You will be looking for best garden decor ideas if you are considering patio paving. The range of patio slabs on the market may confuse you so it is a good idea to thoroughly research to establish if you can afford natural stone, or need a cheaper alternative with a similar look or feel. Prices do vary but it is a good idea to set your budget and work within the budgetary constraints you have or you could get carried away.

Paving you can choose from:

• Flexible Paving

• Gravel

• • • Shingle
    • Crushed Stone
    • Path Gravel
    • Tarmacadam
    • Asphalt

• Natural Stone

• • • Setts
    • Pebbles

• Reconstituted Stone

• Brick Paving

• Timber Paving

Garden Patio Paving

Firstly when paving a patio area you need to have a plan of the area. If it is a simple square it may just be about simply getting the measurements correct and deciding which size of patio paving slabs will best suit your needs. However today garden design is popular and the chances are you will want to incorporate some intricate ideas or create circular patios or patterns into your design. Do a few sketches of what you hope to achieve and then investigate the best ways of achieving your dream design.

Design Ideas

Have you thought about edging your patio with bricks, or do you hope to incorporate perfect circles within the design using blocks? Do you want lawn areas edged in stone or are you incorporating a decking area into your garden? You may aspire to have graceful curves connecting different aspects of the garden?  If so you will have to think quite strategically about your design and it may be worth getting a garden designer to help you. It is important that every measurement is correct and when you are using patio paving stones to create shapes or curves you may have to cut your materials to size. To reduce both cost and waste you may decide to alter your plans to incorporate the off cuts into another aspect of your designs.

Do it yourself

If you are doing it yourself it may be sensible to be realistic and not go for too complex a project. Do it yourself patio paving is probably best started on a small scale to see how you get on. If you intend to do your patio on an incremental basis this is a good way of establishing just how much work is involved in the preparation of the ground prior to actually starting to lay your patio paving slabs. Many people are unrealistic about the amount of preparation needed so do make sure you do your homework and have realistic expectations of the job in hand.

Simple Ideas

If you want a fairly quick and easy solution the simplest ideas may be to examine patio paving kits. Many suppliers are aware of the complexities involved in garden planning and have taken a lot of the work of the planning stage away by introducing a selection of patio paving stone ideas to fit a pre determined standard space 2400mm by 2400mm for example, that will accommodate most patio areas. Stone circle kits are also available and you will really appreciate the benefits of these solutions when planning your patio.

Photo by penywise **Cortesy of sxc.hu

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Laying patio slabs is probably one of the most important aspects in order to give your patio “the real patio look”. Patio paving slabs come in all sorts of shapes, colors and sizes; it is up to you to decide which slabs are the most appropriate; designs and style that would add to your outdoor area the touch you are looking for thus enhancing your garden decor. Also, it will probably be the most expensive element when you are building/planning your patio – or if you are remodeling.

It is very important to choose garden patio slabs that blend with the surroundings. This applies not only to the texture but to the color too. It will pay in the long run to use the best quality paving material you can afford – it is better to lay patio slabs in a small area well than a large area badly. But first make sure the site is properly prepared or you may have to deal with loose or uneven slabs later.

When planning the size of the patio, always make it a little larger than you think you will need. Ideally, aim to allow at least 3sa ft per person for the first three people and 2sq m for each additional person. For a family of four, this means a patio area of approximately 3x3m. If you are planning to have patio furniture other than seats or tables, then you will have to allocate more space. If our requirements change over the years, it should be possible to extend an existing patio and just keep adding your patio slabs as you go. The difficulties here are matching the surface levels of the original and new patio paving slabs and the color difference between the older, weathered material and the new. So, be generous to start.

If your patio butts up against an existing building, take care that the top surface of your slabs is at least 5cm below the damp-proof course. On the majority of sites this will mean excavating the existing level. You can calculate the degree of excavation necessary by adding together the depth of hardcore and bedding material and the thickness of the particular patio slabs you are intending to use, not forgetting the 5cm free space below the building’s damp-proof course.

Excavating and leveling work will depend on the condition of the original site – it may be necessary to bring in contractors or you may be able to do it yourself. Before planning anything too ambitious in cramped town conditions, consider how you are going to dispose of any soil – this is very important!!

One of the most popular patio slabs are, of course, real stone (especially York stone). It is very expensive paving material, but it has the advantages of wearing well and looking as though it has been in place for years, immediately after it has been laid. Second-hand stone paving slabs can sometimes be found but these, too, tend to be expensive and, very often imperfect. You can also use bricks to create an attractive paving slab around your chosen area. It will be a cheaper option to the York stone.

Concrete is the cheapest paving material for your patio and it can be colored using special coloring powders, or, for a textured look, watered and lightly brushed after laying so that the aggregate is exposed (then the surface tends to be less slippery under-foot). If you use concrete to create your own patio slabs, you must mark it out into squares while still wet so you can simulate the paving stones, but it will look more and more like concrete as it weathers.

Make sure you check for instructions on the internet before venturing into laying down the patio slabs yourself.

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