How to Choose a Patio Surface
A wide range of materials can be used on the surface of a patio or terrace. The site and size of your patio will influence your choice of surface material, but there are several other factors to consider, including cost, ease of laying, maintenance and appearance.
The surface material needs to be appropriate to its setting, and if you have an old property, reclamation yards are a good source of suitable materials.
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Instructions
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Build the patio with brick. If your house is built of brick (blocks), it is usually easy to find a good match for use on the patio. However house bricks, whether new or reclaimed, are not the best type to use as paving because they are not frost-proof and tend to crack and crumble in extreme weather. For durability, look for the highest specification. Facing and engineering bricks are frost-resistant. Bricks are eminently suitable for patterned paving. They can be laid in a variety of bonds, much as walls are built, and they are also suitable for herringbone or basket weave effects.
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Use tiles to create an expensive looking patio. Terracotta tiles are beautiful, and they make it possible to use the same style of flooring outdoors as you have used in the kitchen. But because they are less durable than other types, it is best to use them under cover, perhaps for a covered loggia or summerhouse. Pottery roofing tiles can be used laid on edge, either on their own or in conjunction with other materials, and a large quantity is needed to cover the ground.
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Add texture with cobblestone and pebbles. If you can find a source, such as a landscaping or exterior construction company, you may be able to purchase cobblestones. If you can not find cobblestones, then pebbles or river stones are nearly as attractive, although they are difficult to walk on and any seating placed on cobbles will be unstable. Stones are best used to break up larger areas of paving, either in the form of a strip to demarcate separate areas, to highlight an edge or as decoration in the form of swirls and spirals.
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Set a layer of gravel. Easy to lay and to maintain, gravel is an ideal surface material. It can be laid directly on compacted earth, ideally over a weed-suppressing membrane, or on top of another hard surface. It is available in a range of grades and colors, and it has the additional advantage of combining well with other hard surfaces. It is very useful for filling awkward corners and curved areas. The main drawbacks are that gravel must be contained by edging and it often ends up around the garden and into the house on the soles of shoes. It is also irresistible to cats.
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Lay out a patio with railway sleepers. Available from reclamation yards and some specialist garden suppliers, railway sleepers (ties) are usually used for edging raised beds, as low walls or as steps. Sleepers are heavy and when they are used in a single row they usually need no fixing. However, if they are used as steps or to create a raised bed several sleepers high where there will be a considerable weight of soil behind them, they should be held together with brackets. Sleepers can be laid directly on the ground, but if they are impregnated with preservative, lay them on plastic sheeting and line the inside with plastic to prevent the tar from leaching into the soil and harming the plants. If possible, buy untreated sleepers.
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Consider installing a mosaic. If you are naturally creative--or have a good friend who is--you can enliven any outdoor space with a mosaic that will give pleasure throughout the year. Mosaics work especially well near water. Experiment with patterns of broken tiles or colored stones, even sea shells, in a dry mix of sand and cement. Once you are satisfied with the design, sprinkle with water to set the mortar or simply allow soil moisture to be drawn up by capillary action, which will do the job for you. Mosaics tend to be less durable than other forms of paving, so restrict their use to areas that will not be subjected to heavy traffic or use them to make small patterns or decorative motifs.
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Tips & Warnings
As attractive as a mosaic may seem, keep in mind it will likely be more fragile than conventional patio materials.
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