Problem Free Patios, Paving And Paths

If you are thinking of creating a patio, courtyard or path within your garden, then I have some helpful information for you.

Where to place a path

Have a good look at your garden, even if you are just viewing from the comfort of your kitchen, this may give you an idea of where paths should be placed. Viewing a curved pathway, particularly one that wraps behind a border will entice the viewer to exit the house and follow the path to discover what lies at its end. You may not end up with a crock of gold at the end of the path but a restful seating area will be a good consolation, and quite a nice focal point. Hardwearing continuous paths can be created from gravel, paving brick, pavers or setts (concrete or natural stone, with granite setts being particularly strong in texture and colour). Gravel paths are the most economical to install. However, I would never recommend laying them within lawns as disturbed gravel may enter the lawn and end up breaking windows or worse, if hit by lawn mower blades.

Design tips and hints

I often recommend paving brick for creating both straight and curving garden paths, provided you lay it with clear design rules in mind. Do you have a short garden, which you wish would appear longer? This can be achieved by creating a path running right down the garden laid in a "running bond" pattern. Brick laid in this style runs lengthways in the direction the path runs whilst its joints are staggered for strength. Maybe you have a garden that is narrow causing you to wish it would appear wider; again an optical illusion design trick can be called into play. This time lay the brick in a style known a "stretcher bond", which has a widening effect. To produce this effect the brick must be laid lengthways across the width of the path in staggered rows.

Both of the optical illusions created by the use of "running bond" or "stretcher bond", follow a similar rule to one used in fashion, where vertical lines appear to lengthen or slim whereas horizontal lines appear to widen or expand (who says you learn nothing by reading the fashion magazines).

If you wish to create a path that will not appear prominent and dominate a smaller garden, I would suggest you install a stepping stone path. This will look quite at home on the compacted lawn beneath the washing line. Stepping stones are laid flush with, or just below lawn level to allow the mower to pass over unimpeded.

A site for your patio

The patio is an extension you can add to your home without planning permission; it is your roofless dining area or room outside. We use patios primarily as sitting, sunning and entertaining zones. Your patio should be used as our own personal courtyard linked to our house. With these uses in mind, seek out an area that receives direct sun from the south, the west or a combination of both. Southerly facing patios offer warmth from twelve o