Laying a Patio

Choosing and planning your paved area.

• Firstly, get some inspiration for your garden by browsing our product sections. Once you have decided upon which paving type suits you best, have a look at the patterns that can be achieved with each of the ranges.
• Now, using the pattern and sizes chosen, draw the area to be paved using graph paper trying to avoid the need to cut slabs if possible.
• You will now know the number and sizes of slabs required for your project. Your supplier should be able to help you when it comes to ordering the right amount of foundation materials e.g. sand, ballast and cement.

Preparation

• Mark out the area on the ground to be paved and remember to allow for a fall away from buildings to assist the drainage of water. This can be done by providing a gradient of at least 1:40 or steeper, towards adequate drainage. The paving surface must be at least 150mm below the damp proof course in any adjacent wall.
• Preperation depends upon the site conditions, intended use and the final desired standard of workmanship. In good firm ground conditions removing the turf and soil to a depth to accomodate a 30-40mm sand bed plus the slab and mortar, can give good results. In areas where the soil is wet and drainage poor, remove more subsoil and put in 125mm of well compacted sub base before laying the sand bed, plus slabs and mortar. To reduce settlement and to permit heavier loads, the laying of a solid 140mm thick concrete base onto which the slabs are bedded with mortar will give the best results.

Laying

• Always dry lay your patio first to check the you are happy with the result.
• Select paving from different packs throughout the job to blend colour shades.
• Whether laying on a solid concrete base or a well-compacted sand base a good workable mortar or 1 part masonry cement to 5 parts sand is recommended. A full mortar bed should be used for best results. The slabs are placed, positioned and then tapped down to the correct level using a rubber mallet.
• Remember from the planning stage to allow for rainwater drainage and check levels as you progress using a spirit level across a number of slabs. Stringlines can be useful to check levels and lines within the laying pattern.
• Maintain the correct joint width by gently shuffling with a trowel, temporary spacers can be used to help. A joint width of 10-15mm usually gives the best result though this does differ with different products.
• If unavoidable, paving can be cut using the correct disc cutters with suitable safety equipment, to prevent inhalation of dust and injury.
• Do not walk on the paving for at least 24 hours after laying. During wet or frosty weather cover the paving until mortar has cured, then point as soon as possible.

Pointing

• Once all your slabs are laid, point the joints using a semi-dry mortar mix of 3 parts building sand to 1 part cement. The mix should not be too wet or dry. Care should be taken not to mark the surface of the slabs as cement stains are hard to remove.