A Comprehensive Guide to Laying Paving Slabs

How well your paving is laid makes all the difference between a long-lasting, pristine patio and a wobbly, unstable surface. This means that proper technique is crucial. After all, there’s no point pairing high-quality natural stone or porcelain slabs with low-quality installation. Follow our instructions to ensure that your premium paving solutions receive the care they deserve.

Planning to Lay Paving

The design of how your garden will look on completion is a vital step. We advise that you draw up a plan yourself, or have your chosen landscaper create one. This way, you can work on the design together and iron out any problems or issues that may arise. By doing this, the project will run much more smoothly than if there weren’t a design in place.

Firstly, you will need to decide which areas you will pave and which you will have soft landscaping, such as plants and grass. When you have decided on the area you would like your paving and the type of paving suitable, there are important decisions to make, such as:

What size pavers would you like to use? 

You’ll need to measure your space accurately to determine how many pavers, of what size, will fit your desired patio or driveway. From there, you can determine whether you’d like small-format paving, which opens up an array of patterning options,  or contemporary large-format styles for a modern look. 

You can also opt for mixed-size pavers, which creates a charming, traditional look. However, you’ll need to make sure all of your differently sized pavers fit together for a perfect finished product. To help with this, we offer mixed-size project packs.

Even when selecting pavers to suit your garden measurements, some resizing may be needed. Luckily, our guide to cutting pavers can help with this. 

How would you like to edge your paving?

Adding edging to your paved patio or driveway adds stability and prevents pavers from shifting. On top of this, it can offer aesthetic benefits when you choose edging in a colour that contrasts with the main paving, creating a bold patio outline.

 Cobbles are a great way to border your paving slabs for a quaint, country-inspired look. Alternatively, kerb edgings are a sleeker, slightly more subtle option. Our guide to garden edging can help you to choose the right edging style for your project. 

Which way is your paving going to fall? 

It’s essential to have drainage for your paving. This is a decision a professional can help you with; however, the general rule is that the fall should be away from any buildings you may have. Our guide to patio drainage can help with this further. 

How to Lay Garden Slabs

Once you’ve completed your planning and purchased your paving materials, you can begin the laying process. 

Inspecting Patio Pavers

Firstly, ensure that your paving product is inspected before use. This is to check for any defects you are not happy with or if any of the stone is broken/inadequate. This is an essential process for landscaping products to ensure that any issues can be rectified as soon as possible.

Preparing the Area to Be Paved

When you are happy with your chosen product, the area that is going to be paved needs to be dug out  to a depth of at least 150mm and a breathable weed membrane installed. This should then be filled with crushed stone to around 2/3 of the volume dug out, and then compacted with a wacker plate to ensure there is no movement in the sub-base when laying the pavers.

Laying a Patio on Sand or Cement? 

Both sand and cement are required to create a mortar mix for laying your paving. Cement alone would cause shrinking and cracking, while sand alone would cause your paving slabs to shift and move around. Mixing both to create mortar gives you better adhesion and workability for a stable, long-lasting finished patio, driveway or path. 

The mortar mix is made using 4 parts sharp sand to 1 part cement, mixed with water to make a semi-dry consistency. If you have access to a cement mixer, this process is far easier than mixing it on a mixing board with a shovel.

The mortar mix should be roughly 50mm thick and always applied as a full bed to ensure full coverage of your pavers. 

Laying Paving Slabs

Natural stone and porcelain can be very heavy, so it’s always advisable to take care when handling them. It is recommended that any paver size over 600mm x 600mm be handled by more than one person. 

Once you have laid your mortar bed and the paver is in place, it can then be tapped into place and levelled. When tapping the pavers down, please use a rubber hammer to ensure that no damage to the slab occurs, e.g. chipping.

Please note that when you are laying porcelain, you must completely cover the back of the porcelain with slurry primer; otherwise, it will not adhere to the mortar mix.

How to Joint Your Paving

Once your paving is complete, it is now time to finish it off by filling in the joints with a suitable jointing compound. To add your jointing compound, simply: 

1. Soak the area with water.
2. Pour the jointing compound onto your patio.
3. Brush it into your joints.
4. Compress it down with a small trowel.
5. Brush it in again until the joints are completely full.
6. Remove any excess.

However, different jointing compounds have very different laying methods, so please check the specific advice. 

How to Seal Your Paving

The porosity and makeup of most stone leaves it prone to certain types of damage if unsealed. Therefore, sealing the stone is an essential step in ensuring your product looks fantastic over a long period of time and protects it against harmful chemicals and weather damage.

You can choose invisible or colour-enhancing sealer options. The latter will intensify the natural colouring of your stone. 

We do not recommend sealing porcelain due to its water absorbency of less than 0.5%. However, please always speak to your chosen supplier for the recommended installation guide.

Ready to lay a perfect patio, driveway, or path? All that’s left is to select the natural stone or porcelain paving type you’ll use.