Advice about pavers please

[therockdoctor]

I am about to re-pave a courtyard area. The area is currently paved with brick pavers and I intend to replace them with larger footprint (400x400mm or so) paving of some kind.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the various paver types? Clay, concrete, limestone, sandstone, etc. What is the best paver type money can buy?

I'm thinking of going limestone (possible from Domko in Clayton Vic, http://www.sandstonepaving.com.au/). Does limestone need to be sealed?

Also, what sort of price can I expect to pay for laying paving? The area has been paved before and so is reasonably well levelled and compacted already.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Planned LScape]

Most pavers available now are all pretty good and last a fair while. Most times it is a natural preference as to what you prefer and what suits your area best. Budget for a good sealer too- this will also prolong their life, and also aid in cleaning and keeping it's looks and colours for longer. There are a lot of pavers available, and thus most pricings are competitive.

Prices for 400m pavers will of course depend on material, but would range from concrete ones around low-mid $30/m² and go up towards $50/m² for natural stones. I would go inbetween for something relatively cheap yet a good appearance, some of the cheaper concrete look exactly that, they have a porous look to them. There are some concrete pavers like Riverstone that have been screeded for a smoother look.

Otherwise, you can get sandstone or limestone for around $40/m², very effective and strong for their thickness. Sealing recommended.

Prices for laying per m² will depend on job.... laying on sand or mortar, paver thickness, access, patterns etc but probably around $15-$20 or so (each job is different) for paving on sand or up around $35-$50 for mortar base (inc materials except paver's). Bear in mind the paver will want to see the job first to see what the job will be like, the job is straight foreward you could find it considerably cheaper