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Patios & Paving in York

Porcelain, Indian sandstone and natural stone, laid on a full mortar bed with the falls set to take water away from the house. Where levels change, we build the steps and retaining walls to suit rather than working around them.

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How we lay it

Full bed, not five blobs

Plenty of patios are still laid on five dabs of mortar, one in each corner and one in the middle. It is quicker, it uses less material, and it is the reason so many slabs rock, crack across the middle or ring hollow when you tap them.

Every slab we lay goes down on a full mortar bed with a primer slurry on the back of the slab, so there is complete contact and nowhere for water to sit and freeze. Porcelain in particular has to be primed, because nothing sticks to the back of it otherwise.

Falls are set at roughly one in eighty running away from the building, and the finished level is kept at least 150mm below the damp proof course. Where that is not possible, a channel drain goes in along the wall instead.

What we work with

Porcelain. Dimensionally accurate, frost proof and low maintenance, with a consistent colour and a slip rating suited to outdoors. Best for a crisp, modern finish.
Indian sandstone. Warm, riven and naturally varied. Forgiving on older properties and the usual choice where the patio has to sit against weathered brick or stone.
Limestone and granite. Denser and more uniform than sandstone, holding a darker tone when wet.
Steps and level changes. Built in brick or block, then clad with matching treads so the whole thing reads as one piece of work.
Raised beds and seating walls. Matched to the existing brickwork where there is any, with coping stones on top.
Inset lighting and channel drains. Ducted in before the paving goes down, so no cables are chased in afterwards.

Start to finish

How a patio goes in

Levels and setting out
We work out the finished level first, working back from the door threshold and the damp course, then set the fall and mark the shape out on the ground.
Dig out and sub-base
Excavated to depth, membrane down, then MOT type 1 compacted in layers. A patio still needs a base even though it never sees a car.
Ducting and drainage
Any lighting ducts, channel drains or soakaway connections go in while the ground is still open.
Walls and steps
Retaining walls, step cores and raised beds are built and left to go off before any paving is laid on or against them.
Lay on full bed
Slabs primed and bedded on a full mortar bed, levelled off a string line, with joints kept consistent throughout.
Point and clean off
Jointed with a brush-in compound or hand pointed, then washed down and the surrounding brickwork cleaned of any splashes.

Recent patios

Around York

Patio & steps

Paving circle

Path & patio

Sett detail

Common questions

Patio questions

How much does a patio cost in York?

Indian sandstone patios generally run between £110 and £150 per square metre supplied and laid, and porcelain between £140 and £190 per square metre. A typical 25 square metre patio therefore sits somewhere around £2,800 to £4,700 depending on the material. Steps, retaining walls and lighting are priced separately because they vary so much from garden to garden.

Porcelain or Indian sandstone, which is better?

Porcelain is harder wearing and far easier to keep clean, because it absorbs almost no water, so moss and algae have nothing to grip. Indian sandstone is cheaper, warmer in tone and more forgiving against old brick and stone. Porcelain costs more to buy and more to lay, since it has to be primed and cut with a diamond blade, but it will still look the same in ten years with nothing more than a wash down.

Do I need a sub-base under a patio?

Yes. A patio laid straight onto soil or onto a thin sand bed will settle unevenly within a couple of winters. A compacted MOT type 1 sub-base goes under every patio, typically 100mm to 150mm deep, with the slabs bedded on mortar over the top of it.

Can you match a new patio into an existing one?

Usually yes, and it is a job carried out often. Older paving has weathered, so an exact colour match off the shelf is rare. The trick is to break the join deliberately, with a change of course, a step, a border or a planted bed, so the two surfaces read as separate but related rather than as a failed match.

How long before I can use it?

Foot traffic is fine after about 24 hours, and furniture can go back on once the jointing has fully cured, usually three to five days depending on the weather. The parts to stay off are confirmed on the day, depending on which areas were jointed last.

Is laying a patio a DIY job?

A small, simple patio on level ground is achievable for a confident DIYer, but getting a consistent fall away from the house and a properly compacted sub-base is where most self-laid patios go wrong. Porcelain in particular is unforgiving of an uneven bed, since it will crack rather than flex. Larger patios, level changes or anything near the house are usually better left to someone who lays them regularly.

How do I choose the right patio contractor?

Ask what sub-base depth they use and whether slabs go down on a full mortar bed or just a few dabs of mortar in the corners, since that single answer separates a patio that lasts decades from one that rocks within a year. A written quote, evidence of recent local work and proper insurance are worth checking before anyone starts digging.

What to expect

Before any of that starts

A free site visit and a written, itemised quote come before any work is booked in, so materials, labour and any level changes are agreed up front. Access for barrows and deliveries is discussed at the visit, and the site is left clean at the end of each day. Weather can move a start date, but not the standard the job is built to.

Why DH Hardscapes

Why Choose DH Hardscapes for Your Patio

Full Mortar Bed, Every Slab

No five-dab shortcuts, where mortar only sits in the corners and the middle. Every slab goes down on a full, primed bed with complete contact underneath, so nothing rocks, cracks or rings hollow underfoot years later.

Matched Into What's Already There

A genuine skill in blending new paving against older, weathered surfaces, since an exact colour match off the shelf is rare. The join is broken deliberately with a step, border or change of course, so it reads as intentional rather than patched.

Levels Set to Protect the House

Falls and finished heights are calculated against the damp proof course before a single slab goes down, not adjusted afterwards once a problem shows up. Where the levels do not allow enough clearance, a channel drain goes in instead.

Planning a new patio?

Free site visit, written quote, no obligation.

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