do I need per square metre?
Allow about 38 bricks per m² for paving laid flat, about 54 per m² laid on edge with tight sand joints, and about 50 per m² for a single-skin wall. Add 5–10% for wastage and cutting.
Recycled brick paving guideHow much do recycled bricks cost?
Guide prices are $1.20 per brick for recycled red bricks, $1.50 for recycled brick pavers selected for paving, and from $0.90 for reclaimed and second-hand bricks.
Guide to recycled bricks in SydneyGet your quote from Stone Front
Stone Front quarries, cuts and delivers its own sandstone from Glenorie, so your quote comes straight from the people supplying the stone. Tell us the product, quantity and your suburb and we reply within 24 hours. Plans, photos and cutting lists can go to info@stonefront.com.au.
Request a quote