Laying paving slabs, “it can’t be that hard, can it?” are the words of somebody that has never attempted the process themselves. If you have started the process in that same mind frame, then you are likely looking for help, hints and possibly some ideas with regard how to lay paving slabs in your garden without your work looking like a complete eye sore.
If you’re here for that reason, then you have come to the right place. Unless you are a professional paving slab layer, the skill of laying paving slabs anywhere is actually really hard, it takes a lot of skill and experience to get the job done properly. Fortunately for anyone wanting to improve their slab laying skills, some of the best experts have shared some of their experience which is summarised as follows.
The Key Is In The Planning
Like most things that require any form of skill, when you look to buy garden paving slabs in Colchester or in any other city around the world, you must plan before you begin your project or, even consider buying any materials and tools. Your first job should be to consider drainage and the depth of your paving or patio. The drainage can also be referred to as the ‘fall’, it should run away from your property to ensure that water does not accumulate and cause you any flooding or water ingress damage to your property.
A fall of around 1:60 (16mm per metre) is usually accepted as a good standard to ensure that fall does the job that it will be intended for. The depth of your paving project should be around 150mm deep in order to provide enough space for your sub base and damp proof course. Each paving job will likely be completely unique; there is no one size fits all in terms of visuals and or shape or layout, those choices really are down to you. As long as you get the basics sorted first, everything else should fall into place.
What Slabs Will You Use?
This part really is personal choice, but you will need to make a decision on what type of slabs you are going to use, concrete, natural stone, porcelain or block paving are a few of your options to chew over. Your best bet would be to make a call to one of your local specialists to talk through the benefits of each type of material and what will be best for you. They will also be able to give additional advice. If you need things like more substantial drainage, drainage suppliers in Colchester as well as in any other location where you are residing should be able to help you.
Once you’ve made your choice, you should double check your measurements and place your order. Hopefully, you won’t have to cut any of the slabs as that is a skill in itself. If your design does mean that you will need to do some cutting, then you should speak with your slab provider to get an idea of what products they offer and, what tool will be best for the job.
Your slab provider will be able to advise you whether or not you will need to use any kind of sand or cement to sit in between your slabs. Some products don’t require any kind of joining materials which could save you money in the long run.
