Hand Made & Hand Painted - All Stones include FREE P&P to UK Mainland only
Each Bee Stone is made from concrete for maximum strength. Plaques are made from ultra-strong cement. On the back of each product, there is a steel and enamel coated D-Ring for hanging on a suitable hook that has been fixed securely to a wall or timber surface. Please check the D-Ring annually to ensure against rust formation. This can happen if the protective layer is scratched while placed in position. Use a small brush and an oil or enamel paint to recoat the hanging ring for at least another year of protection.
Stones described as ‘unvarnished’ means no protective coating has been applied to them. These will therefore weather and wear naturally over time if that is the appearance you are looking to achieve in your garden. These can also be painted by yourself or children to the colours you choose, but please ensure the paints used are suitable for concrete. Varnished Stones have three layers of yacht varnish to maintain the paintwork and provide a robust glossy finish. However, please be aware that varnished stepping stones can be slippy during wet, frosty or icy conditions so take adequate care if you or others stand on them during inclement weather.
Stones that are described as coloured York Buff or Terracotta have a dye applied to the cement at the moulding stage, which means the colour is consistent all through the finished concrete product. Painted versions are all varnished to protect the decoration. Note that varnishing darkens the colour of the stones but provides an excellent glossy finish. Paints used are all intended for exterior masonry or concrete and are of high quality. The versions that have surfaces painted above the indented outline are more susceptible to longer-term wear resulting from constant rubbing by the shoes of those stepping on them. These are therefore more suited to wall hanging although an annual coat of yacht varnish will help protect them through a further year if being walked on.
Please do not use any chemical cleaners or harsh scrubbing pads or brushes on varnished stones and plaques as this may remove the protected layer and damage the paint underneath. A simple clean with a damp cloth is all that is needed from time to time. While every effort is made to provide consistent colours, printed photos and those seen on a computer, laptop, mobile or tablet screen may show slight variations to the actual product.
The luminous ‘Glow In The Dark’ stepping stone is intended for novelty primarily, although given the right conditions it will become exceptionally visible in complete darkness and therefore very useful when set in a lawn. A minimum 15-minute charge from a very bright light source will charge the painted outline of the bee, but if this is undertaken before the sun goes down then as night falls the luminosity fades because the charge is used up over the slow progress of dusk. I have found the best results are acquired from placing the stepping stone within range of the light emitted from auto security or bright garden lights, as these will re-charge the luminous paint over a few minutes and the stepping stone will then glow more effectively once the lights switch off.