Patio help, feel i've taken on too much

[robpeake]

morning all we recently had some pallets and scaffold boards as a cheap decking option until we decided whether we could go for the composite decking or paving. having tried the decking for 3 years we didn't like it.

We have seen some nice porcelain tiles 600 x 600 , ive uploaded some pictures of what i want it to look like, i'm clearing the area today but feel like i'm out of my comfort zone completely.

the red lines are the patio in the pictures, the blue is where i'm carrying on the gabions around and the green is a small pond.

couple of questions, i want the fall away from the pond so i need to raise the gabion side alittle bit more and i ve got a string line to work this out.

underneath the artifical grass is mot type 1 and sharp sand. i was going to take the grass up, order in some mot type 1, get the level right and then put the gabions in and pond then lay the paving right up to the pond edge. im also looking at getting some galvanised edging between the grass and the patio i've seen some 6 inch type edging that sinks into the ground and finishes off the edge nicely.

you will notice there are some patio setts that was a old patio, they are buried in mot type 1 and sharp sand, rather than take them up as they are pretty solid and level, I was going to mot type 1 over them and then lay the patio on top? good idea or should they be dug up and then MOT type 1 in?

 

[Neilornoneil]

I've read that its ok to lay larger stones above smaller ones, but not the other way around, so to me you plan sounds good. This is the website I read it on, pavingexpert.com, but you'll need to search the topics covered. I have done the same thing 3 years ago, and all is still well with the levels and joints. It may be a different matter if heavy loads were expected , but sound enough for a small patio area I'd say.

 

[robpeake]

I've read that its ok to lay larger stones above smaller ones, but not the other way around, so to me you plan sounds good. This is the website I read it on, pavingexpert.com, but you'll need to search the topics covered. I have done the same thing 3 years ago, and all is still well with the levels and joints. It may be a different matter if heavy loads were expected , but sound enough for a small patio area I'd say.

thanks i will have a look. i did some levels today and the old patio is still solid, doesnt make any sense in my head to try to dig it out and then put mot type 1

 

[Cheslea2010]

Would recommend hiring a laser level for this job. I saw a similar project using gabions on the edge of the pond. It looked great until the pond was filled with water and the waterline highlighted that the levels were everso slightly off. Homeowner was gutted.

 

[Drillbit]

Those look like natural stone setts under the artificial grass, is that right? Personally I would lift and reuse them, unless you need a very smooth surface to the paving. Whatever you do, you should not raise levels around those trees, you would be better off shaping the patio so they sit at least a couple of feet outside the paving.

 

[Drillbit]

Also, check how much patio space you *actually* need for your outdoor furniture sets etc. That area looks quite big proportional to the garden, to me. How does it relate to the house, how will it look from the house, have you considered breaking it up - e.g you could have a smaller area where you get morning sun for your bistro set for coffee and croissant, and a larger area with late afternoon sun for entertaining

 

[robpeake]

just a update, managed to get the patio finished, hired a cement mixer and wife and eldest helped me before the bad weather got to me. still need some gabions and some patio edging and a couple of raised planters. happy with how it turned out, especially considering it was 13k i was quoted. it looks big but im having a 12 seater table and chairs and then a couple of 3 seater sofas. BBQ and a pizza oven and table.