What Are the Patio Slabs in Our Gardens?

Sooner or later you'll want a few more of them — to extend the patio, to make a base for a shed or a bin store, or just to replace one that got cracked by something heavy. And the slabs are unbranded once they're down, so there's nothing on them to tell a merchant what you're looking for.

The answer is on the label stapled to the delivery pallets, and it's worth writing down.

The spec

That's the whole thing. Walk into any builders providers with "Kilsaran Newgrange flag, Silver Granite, 600 by 400 by 40" and they'll know exactly what you mean.

Quote the batch number

The most important line on the label is the one that's easiest to dismiss: the batch number, 40359. The small print beside it says exactly what it's for — "please quote batch no. to re-order".

That isn't boilerplate. Concrete flags are made in production runs, and the colour shifts between one run and the next — subtly, but enough to see when new slabs sit alongside old ones. Quoting the batch number is how the merchant, or Kilsaran, works out what to send you so it matches what's already down. You won't always be able to get the identical batch years later, but you'll land far closer by asking than by ordering blind, and it costs you one sentence at the counter.

So the full thing to bring with you is: Kilsaran Newgrange flag, Silver Granite, 600 x 400 x 40mm, batch 40359.

If there's still a pallet label in your shed or garage, hang on to it — or at least take a photo of it on your phone. It's the one bit of build paperwork that genuinely earns its keep.

What "shot blasted" and "Silver Granite" actually mean

Newgrange is Kilsaran's concrete flag range, made with a granite aggregate. It's not natural stone — it's a manufactured concrete flag with granite chippings through it, which is where the speckled look comes from.

Shot blasted means the surface has been peppered with fine steel shot after casting, stripping off the smooth cement skin and exposing the granite underneath. That's what gives it the light texture rather than a glassy finish, and it's also what makes it reasonably grippy underfoot in the rain — a real consideration on a patio here.

Silver Granite is one of three standard Newgrange colours (the others are Black Granite and Buff Granite). If a merchant offers you "Newgrange Granite" without saying which, ask — buff and silver are noticeably different.

The numbers you'll need at the counter

• Each slab covers 0.24 m² (0.6m x 0.4m).
• So 4.17 slabs per square metre — round up to say 4.2 when you're estimating.
• Kilsaran's full bale of this size is 48 slabs, 11.52 m². Most merchants will also sell them singly.
• A 600 x 400 x 40mm concrete flag weighs somewhere around 22–23kg. That's a two-hand lift, and a full bale is well over a tonne — don't plan on bringing one home on a car roof.

Where to buy them near Wicklow

Newgrange is Kilsaran's mainstream paving line and Kilsaran is an Irish manufacturer, so this is a stock item, not a special order. The catch is that the 400 x 400 size is the one most shops keep on the shelf; the 600 x 400 is common but worth ringing ahead for.

Burke's of Rathnew Homevalue — the closest by a distance

Effectively on our doorstep, and they do stock Kilsaran Newgrange in Silver Granite (their online listing is the 400 x 400 at €7.95 a slab, so ring or call in to confirm the 600 x 400). They've a large yard with proper loading space, which matters when you're shifting a pallet of flags.

• Address: Milltown Shopping Park, Milltown South, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow, A67 A304
• Phone: 0404 65600
• Email: sales@burkes.ie
• Hours: Mon–Fri 8am–5.30pm, Sat 8.30am–5pm, Sun closed (bank holidays 11am–4pm)
• Website: burkes.ie

Hopkins Homevalue — in Wicklow Town

The builders providers on South Quay, handy if you're only after a couple of slabs and are in town anyway. Note the lunchtime closing.

• Address: South Quay, Wicklow Town, A67 YD45
• Phone: 0404 67413
• Email: sales@hopkins.ie
• Hours: Mon–Fri 8.15am–5pm, Sat 9am–1pm — closed for lunch 1pm–2pm
• Website: hopkins.ie

TJ O'Mahony, Arklow — lists the exact slab online

The most useful one for pricing, because they list this precise product on their website: Kilsaran Paving Flag 600x400x40mm Newgrange Silver, €10.50 each (about €44 per m²) as of August 2026. Roughly 25 minutes south.

• Address: Yellow Lane, Knockanrahan, Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Y14 YT71
• Phone: 0402 27500
• Website: tjomahony.ie

Chadwicks, Bray — the big-branch option

Worth knowing about if you're heading north anyway, or if you need a larger quantity than the local yards have on the ground. They carry the Newgrange range and do click-and-collect and delivery.

• Address: Boghall Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow, A98 HD32
• Phone: 01 286 4511
• Website: chadwicks.ie

Also in the county

Topline Bolands in Arklow is another long-established local builders merchant worth a call if the others are out of stock — toplinebolands.ie. Kilsaran also run a stockist finder on their own site if you want to cast wider.

If you're combining the trip with plants or garden furniture, the garden centres guide covers what's where in the same direction.

At a glance

Always phone before driving. "We stock Newgrange" and "we have 600 x 400 Silver in the yard today" are two different statements.

A few practical tips

• Your new slabs will not match your old ones exactly, and that's normal. Concrete flags vary between production batches, and the ones in your garden have weathered for however long they've been down. Kilsaran themselves say some dulling and ageing of the colour is expected over time. If you're extending a patio, the trick is not to fight it — put the new work as a distinct area, edge, or step rather than trying to invisibly continue the old surface.
• If you're laying more than a few, work from three packs at once. That's Kilsaran's own advice: take slabs evenly from a minimum of three bales rather than emptying one before opening the next, so any variation is blended across the patio instead of appearing as a block of slightly different colour.
• Order about 10% extra for cuts, breakages and the one that gets dropped. Returning unopened stock is usually easier than going back for four more slabs six weeks later, when the batch has changed.
• Fall away from the house. Whatever you're laying, build in a gentle slope running water away from the building. Kilsaran's guide is a 30–50mm bed of clean sharp sand screeded to level, then flags laid off a fixed edge with a spirit level checked across several slabs at a time. For a patio right up against the house, a mortar bed is the more usual approach — worth a word with whoever's doing the work.
• Go easy with the power washer. Kilsaran explicitly advise against excessive power-washing: it strips the jointing material out and can damage the shot-blasted surface itself. Brushing handles most dirt, and soap and warm water with a stiff brush handles the rest.
• White patches are not a defect. Efflorescence — a chalky white bloom that appears on new concrete paving — is a cosmetic by-product of the cement curing. It weathers off by itself over one to two years. Kilsaran specifically recommend not using acid or chemical cleaners to shift it, as those can do real damage.
• Moss and algae like the shady corners. Any of the standard patio cleaners from a hardware shop will deal with it; north-facing sections of garden will just need it more often. There's a seasonal reminder in Yearly Home Maintenance.
• Check with your own eyes before ordering. Bring a photo of your patio, or better, a spare slab if you have one, so the person at the counter can confirm you're matching the right colour and finish.

Compiled from the manufacturer's pallet labelling, Kilsaran's own published product and aftercare information, and publicly available merchant information — not an endorsement of any particular company. Prices and stock quoted are as of August 2026 and will change; always confirm directly with the merchant. If you spot outdated details here, let a committee member know so we can update this page.