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Laying a Patio

By: Stephen Drommonsy

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Wooden decking - so Noughties. In the Teenies, the genuine players are getting patios. A well installed patio using good quality stone or slate will add millions to the resale worth of your residence. Well, possibly a bit of an overstatement, but a crisp patio makes a garden and produces a multi-purpose space for potted plants, garden furnishings, BBQs and loungers.

Now, the best way to get the patio laid is to pay someone else to do it for you. Of course. However, if you are still fit and active, have a degree of common sense and the time, nothing beats the achievement of building your own. Brilliant in the self-satisfaction stakes when your friends come over for drinks in the evening.

Slate, Sandstone, York stone and even shaped concrete, the choice of paving stone is now limitless. But cough up a bit of cash for it. As in life, you get what you pay for. I think a dark slate looks exceptionally nice in most backyards but you must do what you believe is right, it goes without saying.

Whatever stone you use, the method is the same.

The key to the success of this venture and any other landscaping undertaking is preparation. Take your time and don't rush. Groundwork is where you need to put in the majority of your energy. It is where the specialists spend the time to get that brilliant finish. Start with the ground you're putting the patio on to. Get it completely even.

MATERIALS YOU'LL NEED

Hardcore (Sometimes called MOT type 1)
Building sand
Cement
Paving slabs (sandstone, York stone slate etc)
TOOLS YOU'LL NEED

A Shovel, a rake, a wheelbarrow, wooden level pegs or stakes, a hammer, a spirit level, a long plank of wood, a vibrating plate (rent one), a cement mixer (rent one), a rubber mallet, a pointing trowel.

1. So, first of all, clear the ground. Remove any turf, weeds, plants or old paving to a depth of around 15cm (6in). This will allow your patio to sit flush with the lawn. Now get your vibrating plate and give the area a once over. It will make it nice and flat.

2. Now you need to create a solid surface for the slabs to sit on. Get a wheel barrow and cover the area with in a 5 to 8cm (2 to 3in) layer of hardcore. Use a rake to spread it evenly.

3. Get your vibrating plate out again and run it over the hardcore to compact and level it.

4. Right, if your patio is near to the home, you need to make a slight gradient (away from the home) to allow rain to drain away. So, get 10 or 20 wooden stakes (depending on the size of your patio) and spacing them evenly, hammer them into the earth so they are all level. Now you'll need your spirit level and a long plank of wood. Ensure that the stakes are all level to start with by placing the plank across the stakes as they face away from the abode and placing the spirit level across it. Now bang the stakes furthest away from the abode further into the earth. You're looking to produce a steady incline here for the rainfall. Measure the gradient by placing the spirit level on the plank. Expend time getting this precise. It's important for the finish.

5. Now, work out the design you want for the patio. If you want a random design, start playing with some slabs to work out which shapes work and interlock well together. If you want a regular pattern, make some measurements to ensure you have got enough slabs and you can stay away from having to cut the stone.

6. Make life painless for yourself and hire an electric cement mixer. Now, make a mortar mix of five parts building sand to one part cement. don't mix too much to start with - it will set if you leave it for too long. Mix mortar as and when you need it. Spread a layer of mortar about 5 to 8cm (2 to 3in) deep, and place your slab onto it, tapping it down firmly with a rubber mallet.

7. Remember to leave a 1cm (½in) gap between each slab. you will fill this with mortar later. Keep using the plank of wood and spirit level to ensure the slabs are level with the stakes you knocked into the ground earlier and that you've still got your gradient.

8. Wash down the slabs you have laid and make certain that you eradicate any splattered cement. Otherwise it will harden onto your slabs.

9. Finally, fill the gaps between the paving slabs by means of a pointing trowel and the same mortar mix as you used before. Spend time to get a nice finish.

You are done - well done. You have done a good job at this point. Time to call your acquaintances and get them round for that drink. Of course, your real friends are already in attendance - helping you with the patio.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

I have been a professional gardener for a long time now and I cannot remember the amount of times that I have been asked to help sort out someones mess when they have tried to lay thier patio themselves. So I have put together this article in the hope that I will not have to clear up someone elses attempt at laying a patio .

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