Paving

This post was written around 2009 and goes into technical detail on paving

Bradstone Aumtumn Bronze

It's difficult trying to compress everything I know onto a a couple of posts, so if there are any questions get in touch, that's what this blog is for. Ultimately I have found that with a reasonable amount of prep work you can avoid major issues and with a lot more prep work you can come away with a fantastic job.

These are composite slabs by Bradstone in autumn bronze. They look much better than the pics, as far as I am concerned most composites do look very good but when considering natural stone there really is only one that stands out. York stone. It looks fantastic and the reclaimed flags have a beautiful weathered look about them. York stone is incredibly hard wearing. I could put some pictures up but pictures generally don't do them justice. I could go on and on about york stone but if you have an appreciation for stone flags you know how gorgeous york stone is, there is just something about them, you really need to be in close physical proximity to get the real beauty of york stone.

Reclaimed York Stone

But these are composites and they look good, nowhere near as good as york stone but it should be noted that a beautiful finish isn't just in expensive flags, the beauty is also in a perfect finish. Remember to use a good sealer and when you need to reseal the flags don't forget to clear all the old finish off the face off the flags otherwise they new seal will not look even.

Considering the overall finish this is a great job, it looks great and will last years but when working with riven flags always be careful to make sure that any flags that are exceptionally riven don't end up in weak points, such as by the front door! ( Pvcu doors and windows don't look great)

Puddle

This area ended up being covered by the portico so this problem resolved itself but it is very important to make sure that slabs which are exceptionally riven don't end up being placed in key areas.

As far as sourcing slabs, its wise not to turn your nose up at manufactured stone, there are companies who are very established at making good composites, they can be used anywhere, if the sub base has been prepared specifically then you could quite easily drive a tank over these things, well maybe not a tank but most certainly heavy vehicles. Its all in the sub base and i will do a post on that later.

The slabs will be found at most builders merchants. The likes of Selco carry these but no natural stone and Travis Perkins do a good range of natural stone. Specialist places such as Rock Unique down in Kent are very good but unless your after something very niche your first stop should be Travis Perkins for natural stone. The composites will all come in a standard thickness and natural stone wont, generally the rule of thumb with natural stone is to put the face with the greatest width sunny side up (that's the way its supposed to be) Sandstone from India can sometimes be refereed to as Indian York Stone but i don't think it looks similar.

Another reason to use composites is that they come will all manner of features, for example the circle squaring kit. This can be a great feature when combined with good quality fencing and some stone bricks for a wall. Its always a good idea to keep your eye out when on site for natural materials that can be reused rather stuck in the skip to fill a landfill somewhere. It is very difficult to cut a natural stone slab, well its not difficult to cut it but it is very difficult to get a smooth natural edge.

You will need gloves to handle these slabs and be careful how they are stacked on site, these should never be stacked in a way that a slight knock can bring down 7 or 8 slabs propped up against 1, its not big or clever! Site safety should always be paramount and not just for people working and possibly living on the site but also for break ins.

So, if you are thinking of having a paved area then you will most likely follow this plan of action;

1. Investigate: Look at different designs, theres lots of info on the net and in manufactures literature.
2. Place order
3. Prepare sub base, I will do a post on this but its a vast topic. Generally its only wise to get the flags in as close as possible to the time they need to be aid - no pint cluttering up a site.
4. Wheelbarrow slabs from site entry to where the flags will be placed, you will need gloves and a good wheelbarrow. Store flags appropriately.

In summary,
Its absolutely unacceptable for there to be any puddles on paving. Riven slabs may cause very slight puddling but not for longer than about 20 minutes after the rainfall has ceased.

Same puddle, different angle :-)