Porcelain, sandstone or something else?
Porcelain paving is dense, low maintenance and resists stains, but it's harder to cut and needs a bonding primer or slurry on the back so it sticks to the mortar bed. Natural sandstone gives softer colours and texture, though it is more porous, so it weathers and can pick up algae. Limestone, slate, granite and concrete flags each have their own look and upkeep. Ask to see samples outside in daylight and wet, and ask how each landscaper would lay and joint the material you've chosen.
What goes underneath a patio
Most patio problems start with the base. A typical patio is dug out, laid on a compacted sub-base of crushed stone and then bedded on mortar, with a gentle fall so rainwater runs away from the house and into a border, gully or drain. Next to the house, the finished surface is usually kept well below the damp-proof course, commonly by around 150 mm, so rain can't splash above it. Ask each landscaper about the depth of sub-base, the direction of fall and where the water will go.
Paving a front garden
In England, paving more than 5 square metres of a front garden needs planning permission unless the surface is permeable or the rainwater runs to a lawn or border within the property. Permeable block paving, gravel and porous surfaces are the usual answers. Separately, dropping a kerb to drive across the pavement needs your council's highways permission. If you're thinking of a resin-bound driveway, our sister site Kent Resin Services covers that. For patios and paths in the back garden, planning permission isn't usually needed, unless the house is listed.
Jobs we can find a landscaper for
- Porcelain patios and paths
- Indian and other sandstone paving
- Limestone, slate and granite
- Block paving and permeable paving
- Steps, edging and patio drainage
Get a quote for patios and paving
Available across Kent
Other services
Garden design and full landscaping · Decking · Fencing and gates · Turfing, lawns and artificial grass · Planting, pergolas and raised beds