Planning

We recommend that patios are dry laid prior to being permanently fixed.  This applies especially to patio kits.  This will help to ensure your patio will fit in the desired location and may help avoid the need for cutting around fixed obstacles.

Sub-base

All paving should be laid on a firm and level base.  Soft soil should beremoved and ideally, a sub-base of at least 75mm of crushed stone should be laid.  It is important that the sub-base is then well compacted ideally with a roller or tamper.  A fall of at lease 1:100 (1 centimetre in every metre) away from any adjoining building is required to allow surface water to drain.  If paving is being laid next to the house, the top surface of the paving should lay at least 150m below the damp-proof course.

Laying course mix

Once the sub-base has been prepared, we recommend that the paving is laid on a complete flat mortar bed.  Mix 1 part cement to 6 parts sharp sand and a small amount of water.  The mortar can be mixed in a small concrete mixer, a wheel barrow or on a large flat mixing board.  Enough water should be added to allow the sand and cement to be thoroughly mixed and 'workable'.  Care should be taken not to add too much water as this will weaken the mix and make it difficult to level the paving.

Laying the paving

We recommend a laying course thickness of 25-40mm.  Enough mortar should be placed to lay one slab at a time.  For circles, octagons or feature kits, slabs should be laid from the centre outwards.  For random patios work from one corner diagonally across to the opposite corner.  Pegging in a string line around the edge of the area first, will help to ensure that the edges of the patio remain straight.  Each slab should be tamped down on the middle with a wooden or rubber mallet.  A spirit level should be used after each one is laid, to ensure that it's level and ensure the joints are evenly spaced.  Care should be taken to immediately clean away ant mortar on the face of the paving to prevent staining.  Once laid, the paving should not bear any weight for at least 24 hours.  In frosty or wet weather, cover the newly laid paving until the mortar has set.

Cutting

Cutting should be carried out after the whole area has been laid, using a disc cutter.  Slabs should be marked out prior to cutting.  Care should be taken to follow disc cutter manufacturer's instructions.

Pointing

Pointing should be carried out in dry conditions using a dry grout mix of 1 part cement to 4 parts soft building sand.  The grout should be trowelled or brushed into the joints.  The grout should then be pressed and smoothed into the gaps using a pointing tool or rounded piece of wood.  Excess mix should be swept away and re-used.  Car should be taken not to stain the slabs.  Alternatively, a proprietary resin-based grouting mix can be swept into the joints.  In this case, care should be taken to follow manufacturer's instructions.