Patio materials

[Lefty Guns]

I've recently converted a 160-year-old granite steading into a house and what was a 3 acre paddock is now going to be my back garden. I want to build a patio with a low wall or fence around it (so that my 2-year-old son can play outisde without wandering off).

Now ideally, I would build this patio from granite but ti's going to be about 25m long by 6 wide with a few steps in it so it'll cost a fecking fortune in granite. The wife has suggested decking but I'm not terribly keen, firstly because I don't really like the look of it and secondly because I'm a lazy arse and don't fancy the maintenance.

Anyone got any suggestions? I hate the plain grey concrete slabs - they look ste.

I need inspiration, show me your patios!

[NDA]

Limestone?

If you do choose to go with stone, don't do the old 5 blobs of cement underneath each stone - bed properly in concrete.

I've tried both methods!

[barney123]

Depend on how much you are trying to avoid paying.

i have bought a lot of stuff from Marshalls on ebay - free delivery :

example : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Marshalls-Red-Black-Granite-...

[Lefty Guns]

This was it pre-conversion and is where the patio will go

The barn doors have been replaced with a big picture window, all the ste is gone and the wall's obviously been repointed. The stone's been cleaned up so it looks a bit cleaner but it's still dark granite.

[BiggusLaddus]

Block paving?

http://www.bradstone.com/garden/images/driveway%20...

Cobbles?

http://www.infolink.com.au/odin/images/206662/Gran...

[NDA]

It looks a lovely old barn....

Pics post conversion?

[Lefty Guns]

barney123 said:

Depend on how much you are trying to avoid paying.

i have bought a lot of stuff from Marshalls on ebay - free delivery :

example : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Marshalls-Red-Black-Granite-...

Hmmm, that's not bad. I've been quoted £6,000 for large granite slabs for the 150m2 I need! And that's not including the materials I'll need for the wall, steps etc

[mechsympathy]

How much per sq metre do you want to pay? We've got Indian sandstone which seemed like a good compromise of quality vs cost.

[Lefty Guns]

Around £20/m2 is my ballpark. I get trade discount at a few places local to me.

[Incorrigible]

I think granite cobbles would look great, about half the price/m of the slabs

[Tuscan Tart]

NDA said:

Limestone?

Black limestone.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BLACK-LIME-LIMESTONE-SANDSTO...

In the process of having the patio done in this, it WILL look lovely when it is all finished.

If I get home in time, I'll post a pic.

[215cu]

Well, you could go for the pattern imprinted concrete that looks like paving. Not nearly as bad as it sounds, very durable, hard wearing, almost zero maintenance and also very reasonably priced.

Have had friends use these guys, turned out very well indeed.

http://www.traditionalpaving.co.uk/uk-showsites.ph...

[Orb the Impaler]

TBH if you want to do it properly then you are going to have to stump up the cash and get the granite, although I agree with the idea on Indian stuff. That would look good. Decking is a pants idea, especially on a stone type house. It's more suited to modern suburbia with kids trampoline next to it in my experience.

I laid about 100 sq metres of millstone around our house last year and the worst bit was digging it all out and then transporting - by hand cos the house is up a big hill from the drive - 30 tonnes of crusher run, grit sand and cement by myself in a wheelbarrow. Then the stone flags, each one by hand, and the spoil I dug out being taken down. Heavy, heavy job.

The base was about 6-9" of whacked down crusher run amd then about 4" of cement/grits sand with the flags laid on. This was tricky as each one was a different thickness.

It was well worth the effort and even though it's not yet pointed it looks awesome. Lets hope we get a nice summer to enjoy it.

[Nicholas Blair]

Any bodies to bury under it first?

[Lefty Guns]

Found a guy who lives near me (well, 40 miles away) on ebay selling reclaimed granite cobbles for £1 each! I need about 5000 of them I think or about 40 tons.

[Orb the Impaler]

Lefty Guns said:

Found a guy who lives near me (well, 40 miles away) on ebay selling reclaimed granite cobbles for £1 each! I need about 5000 of them I think or about 40 tons.

Just remember that the prep for cobbles will be exactly the same as for flags but there is one crucial difference..... you're either going to be pointing them yourself or paying someone to do it. The "brush in" stuff is useless; if you want it to be strong and last through abuse and years of frosty winters you'll be having to squash it in properly with a pointing trowel. Cobbling is more expensive than flagging.

[EINSIGN]

I am the UK agent for this material:

http://www.govadeck.com/

http://www.govaerts-recycling.be/uk/English.html

[Hobo]

We've just done some patio's in this stuff:

Ferroka porcelain: http://www.thefiveelements.net/products/porcelain/...

I looks really nice as it has a bit of colour about it unlike the normal stuff. We are paying around £20/m2 from what I remember.

Various colours (we went for for the one named just 'Ferroker', although the others are nice as well).

Ferroker


Ferroker Alumino


Ferroker Caldera


Ferroker Laton