Curved Indian Stone Steps - Help with exposed cut edges

[GeddyMortgage]

Hi all,

See the attached images below, as part of some renovations, I wanted to do a couple indian stone curved steps leading up to the front door.

Have had a pop but due to the curve, it's been cut appropriately and meant the cuts for the top facing pieces have ended up being exposed and visible.

Is there a method that people use to blend those cuts in or to smooth them off somehow so there's less contrast? my concern is equally about the colour as well as the difference in texture, will the cuts always be a bit lighter than the rest of the stone and look odd? and is there a way to resolve that?

Alternatively, could I lay it out a different way to avoid this, i.e - Rather than having the top facing pieces overlapping the front facing pieces, could I have the front facing pieces taller, so the top of them is flush with the top of the top facing pieces and cut the top facing pieces back a bit and have a mortar joint between where they meet, if that makes sense? Or is that method just a big no-no when it comes to laying stone?

Lastly - This is how I wanted it to look ideally, seems alot smoother, assume theyve done this using a circle pack instead? dont think that'd work in my case as ours is a much smaller angle of curve?

 

[Charlie George]

Hi all,

See the attached images below, as part of some renovations, I wanted to do a couple indian stone curved steps leading up to the front door.

Have had a pop but due to the curve, it's been cut appropriately and meant the cuts for the top facing pieces have ended up being exposed and visible.

Is there a method that people use to blend those cuts in or to smooth them off somehow so there's less contrast? my concern is equally about the colour as well as the difference in texture, will the cuts always be a bit lighter than the rest of the stone and look odd? and is there a way to resolve that?

Alternatively, could I lay it out a different way to avoid this, i.e - Rather than having the top facing pieces overlapping the front facing pieces, could I have the front facing pieces taller, so the top of them is flush with the top of the top facing pieces and cut the top facing pieces back a bit and have a mortar joint between where they meet, if that makes sense? Or is that method just a big no-no when it comes to laying stone?




View attachment 265311

View attachment 265312


Lastly - This is how I wanted it to look ideally, seems alot smoother, assume theyve done this using a circle pack instead? dont think that'd work in my case as ours is a much smaller angle of curve?


View attachment 265313

The last picture will be bespoke, and not a circle kit, to get it rounded yourself will not be easy perhaps try with a diamond grinding disk.

 

[GeddyMortgage]

By rounded do you mean

The last picture will be bespoke, and not a circle kit, to get it rounded yourself will not be easy perhaps try with a diamond grinding disk.

thanks, by rounded do you mean like the bevelled edges that look a bit like a bullnose?

What about my other suggestion of having the front facing pieces taller and hiding the edges that way? or is that silly?

 

[GeddyMortgage]

bumping this - need more input if possible!

 

[John D v2.0]

They must be some kind of stonework place that would machine them for you? Won't be cheap but may be worth it for a flagship step.
The trouble here in my mind is you have riven edge slabs so as soon as you touch them with a grinder you have a cut edge. I found score from below and snap works ok for a straight edge but I've no idea how you could do similar on a curved exposed edge.
The only other option in my mind would be an engineering brick edging on the steps with paving infill, but that would need a much larger area. Perhaps there's something else you could use instead of bricks.
Another option might be to cut your slabs like a pizza and have a factory edge exposed, it would be more like an octogon rather than a curve but may be ok with slivers that are not too big or small?
That's all my thoughts and good luck.

 

[GeddyMortgage]

thankyou, i'll see if there's another way I can lay it out.

Alternatively - is there anything that I can do to sort of chamfer the exposed edge? Or perhaps something I can do to weather it quicker so it blends in with the rest quicker too?

I know there's a product you can use for example that makes your blockpaving /sand stone always look sort of wet? perhaps I could apply that to all of it to make it look a little more consistent, colour wise?

 

[Mike13]

Perhaps smooth it with a large "flapwheel" that would give it a rounded look?

 

[Mr Chibs]

If you want to flat it off nicely, perhaps you need a diamond drum that fits on a grinder. you can get these tapered to do chamfers etc.

I recently edged up some quartz, started with an angle grinder, then used a belt sander... it was a surprise, but it worked... followed but polishing pads... came out quite good.