New Patio in Wavendon

Wavendon mixes older village properties with recent developments, and the gardens differ just as much. Newer plots are often left with a slope, a thin layer of topsoil over compacted builder's fill and a small developer patio by the back door. Older gardens can have mature boundaries, varied levels and established hedges.

On a sloping new-build plot, a raised patio is often the most useful option. We build a low retaining edge, usually in block faced with brick or stone, fill and compact behind it, and lay the paving on a full mortar bed at a height close to the back door. That turns an awkward slope into a level terrace with a step or two down to the rest of the garden.

The ground beneath newer homes needs checking carefully. Fill left by building work can settle unevenly, so we dig until we reach firm material and build the sub-base up in compacted layers. Cutting corners here is what causes patios on new estates to dip after a year or two.

We always set the surface below the damp proof course and fall it away from the building. On a raised patio we also plan where the water goes at the edge, often through weep holes or a gravel strip at the base of the retaining wall, so it does not collect behind it.

Access on new estates is usually through a side gate, which helps. Older village plots may have narrower entries. Most raised patios take longer than a ground level one because of the walling, typically a week or more depending on size and height.

Replacing the small developer patio is a common request. Those slabs are often laid thinly on sand, and reusing them as a path or standing area elsewhere in the garden is sometimes possible if they are sound, which keeps waste down and saves buying new stone for a secondary area.