Today, there’s a huge range of materials to choose from for a new patio, but the most popular is still paving. The type of paving you choose will depend on how big the space is, what function you need the paving for and what budget you have.

The size of the space often determines how large or small the individual units are. Small brick pavers or tegula setts can make a small space look larger compared to using huge pieces of stone. In contrast, seating areas can feel more comfortable if the ground surface is kept simple by using bigger individual pieces.

If your budget is priority number one, concrete reproduction paving is probably the most effective choice. Say concrete to most people and they instantly think of a grey, boring surface but modern paving made from concrete can imitate real stone very effectively. There’s a huge range of colours and textures to choose from.

A different choice of paving which is absolutely natural is sandstone. This material is becoming very popular and has the advantage that no two paving pieces are alike since they originate from a quarry, not a factory. Both concrete paving and sandstone are available in different sizes so think about creating a random layout using three different sizes to achieve a more interesting finish.

You can use a brick edging to define the outline of the patio and if you’re thinking about lighting or cables at a later date, place some conduit pipe under the paving before its finished, so you can run cables under the patio later on. Think about where rain water will run off to and lastly, don’t forget – patios don’t have to be square so have fun with the layout!

BACK to the advice point, please