Choosing your slabs
- Plain utility slabs. Square-edged concrete in grey or buff. The cheapest option, and perfect for a practical patio, a bin area or a base for a shed or greenhouse.
- Riven and textured concrete. Made to look like split stone, usually in mixed sizes. A good halfway house between budget slabs and real stone.
- Smooth and stone-effect concrete. Sharp-edged, modern slabs, often in bigger formats.
- Natural stone. Indian sandstone, limestone, slate and granite, each with its own look.
- Porcelain. A different animal again. See porcelain patios.
Ask us to lay a few slabs out dry in different patterns before anything gets fixed. It's much easier to decide when you can see it on the ground.
Why some slab patios fail
Slabs rarely let you down. What's under them does. Rocking slabs, gaps opening up, puddles by the back door and weeds in every joint within a couple of years all point to the same thing: the base was rushed. Getting it right means:
- Digging out deep enough to fit a proper sub-base, with extra care on soft clay ground.
- Crushed stone, laid and compacted in layers.
- Every slab on a full mortar bed, not dotted on.
- A fall so rainwater runs away from the house towards the lawn, a border or a drain.
- Finishing well below the damp-proof course, usually at least two brick courses down from it.
- Joints filled properly with mortar or a jointing compound that suits the slab.
Old concrete patios
A lot of the inter-war and post-war semis around Hartburn, Fairfield and Billingham still have the original concrete flags by the back door, often sunk, cracked or sloping the wrong way. Those usually come up so a new base can go in. If some of the old slabs are still sound, they can sometimes be cleaned up and re-used for a bin store or a path.
Adding paths, steps and walls
A slab patio is often the start of a bigger tidy-up. The same slabs can run into a path to the gate or shed, steps can sort out a slope, and a low wall or raised bed can finish the edge. Doing it in one go keeps the levels and materials consistent.
Questions people ask
What size slabs should I go for?
Bigger slabs look cleaner and modern, with fewer joints. Mixed sizes suit riven and natural-look finishes. Keep the size of the space in mind: huge slabs can look out of place in a small terrace yard.
Can slabs just go down on sand?
They can, but they won't stay put. Slabs on sand alone tend to move, sink and let weeds through. For a patio that lasts, they should be bedded on mortar over a compacted sub-base.
Can you re-lay my existing slabs?
Often, if they're in decent condition. Expect a few to break when they're lifted, so it helps to have spares. See patio relaying and repairs.
How much does a slab patio cost?
It depends on the size, the slabs and the groundwork. See what affects patio prices or ask for a free quote.
