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REPAVE YOUR PA T I O

Put aside a weekend and give your garden a STYLISH REVAMP for spring

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Tsit and relax, dine and entertain is the heart of your garden and, if it’s past its best, now is the perfect time to repave it. Sound rather daunting? Don’t be put off as, with a little preparation and the help of a friend or partner, it’s a job you can do yourself in a weekend. Do it this month and your patio will have a fresh new look for the warmer months that are just around the corner.

Start planning your lovely new patio!

First of all, calculate the area of your existing patio in square metres by measuring the width and length and multiplying the two numbers. So if your patio measures 3m long x 3m wide, then the total area is 9m2. You can then choose your paving slabs and work out how many you’ll need. If you go for the same size slab all over the patio, then simply divide the area of your patio by the area covered by one pack of paving slabs, to see how many packs you need. Bear in mind that you may need to cut some slabs (see how on page 105) to get a straight edge for your patio area.

If you’d rather not cut slabs then look out for a paving range that comes with half-slab and other size options that will minimise the need to do this. Or simply create some planting pockets around the edge instead (see page 20). It’s best to choose pavers that are the same thickness or thinner than the existing tiles, so your new patio isn’t higher than the old one.

DO A PRACTICE RUN

Once you’ve bought your slabs, it’s best to dry lay your new patio. This simply means laying out the slabs as you want the finished p look – do this on the existing patio and the size, layout and, most importantly, t you have enough paving slabs.

Allow for the pointing gap (the space between the slabs that will be filled with grout). There’s no set size for this pointing gap, it’s a personal choice and what you think will look best with the type of paving you’ve chosen and some types of paving can even be laid without any gap to create a formal appearance – ask your retailer for advice regarding what’s best with the tiles you’ve chosen. Once you’re happy with the look, take a photo or draw a sketch the r

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Prepare the new base

If you need to make any repairs to the sub-base, it’s easy to do. In the trade, this ready-made mix of broken-up stones is known as MOT Type 1 Sub Base. If you need a lot then it’s cheaper to order bulk bags (£60.41/800kg, travisperkins. co.uk), as long as you have a roadside area they can be delivered to. If not then buy smaller bags that you can move more easily (£4.52/25kg travisperkins.co.uk).

Fill in any holes with the sub-base, raking it out so it’s level, and compact it using a wacker/plate compactor.

Wacker/plate compactor, hire from £31.50/day jewson.co.uk

Verve Landscaping Rake, £31 diy.com

MOT Type 1 Sub Base, £4.52/25kg travisperkins.co.uk Using a wacker is easier than it looks!

Check where the damp-proof course is

If your patio is next to the house, it’s vital to check that the surface of the finished paving will still be below the damp-proof course of the exterior wall. To find your damp-proof course, look at the wall around 15cm or so above ground level; somewhere around here you should see a thin black line of either slate or plastic running horizontally. If your house is old, you may not see one – this isn’t necessarily a problem, just ensure the new patio isn’t higher than the existing one.

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HOW TO DISPOSE OF OLD SLABS

If you can, find the old slabs a new home by selling or gifting. Facebook Marketplace and Freecycle should quickly find a taker, just make sure you specify that they are to be collected. Alternatively, you could recycle the slabs yourself, using them to create or repair a path, stacked up to make a barbecue station, or as the base for a new shed. Or break them up and put into rubble bags and take to your local tip, or hire a skip, which can range from £60 to £400.

The correct gradient makes washing your patio a much easier job.

Check the slope

All paving needs a very gradual slope so that rainwater drains away. If the patio is next to a building, this slope needs to fall away from the wall. We are presuming that your existing patio has this slope, and so do the foundations, but if you had issues with water puddling on your old patio, read on!

If you’re swapping textured slabs for smooth pavers, you may also need to increase the slope. Textured slabs only need a fall of 12.5mm per metre but smooth slabs require 16mm/m as they will get slippier when wet, so you want better drainage. So if you’re replacing textured slabs with smooth, it’s best to adjust the foundations to reflect this greater gradient if needed.

You’ll need to dig out some of the sub-base on the lower side of the patio, then mark out the gradient on the ground. The easiest way to get the levels right is to use a spirit level and woode pegs, and you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions how to do this on B&Q’s website – search ‘how to lay a patio’ at diy.com. Get it right from the get-go

Square Wooden Fencing

Vitrex Non Marking Rubber Mallet, £5.99 diy.com

Forge Steel Magnetic Spirit Level, L1800mm, £19.99 screwfix.com