Patio layers and driveway block paving
Bristol, Weston super mare and Somerset
By
flowerpotman landscape gardeners
Basic Diy patio laying tips below
For a free patio or driveway quote
Contact Mike
We supply and lay almost any type of garden and driveway paving from Sandstone flagstones and concrete slabs for patios, to Block pavers and cobbles for driveways.
Paving, Patio laying and general landscaping quotes are free in North Somerset, Somerset, Devon, Bristol, Weston super mare.
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| Small unused garden in Weston super mare |
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| looking bigger with the block paving edging in |
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| now block paved and big enough for two cars |
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Block paving for driveways and car parking areas (pictures above)
The small, muddy and unused area in the pictures below was dug out, filled with hardcore, compacted and block paved to create a Block paving parking area in North Somerset. click the pics to enlarge.
The most popular and cost effective way to pave a driveway is to use block pavers, Gravel kicks up, moulded concrete driveways look plasticky and like concrete are not permeable, and sticky tarmac cracks up, but pavers look good and last forever. Block paving or pavers are small rectangular bricks made of concrete that are placed on to a level sand bed in a set pattern to form the surface. 100mm of sound well compacted granular sub-base/hard core and 35/50mm grit sand is used for bedding the block paving. Concrete block paving used for driveways is 50-60mm thick. Make sure to use fine silica sand to fill in the gaps.
North Somerset, Somerset, Devon, Bristol, Weston super mare
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Indian sandstone
Sandstone is a natural stone mostly imported from India and comes in a variety of colours, sizes and textures. The lighter colours are very effective in brightening up small shady gardens and courtyards and both the darker and light flagstones make great paved patios in larger landscaping projects.
Because its a natural stone the colours and rivens vary, catalogues don't show this, so before I order its well worth a visit to a local builders merchant to see the colours for yourself.
Concrete paving slabs
Concrete slabs can be an attractive and practical choice for garden pathways and patios available in a wide range of colours, prices, surface finishes, from rivened, flat and non slip surfaces.
Utility slabs will cost about £15 per sq m with higher quality concrete slabs costing up to £60 per sq m
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| Indian Sandstone Paving great for paving patios |
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Want to lay your own patio? or supply the slabs and landscaping materials.
We can prepare the ground for you or if you prefer to buy the slabs and materials we can quote for labour only. Most patio slab suppliers deliver nationwide, click and compare them for price.
DIY slab laying tips
This is a basic guide to laying a patio, always read the suppliers patio laying guide. Indian Sandstone and other natural flagstones can be laid on a bed of Sharp sand but concrete slabs should always be laid on a bed of mortar because of the problem of concrete slabs cracking.
Preparing the Base
Mark out the area to be paved and in firm, welldrained soil dig deep enough to allow a hardcore base of about100mm plus the depth of the paving slab and 50mm mortar. You will need to dig deeper if the ground is soft or soggy.
Shovel in the hardcore rake it level and then compact it down, making sure the surface is low enough to allow for the mortar and slabs. If you are laying the patio near to a building dont forget to slope the patio away.
Laying the slabs.
Shovel an even layer of mortar onto the hardcore base and lay the firts slab on the mortar, tap the slab into position. Fill any gaps around the slab with mortar. Use a Spirit level to check the slab is level.
Lay the first row of slabs from the first slab using 10mm spacers to make sure all the joints are the same. If you are close butting Natural stone forget the spacers.
When the first row is complete, lay slabs along the two adjacent outer edges. Fill in the central area, working back row by row. Keep checking that the fall is correct and that the slabs are level in both directions.
Pointing the slabs
Only do this on a dry day when the slabs are completely dry.
Use a dry mix of three parts sharp sand to one part cement, brush it into the joints and push it down firmly with a trowel or a pointing tool. You may have to repeat this several times. Brush away any excess mortar mix and lightly spray the newly paved area to set the mortar.
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How much will a landscape gardener charge to lay a patio
The price landscape gardeners charge will take into account the cost of materials. Choosing concrete slabs can sometimes work out more expensive than using natural stone flagstones like Indian sandstone, so check prices with your local builders merchant before making the final choice. Garden clearance, levelling slopes, surface preparation, building retaining walls, groundwork and access to your garden all effect the price. A rough guide for paving your garden including the slabs or flagstones would be about £90 to £120 per sq m.
Do I need planning permission to build a patio, driveway or decking do I need planning
Laying patios and block paving in North Somerset, Somerset, Devon, Bristol, Weston super mare
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laying patios, block paving driveways and general landscaping in
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