PATIO PROGRESS

It’s amazing how much can be done in a day if the weather is with you and you’re prepared to work hard.  

Look there's a rainbow

Every day I’ve come home from work to find a few more slabs have gone down and what was once a bit of scruffy crazy paving is now a beautiful rectangular raised patio.

 

Patio slabs being laid

Slowly the new patio is taking shape

The Bradstone Autumn Green slabs blend in well with the brick wall, the different sizes and colours making the space look less blocky than perhaps single, shiny porcelain slabs of the same colour might have done.  I like the rough surface texture as I’m not a big fan of anything that looks too clinical.  I can’t help feeling that shiny tiles might be also be quite slippery when wet, an important consideration for us over 60’s as now is not the time to be breaking a hip or anything else with the NHS in such disarray.

 

Different shapes and colours

As the patio is aligned to the edge of the new extension, it has given us a lot more space.  There will be ample room for the garden table, chairs plus a selection of patio planters – the perfect place for a spot of alfresco dining or afternoon tea.

 

Before

After

The 900 mm long slabs are a good fit for the lower path.  Plenty of width for fat bottomed girls like me, baby pushchairs or wheelbarrows.

 

Nice wide path 

The slabs have been laid on a whacked down layer of what the landscapers called ‘grade 1’ but which looks like rough, stony material.  A generous coat of cement is laid on top of this rough sub base with the slabs knocked down into place.  I thought they’d be laid willy-nilly but the landscapers actually have a template which shows them where to lay the different sized slabs.  Amazing!

 

Which bit fits here?

Once everything has hardened over the weekend, the slabs will be grouted with a paving joint compound in a basalt colour and given a good hosing down. 

All weather paving joint compound

Next week, work will begin on the wood screening panel that will sit on top of the low brick wall so that we no longer have to contend with the neighbours ugly hedge.

Before

After

 

Before

After