To finish off a corner where the conservatory meets the back door, a small patio was needed. This is a sun trap during early spring and late autumn so it will be nice to have an area to sit out which is sheltered from any cool breezes. The area has been used for a rainwater soakaway for nearby roofs so this had to be lowered to allow a suitable level. The soakaway was extended sideways to allow some extra capacity and the feed pipes lowered. A nuisance but not a big problem.
If you have an area you would like tidied up and could be used as a patio, please contact me.
The area outside the doors becomes mud when it rains so a patio is required.
An existing soakaway was extended and the rainwater pipe lowered to allow for the patio.
The ground has been dug out to a suitable level so building work can begin.
A membrane is laid to hold everything together. The outline here is for some steps up to ground level.
There will be three steps so the height between the patio level and the finished height of the wall is divided by three.
The parapet wall is built. The corner is a curve so there is a piece of rebar in the ground with string attached to gauge the curve.
The paving flags are laid for the steps. The chairs are to prevent dogs from adjusting the levels of the flags!
The other steps are laid. In this case there are only two as the ground slopes down here.
The flags were carefully laid and adjusted until they were central over the wall. They were then marked and cut to shape,
Here the wall and steps are completed with the flags mortared into place.
The patio will slope slightly away from the house so a drainage channel is fitted which drains into the soakaway below.
There will be a channel filled with gravel next to the house to help with drainage and to reduce the tendency of rain to splash onto the wall.
The area has been cleared and final levelling done. The membrane has been spread out ready for the flags.
In many ways this is the easy bit! A tamping plank with the ends notched is used to tamp level the semi-dry mortar mix. The flags are dropped on and levelled with a couple of taps with a rubber mallet.
A large area with minimal cuts means this was done quite quickly. The remaining areas require more cuts and don’t have the convenience of levels to tamp to so will be a bit slower.
Remaining flags have been laid. They are butted up to one another so a dry mix of sand & cement was brushed over the flags to help fill any gaps.
Paving all done.
Stonework pointed.
The finished patio, with dog approval! It’s become a favourite corner when the sun shines.
Travaux · Rénovation · Bricolage 