Adding a patio area to your garden can open many more possibilities about how you use the space, especially in summer months when we can get the patio furniture out, enjoy the sunshine and fire up the barbecue for some al fresco dining. If installing a patio is on your garden ‘to do’ list, then spending some time in the design phase can result in a much better end product.
What materials are best for patios?
Patios don’t have to mean square, grey paving slabs. There is nothing wrong with grey slabs if that’s what you want, but take some time to look around at the other surfaces on the market and perhaps choose something a little different. Porcelain paving is hard wearing and gives a tiled effect, natural stone paving comes in arrange of finishes with natural variation, and block paving with bricks gives flexibility over design and the shape of your patio. There is no right or wrong; consider the options taking into mind the style of your home, what you intend to use the space for and your overall budget as some surfaces are considerably more expensive than others.
Size and shape of patio
In many cases, the size of the patio will be determined by the space you have available. A common mistake is to try to cut costs by creating a smaller patio, but the end result is a patio which is so small that it’s practically useless. Consider how much space you’d need for a barbecue, a table and a few chairs, and use that as your starting point. Measure your garden space and write down measurements to help you compare the costs of different types of paving. Remember too that patios don’t have to be square or rectangular; curves can be harder to achieve buy can give a modern finish to any patio area.
Laying patterns on your patio
Take a look at any paving manufacturer website and you’ll see that in addition to a lot of different types of slabs and stones, there are many different ways to arrange them too. Paving manufacturers classify laying patterns into four main groups:
- Random course
- Stretcher Bond
- Repeatable random
- Other
If you want to go for something with regular patterns and straight lines, a stretcher bond pattern or a pattern radiating from a central circle can be a good choice. Any pattern with “random” in the title is going to have a look which is more natural in appearance. Many large paving manufacturers will sell project packs will enough pre-cut stones to cover a set area, and a pattern showing you how to lay them out.
Installing your patio
Laying a patio is not a tricky job, but you will need to be prepared with sand and the other tools which you need for the job. There are lots of tutorials online to help guide you through the task, and many DIY stores and builder’s merchants will produce a range of leaflets explaining the task and giving a shopping list of the items required.
