Granite setts — direct from our quarry in Portugal

The granite sett is the most durable way to surface a driveway, a courtyard or a patio in natural stone. Quarried and worked in our own quarry in Portugal, our Portuguese granite setts are solid stone — not a concrete block or a reconstituted paver — dense, frost-proof and naturally non-slip. You buy direct from the producer: the delivered price is the final price to your door, with no middleman and no carriage charges tacked on at the end. Setts are sold by the square metre and come in a range of sizes and colours to suit your project.

Portuguese granite setts, or granite cobbles, built the reputation of Europe's streets and squares: this is a very hard igneous stone, with a compressive strength above 2,180 kg/cm² and water absorption below 0.2%. In plain terms, a granite sett will not crack in the frost, will not distort in the heat and does not stain easily. Where a concrete paver greys, grows moss and crumbles after a few winters, granite setts hold their looks for decades. It is an investment you pass on, not a surface you re-lay.

Why buy direct from the quarry

By coming to our quarry rather than through a chain of resellers, you pay for the stone and the transport — nothing else. No merchant's mark-up, no middle platform. That is what lets us quote a producer's price, delivery included, on Portuguese granite setts of consistent quality, cut by our own teams. Grey is the most versatile and the most sought-after; yellow, pink and black round out the range for projects that want to stand apart.

The method depends on the use and the traffic you expect. Here are the main principles; if in doubt, call in a paviour or ask us for advice on the quote form.

1. The laying bed

For a path or a pedestrian route, lay the setts on a bed of stabilised sand (sand plus a little cement), 3 to 5 cm deep, over a free-draining compacted sub-base. For a driveway, use a mortar bed over a slab or a load-bearing foundation, so it can take the weight of vehicles without movement.

2. Laying and falls

Set up a string line, lay the setts to your chosen pattern (coursed, diagonal, fantail…) and tap each sett home with a rubber mallet to bed it in. Always allow a fall of 1 to 2% (1 to 2 cm per metre) away from walls to shed rainwater.

3. The joints

Fill the joints with stabilised sand for a free-draining route, or with driveable mortar for a surface that takes vehicles. A joint width of 8 to 15 mm is recommended depending on the size; stagger the joints to strengthen the whole, then brush in and compact.

4. Cutting

Cut edge setts with an angle grinder fitted with a diamond blade, wetting to keep the dust down, or with a hammer and bolster to keep a split edge. Wear goggles, gloves and ear protection.