Patios Services

Block Paved Patios

Laying blocks over an existing surface without excavating and compacting a fresh sub-base leads to sinking and joint failure within a few seasons. The survey checks ground conditions first. Edging restraints are set, then blocks are laid to a consistent fall before jointing sand is brushed in.

Garden Paths & Walkways

A garden path on Cambridge clay without a sub-base sinks and shifts within a season. Excavation goes to the correct depth, with a compacted granular base and edging restraints set before slabs, brick or natural stone are laid to a consistent fall that sheds surface water.

Indian Sandstone Patios

Indian sandstone varies in thickness across a single pack, so each slab is individually bedded on mortar to achieve a consistent surface level. Colour variation, including the blue-grey tones of Raj Green, is a natural characteristic of the stone, not a defect.

Limestone & Natural Stone Patios

Limestone and natural stone require a compacted granular sub-base and a bedding layer set to the correct fall before any slab is placed. Older Cambridge gardens with clay-heavy ground need careful drainage planning to prevent water tracking back toward the house.

New Build Garden Patios

New build gardens in Cambridge frequently contain compacted builder waste beneath the topsoil, which affects excavation depth and sub-base specification. The survey checks the ground and clears unsuitable material. A compacted Type 1 sub-base goes down before any paving, concrete, natural stone, porcelain or brick, is bedded and jointed.

Patio Cleaning, Repointing & Repair

Crumbling joints and rocking slabs are early signs of a patio that will need full replacement if left. The fix rakes joints to a consistent depth, pressure washes the surface, re-beds any loose slabs, and fills joints with a compound suited to the slab material: stone, concrete or block paving.

Patio Drainage & Levelling

Pooling water on a patio usually means the fall is wrong or the sub-base has settled unevenly beneath the slabs. A laser level identifies the low spots and fall direction before any lifting begins, so the correction targets the actual cause rather than just the visible symptom.

Patio Edging & Retaining Walls

Patio edging that lifts or drifts out of line is almost always a base preparation failure, not a surface problem. The fix excavates to a minimum 100 mm compacted base, resets or rebuilds the edging, and checks drainage behind any retaining wall to prevent water pressure building up behind the structure.

Patio Extensions & Resurfacing

Cracked joints, standing water and sunken slabs do not always mean a full replacement. A level check, drainage assessment and slab stability test determine whether repointing, lift-and-relay or a new extension section is the right fix, and how new paving can be matched to what is already down.

Patio Lighting & Finishing

Solar and battery lights lose output through Cambridge’s overcast winters and need frequent repositioning. Mains-powered low-voltage LED fittings, wired through concealed conduit and connected to a weatherproof transformer, give consistent output and can be controlled by a timer or dimmer switch.

Patio Steps & Raised Terraces

A level change between patio and garden needs consistent rise heights, typically 150 mm, and a tread depth of at least 300 mm for safe footing. Where the slope requires a retaining wall, drainage behind the wall is specified at the same time to prevent water build-up and wall failure.

Patios

A patio laid on a thin sand bed without correct falls drains back to the house and can breach the damp-proof course. The site survey checks existing levels, and excavation, sub-base, bedding and paving are quoted as separate line items.

Porcelain Patios

Porcelain will not bond to a sand bed. It needs a full mortar bed and a primer slurry applied to the slab back before laying. Sub-base depth is checked for Cambridgeshire clay conditions, and slabs are cut with a diamond-blade wet saw for clean, tight joints.