Making The Most of Your Garden: How To Lay a Patio
Paved areas within your garden can be versatile and interesting spaces for eating, sitting, relaxing and even growing vegetables in pots. You can create exciting and diverse patios and paved areas using many different types of slabs and it’s worth exploring alternative techniques to bring a unique style to your space.
Different spaces require careful consideration to make the most of them, and here at Macroom Tool Hire and Sales, we can help you to find the best solutions for your paved area.
Making Your Paving Work For You
1. Choose your area carefully. Think about your intended use of space carefully and decide where in your garden will be best suited to this purpose. A dining patio, for example, will be easier to use if it is closer to the kitchen, while a paved area around a tree, for instance, can create a stunning focal feature in a more distant position in the garden. Your chosen area should be flat, or it will need to be levelled manually before you lay paving.
2. Select your paved surface. Many different shaped and sized paving stones are available, ranging from very sharp, sleek, modern slabs to traditional textured stepping stones. Carpet paving mats are also available, so you can easily lay large amounts of smaller, cobbled tiles at one time using pre-linked lengths of paving.
3. Plan before you begin to pave. Measure your area and mark it out clearly, using string to check all lengths are correct. Lay your paving out to make sure it all fits together and that your pattern is exactly as you had planned. You can use squared paper to plan out your arrangement beforehand but if you are going for an effect such as herringbone paving or cobbles, you’ll want to see it for real before you begin!
4. Prepare the ground. Remove any turf, plants or existing paving and dig down to a depth of about 150mm to allow for foundations. You’ll need to put down a layer of hardcore, to a depth of 50-80mm across the whole area and use a rake to ensure it is even. The best way to create a solid base is to hire a wacker plate to compress the hardcore.
5. Lay your paving. Add a layer of bedding mortar over the compacted hardcore, and then you’re ready to begin laying your slabs. Check that your first slab is positioned accurately, and check alignment with a spirit level. Gently tap each slab into place with a club hammer, using a wooden block to protect the slab. Leave to dry for 24 hours before pointing the gaps, using cement or sand, and allow another 24 hours before using the patio.
DIY Tool Rental in Ireland
Talk to the experts at Macroom Tool Hire and Sales to hire everything you need to get your patio looking great. Our friendly, professional team will be happy to help advise you on how to get the job done efficiently. Just call in to Macroom, near Cork, browse online or call us on 026 42133.