New Patio in Walton

Gardens around Walton are often larger than those nearer the town centre, and many owners want a terrace that spans the back of the house. A bigger patio installation brings its own challenges: keeping a consistent fall over a wide area, handling large format slabs and planning where water goes.

We set out the patio with string lines and levels before any digging. Over a wide surface a small error in the fall becomes obvious, so we agree the finished height at the house, at each door and at the far edge before we start. The aim is a gentle slope away from the building that you barely notice when you walk on it.

Excavation and sub-base follow the ground. On clay we may dig deeper and use a membrane beneath the base to stop the stone mixing into the soil over time. The sub-base is compacted in layers, and every slab is set on a full mortar bed. With large porcelain slabs, which can be well over a metre long, a full bed and a primed back are the only way to avoid hollow spots.

Big patios need movement joints. Paving expands and contracts with temperature, and over a long run that movement has to go somewhere. We plan joints at sensible intervals and along the house wall so the surface does not crack or lift.

If your garden falls away, a raised patio with a dwarf wall can create a level terrace at door height and a step down to the lawn. For a level garden, a single surface at ground level is simplest. Most larger patios take a week or more depending on size, walls and steps.

Lighting and power are worth deciding early on a terrace this size. If you want low level lights in the paving or a socket at the far edge, the ducting can be laid under the sub-base by your electrician before the slabs go down, saving disruption later. The same applies to an outside tap near the far end of the terrace.