Mrs CD as decreed that we need a new patio as the current one isn’t flat due to the previous owners not levelling the ground before it was laid. I’m not inspired by any of the brochures I have seen, mainly as I can’t place the lifestyle shots of paving beside a Grand Design style house or a grade 2 listed building next to our 20 year old house.

We quite like these Porphyry slabs but they are eye wateringly expensive.

Needing some inspiration from STW so so me yours…

BTW there is no need to disclose what you have buried underneath them 😉

I laid 2000 concrete paviers one Easter 10 years ago. They get dirty very quickly end need endless jet washing…..

[url=https://flic.kr/p/fxdzXh]Lavender Hedge[/url] by brf, on Flickr

Mrs CD wants a block patio like that, I’m more of a fan of large slabs. Did you put down a MoT sub base or just onto sand?

I did the same as footflaps a few years ago. The jointing sand had a tendency to cultivate mosses etc. So last year and pressure washed the sand out, refilled with new kilns dried and then applied a coating of polyurethane liquid to the surface. Absolutely amazing stuff. No more verdigris or moss, weeds can grow through it. Water pools and runs off better, even spills when working on the landrover are easier to clean up.

Did you put down a MoT sub base or just onto sand?

So as not to disappoint my fellow STWers and maintain my reputation….

There are something like 23 tonnes of sand / cement screed and hardcore under that patio (all shovelled by hand by me). You could park a tank on it and it wouldn’t budge one millimetre! About 12″ deep foundations….

I did the same as footflaps a few years ago. The jointing sand had a tendency to cultivate mosses etc.

Yep!

So last year and pressure washed the sand out, refilled with new kilns dried and then applied a coating of polyurethane liquid to the surface. Absolutely amazing stuff.

Make / model please?

Make / model please?

+1 & was it in the instructions to wash out the old stuff? (lazy arse attitude I know)

I was thinking of injecting mortar in the gaps to replace the sand, but that is a very tedious job for 2000 paviers…..

I did ours with with teakwood sandstone slabs. Very smooth with good edges to get a nice finish.


They still look great a few years on but the pergola helps protect them from the rain etc. A quick jetwash in spring gets them looking lovely again.

edit: think we got it from this place, £24/m2

I assumed there was some reason not to, as our base was a sand/cement mix, but kiln sand between the bricks.. I should have asked I supposed

Nice stevied, I like the smooth surface and small gaps

I used blue limestone. Same price as ‘premium’ textured concrete slabs from a DIY shed. Went for mixed sizes and laid in a ‘broken bond’ pattern. Sealed the joints with one of those new fangled polyurethane setting sand stuff that you just brush into the joints.

Needs the odd jetwash every few months, and you have to lay the bedding mix damp and separately for each slab as the thickness differs.

+1 & was it in the instructions to wash out the old stuff? (lazy arse attitude I know)

Application to “clean dry surface”. So yes, try and clean it out first.

It took me 2 days to clean 75 sqm with the pressure washer. 🙁

Application was easy using a cheap knapsack sprayer like:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181632110130

will probably need throwing away after though.

I went direct to these guys and got 40 litres for two coats. I have a few litres left over.

before

after

here’s their ebay ad though
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Driveway-sealer-patio-sealer-card-payments-01530-452973-VAT-INCLUDED-/251604486070?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a94cbc7b6

Picture fail earlier – blue limestone:

This is not the best photo (advert for the trailer tbf), but something a little different, needs a wash (spring job) and as above I’m intrested in that stuff stoner has used to save me having to weed it once a year.

The gravel hides the drains and stuff perfectly and it doesn’t matter on the shape of the ground for the patio as you just edge off.

Mines laid on ~6″ of aggragate/cement mix, so not quite upto footflaps specs.

Saccades, I get a headache looking at that pattern!

From this:

To this:

Indian sandstone from B&Q a few years ago. Monkeys who laid it didn’t put a good enough layer of hardocre under it though so a couple of them rock a bit now 🙁

Blasted it with a jetwash last summer and brought it all up as good as new.

Stoner – Member

before

after

That stuff’s amazing, turned a wooden bench into a motorbike! 😯

^ 😆

And ir-bandito’s turned a conifer covered wall and shed into a big house..

There’s a lot of wives gone awol on this forum over the years…..

footflaps – Member
Saccades, I get a headache looking at that pattern!

😉 It’s not so obvious in real life and works well when everything is tidy.

Bump, ‘cos I’m sick of googling.

I’m especially interested in seeing those with an edging 🙂

I did this one back in 2006 (during the kin hot weather) Indian sandstone with 100mm cube edging

Nice MrOS, did you haunch the edging or just bob in a bit of concrete?

I laid a patio, first time, but it is not level. My neighbour peered over and called it ‘rustic’. I took it as a compliment.
I went to a reclamation yard and got my paving, got a very good deal on what in Wickes was very expensive!

^ That really is a shit patio.

bearnecessities – Member

Nice MrOS, did you haunch the edging or just bob in a bit of concrete?

Don’t worry I followed the Culcheth pavers instructions, proper haunch to the edge 😉

I did trim it on an undercut so it wouldn’t show once finished.