Patios in Chessington

A patio that lifts, cracks or holds puddles has almost always been laid on the wrong base. We build ours on a compacted sub-base and a full mortar bed, not on five spots of mortar under each slab, which is the shortcut that leads to rocking and hollow-sounding stone. We work in Indian sandstone, porcelain and natural stone, set the falls so water drains away from the house, and point the joints neatly so the finished patio stays solid and easy to keep clean. Garden patios come in a wide range of finishes, and Indian sandstone patios and porcelain patios are the two we lay most often, since natural stone gives a warmer, more traditional look while porcelain stays colour-stable and needs very little upkeep.

As our home town, Chessington is where we do a lot of our patio work, on the postwar and newer-build gardens typical of the area — generally flatter plots that are quick to survey and plan without major levelling. We still lay every patio on a full mortar bed regardless of how straightforward the site looks.