Patio design problems

[gejizzard]

Hi all,

Long time reader, first time poster!

I'm currently designing a complete revamp of my back garden. Moved in a year ago and having been thinking what to do ever since!

Google Sketch up seems really good a creating a virtual garden so I can see how things would look before I tackle each area and it's whilst planning a small patio area/walkway that I've come to a thought stopping process!

I want to create a design using 600x600mm, 600x300 and 300x300 paving stones as per the picture, but I've noticed that using a 1cm gap between slabs gives me areas where there are 2cm gaps forming that will throw the design off...

Untitled

• gejizzard
• 28 Mar 2011
• 1

What am I doing wrong? bigger gap needed or different design?

 

[misterhelpful]

You are not doing anything wrong - it's just that the pattern you have chosen doesn't fully tesselate, leaving you with three grout lines opposed to two.
If you want to stick to this pattern, you will have to centre the 600x600 slabs between the smaller ones and live with 15mm grout lines around them.
http://www.pavingsuperstore.co.uk/bradstone-paving-layout-designs-607-c.asp

Hmm, having said that, you will find that where the larger slabs meet, there will still be a 20mm gap.
Different layout perhaps?
17.5mm gaps around the 600 square slabs will work, but obviously they are still bigger than the others!

 

[WabbitPoo]

Slabs are not 600x600, 600x300 etc. They tend to be smaller, allowing for the gap.

 

[r896neo]

Slabs are not 600x600, 600x300 etc. They tend to be smaller, allowing for the gap.

Whilst this is true for manufactured stuff like bradstone and wet cast flags it is not the case with any natural stone products.

Most paving suppliers will offer suggested patterns when laying random stone in 3 4 or 5 sizes. If you follow these patterns they are designed to regulate the joint spacing and even it up.

If you want to go with natural stone you may have to live with a halfway house of evening up as best you can or change your pattern.[/quote]

 

[hotrod]

Whilst this is true for manufactured stuff like bradstone and wet cast flags it is not the case with any natural stone products.

Most paving suppliers will offer suggested patterns when laying random stone in 3 4 or 5 sizes. If you follow these patterns they are designed to regulate the joint spacing and even it up.

If you want to go with natural stone you may have to live with a halfway house of evening up as best you can or change your pattern.

True. Global, Marshall, and Bradstone all provide suggested laying patterns. But as r896neo says, trust me, you won't be for working to a mil when you're in the ground. Well, you can try, but paving isn't calibrated to those tolerances and what with falls and snagged string lines and wind and rain and mortar going off too quick a mil is going to be the last thing you're worrying about.