How to Lay a Paving on Garden Patio
Tiny as these areas may be in the city, the courtyard and patio can become the "room outside", where eating is a relaxed and social experience, surrounded by foliage, flowers and fragrances.
The term "patio" originally referred to an inner courtyard set among the living rooms of a building. Nowadays, it refers to almost any hard-surface area in the garden, although usually the one where the outdoor furniture is sited.
While the patio is often placed adjacent to the house, this is not critical. You may find it is better positioned to make the most of the evening sunlight. If this is at the bottom of the garden, make sure the access routes are planned properly.
Privacy and a feeling of seclusion are important to help make the area a relaxing one in which to sit, and some form of screening may play a part in creating this. The whole area should be designed to have a harmonious feel, with the colors of the furniture, accessories and plants all chosen to complement each other.
Patio Surfaces
As with the rest of the garden, the surface sets the mood in the courtyard or on the patio. It should be in keeping with the surroundings and practical for the situation.
Paving
There are many different types of paving available, in a range of materials, shapes and sizes. Traditional Yorkstone paving is attractive and hard-wearing, but is expensive. There are many concrete imitations that are equally attractive, widely available and much cheaper. Larger paving slabs can be smooth or textured ("riven"), and their use will depend on the purpose of the patio. Young children might find some of the textured slabs difficult to walk or ride a small bicycle across, and furniture placed on them may be slightly unsteady. In order to create a variety of patterns, the slabs can be square, rectangular or hexagonal, and they are designed to be easily laid on to a level, well-prepared base. Small paving blocks (paviours) and house bricks are equally easy to lay, although this does take a little longer because you have to lay so many more of them. They can be laid in a number of decorative patterns, such as basket-weave and herringbone; or used to change the apparent perspective of the area. By laying them crossways you will shorten the view, whereas lengthways they will extend it.
1. Lay a bed of hardcore, roughly 15cm (6in) deep and rake it roughly level.
2. Make five small mounds ("spots") of mortar, one to ft under each corner of the slab, and one for the centre. Lower the slab into a horizontal position on the sand spots.
3. Gently wiggle the slab from side to side, to bed it down on to the mortar spots, and check that it is level by placing a spirit level (carpenter's level) diagonally across it to get an accurate reading.
4. Repeat across the opposite diagonal. Repeat the whole process with the remaining slabs, placing each alongside the previous one and aligning with an even gap along the joint.
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