Natural Stone Paving
Using stone to create features such as seating areas or paths is a popular choice due to the long life span of the stone itself, whether it is natural or man-made. There is a plethora of paving choices available in a wide range of colours and finishes to suit any style of garden. Some of the more popular choices from Bradstone or Stonemarket include travertine, sandstone – polished and unpolished, limestone, slate, reclaimed yorkstone and the selection of reconstituted products with their life-like imitation of natural stone. Most of the paving choices are available in ‘project packs’ in which there are usually between 4 and 6 different sizes of paving slabs with an accompanying laying pattern. Alternatively, slabs can be laid in a uniform fashion using a repeat of the same size of slab as is often the choice with more contemporary style gardens.
Paving Construction
A good base is essential in building a patio that will last. All our patios are laid on a compacted foundation of MOT type 1 hardcore (roadstone) at a minimum depth of 75mm (compacted). On this foundation your choice of paving is laid on a bed of mortar and tapped gently into place. This ensures that over time none of your slabs will become ‘rocky’ or be prone to breaking and have to be replaced. Once the paving has been laid we point the joints between the paving slabs also with a wet mortar mix. This binds the slabs together and prevents weed growth on your patio as is often seen when weak jointing mixtures are brushed in dry and do not set properly. There are cement dyes and different colours of sand available that we can use for pointing so you can choose to lighten up a dark area with a light pointing mix or to keep a subtle appearance with a blended grey or black if preferred.
