Paving the way to a new Garden

Adding a paving area can make a huge difference to the look and feel of your Garden, it’s almost like adding a new room to your house.

However, there is a lot of choice out there – and I bet you feel a little bit overwhelmed once you start your research so we’re going to give you a few tips below which should help you move forwards with your paving project.

Firstly, we would suggest looking at these four aspects when you’re in the planning stage:

1. Style

Try to ensure the style of the paving fits with the age and style of your house and garden, we wouldn’t suggest going to a very modern type of paving if you have a Victorian style garden.

2. Colour

Once you’re paving is down, it’s probably going to be down for a number of years, so you need to ensure you choose a colour that firstly, you’re happy with, and secondly, compliments the rest of your garden or colours of your walls. Ensure you look at it when it’s dry and wet and in the sun or the shade as the colours can change.

3. Purpose

What have you got planned for the paved area of your garden, is it going to be in a sunny or shaded spot of your garden, is there going to be many areas which will have a high footfall? Is there going to be anything heavy resting on it like a garden shed or table and chairs?

And Finally, probably one of the more important factors for you...

4. Your Budget

If your using the skills of a landscaper or contractor, the actual paving is only around 1/5^th of your final cost, the rest goes towards your labour and other materials needed, so choosing a more expensive type of stone may not affect your final budget as much as you first think.

So, once you’ve ironed out your ideas you can start to look into the different types of paving that are available to you and the size of area you’d like to pave.

A little tip for you on your area size, if you’re completing a small area of paving then going for a smaller size of stone or slab will make your area look bigger, if you go for a bigger slab size in a small area then your area won’t look right. Also think about weathering - natural stone will darken over time whereas concrete stone will fade, and if you’re stone is more porus then it will go greener with algae. This will be a natural process however, you can get treatments and cleaners to enhance the appearance of the slabs.

Your main choice will be between Natural Stone, Concrete and Porcelain Paving.

Natural Stone Paving

If you’re looking for something that has more individuality, where every stone is slightly different in colour and texture then Natural stone is the option for you - the finish will have that ‘wow’ effect on your garden, plus it’s a high-quality stone as well as being hard wearing, but as always, the price tag does reflect this. However remember that if your budget allows it, your better getting a high quality stone as you’ll pay the same to get it laid.

We have a great selection of high quality natural stone paving from reputable suppliers such as Pavestone and Brett – just a few of our more favourite choices below for you:

Decorative Concrete Paving

Don’t be alarmed when we’re talking about Concrete paving, gone are the days of it being boring and grey, in fact very far from it! Concrete paving can now replicate natural stone, brick, wood and more!

If the natural stone is just out of your budget, or you wanted something a little different then we’d recommend taking a look at our concrete paving, some of our more popular choices

Porcelain Paving

This is a style of paving that is relatively new to the market. It combines Italian styling but is robust and durable. If you’re looking for something ultra-sleek and modern, then Porcelain Paving is your answer – in addition it’s also far easier to maintain than the other types of paving as its algae and frost resistant.

We have two varieties, but both very different:

Choosing the right paving isn’t an easy task, not only do you want it to look nice but it also has to do the job right, remember to follow the four steps above and then you will be heading in the right direction.

If you’re still a little bit stumped or need some more inspiration, then any of our branches can assist. Find your local branch here.