Patios and garden landscaping
Most of these jobs start as a lawn nobody uses and finish as somewhere you can actually put a table. Indian sandstone, brick edged steps, artificial grass and new fencing.
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Slabs move because of what is under them
Indian sandstone is a good surface and a heavy one. Laid on five dabs of mortar, which is still common, only part of each slab is actually supported. Walk on the unsupported corner for two winters and it rocks, then the joint cracks and water gets under it.
We lay on a full wet bed over a compacted base, which is slower and uses more material, and is the reason the slabs are still flat later. Falls are set away from the house so water runs off rather than sitting against a wall.
The rest of a garden job is levels. Where the ground drops, you need steps and a retaining edge rather than a slope you cannot put a chair on, and that is brickwork as much as paving.
- 01
Levels and falls
Where the ground is now, where the water needs to go, and how many steps that turns into.
- 02
Dig out and base
Turf and topsoil off, compacted stone base in, to a depth that suits the ground.
- 03
Brickwork and steps
Retaining edges, risers and any walls built before a single slab goes down.
- 04
Laying
Slabs laid on a full bed, cut in at the edges, falls checked as it goes rather than at the end.
- 05
Jointing and finishing
Pointed up, gravel borders and edge details finished, and the site cleared.
Gardens we have finished
Is this the right answer for your house?
If the garden runs away from the house, steps and a retaining edge will cost more than a flat slab area but they are the difference between a garden you use and one you look at.
Artificial grass wants the same base discipline as paving. Laid straight onto soil it dips and holds water. Laid on a compacted base with a proper edge it stays flat.
If the front of the house needs doing as well, the same crew does driveways and block paving, and it is one visit rather than two.
Common questions
How long does a patio take?
A straightforward rectangle is a different job from one with steps, walls and levels. Kyren will give you a realistic window when he measures up.
Real turf or artificial grass?
Both, and the honest answer depends on how much sun the garden gets and whether you have dogs or children on it every day. He will tell you what he would do.
Do you replace fencing at the same time?
Yes. Closeboard and timber slat fencing usually goes in as the hard landscaping finishes, because the access is easier before everything is laid.
Will the slabs go green?
Anything in shade will pick up algae eventually. Falls that drain properly and a wash off once a year is most of the answer.