Patios built to stay flat and drain away from the house
Natural stone and porcelain patios for South Devon gardens, from a small seating area to a terrace around the whole house.
The short answer
A patio lasts when four things are right: excavation done to the right depth; a compacted stone or concrete sub-base; a full mortar bed under every slab; and a fall that sends rainwater the right way. We do all four on every job.
Which stone?
Indian sandstone is the most popular: warm, varied and good value. Porcelain is harder wearing, more even in colour and easier to keep clean, but needs a slurry primer and careful cutting. Slate and granite suit modern houses and shady gardens. We can bring samples to the visit.
Levels, steps and walls
Most Devon gardens slope. A patio often needs a step, a low retaining wall or a raised edge to sit level, and we build those as part of the job rather than handing you to someone else.
Drainage
Where a patio has to run right up to the house, we fit a channel drain along the wall. See our drainage page for more on how we deal with water.
How we do patios
- 1
Site visit and set-out
We look at levels, where the water goes now, and the damp-proof course on the house, then mark out the shape with you.
- 2
Dig out
Turf and soil come out to the depth the base needs, usually 150 to 200mm, and the spoil is taken away.
- 3
Sub-base
Crushed stone (MOT Type 1) is laid and compacted with a plate, built up to the fall the patio needs.
- 4
Lay the slabs
Each slab goes down on a full bed of mortar, not dabs, and is tapped level to the string lines.
- 5
Point and finish
Joints are filled, edges and steps are finished, and the site is cleared.
Patios we’ve done
Patios: your questions
Do you lay porcelain as well as sandstone?
Yes. Porcelain needs a bonding primer on the back of each slab and a diamond blade to cut, and we lay it on a full mortar bed like natural stone.
Can a new patio go over my old one?
Sometimes, if the old one is sound and the new height stays at least 150mm below the damp-proof course. Usually it is better to take it up and start with a proper base.
Do you take the waste away?
Yes. Spoil and old paving are removed as part of the quote.
Often done with
Patios near you
- Patios in Newton Abbot
- Patios in Torquay
- Patios in Paignton
- Patios in Brixham
- Patios in Teignmouth
- Patios in Dawlish
- Patios in Shaldon
- Patios in Totnes
- Patios in Dartmouth
- Patios in Dittisham
- Patios in Stoke Gabriel
- Patios in Kingsbridge
- Patios in Salcombe
- Patios in Hope Cove
- Patios in Bigbury-on-Sea
- Patios in Ivybridge
- Patios in Ashburton
- Patios in Noss Mayo
- Patios in Newton Ferrers
Get a patios quote
Send a couple of photos and a rough idea of what you want. We’ll come out, look at the ground and the levels, and give you a written quote.