Ms.

M Harper WORKSHOP P A T I O S – PART 4

PATIOS
10. PREPARATION
1. Common sense shows the importance of a solid foundation, especially if your patio a planned for a high-traffic
area or is to forts the base for a carport.
2. A solid, level, and well-compacted sub-base is imperative.
3. If necessary, get an expert', opinion on the type of soil you are plan -fling to build on.
4. Soil with a high clay or peat content, making it unstable and highly water retentive, will often need a layer of
hard-core, which consists of broken bricks, stones, or other hard material.
5. The depth of the hard-core will depend on the instability of the soil and on the use to which the patio is put, but
it is usually 50 to 100 mm (2 to 4 In) deep for garden patios and 100 to 250 mm (4 to 10 in) for patios used
regularly by vehicles.
6. The surface of the patio should end up at least 150 mm (6 in) below the damp-proof course (vapour barrier)
and should have a slight slope for drainage.
7. To work out the exact depth to which the soil needs to be excavated, add together the depths of the layer of
hard-core (if used), the paving material, and the layer of sand on which they will sit.
8. The soil from a patio site must first be excavated to the right depth and the site levelled.
9. Lighter-coloured subsoil should not be used for levelling - use hard-core instead.
10. Well-compacted hard-core forms the first layer, followed by a 25 to 50 mm layer of fine concreting sand which
can be compacted with a garden roller.
11. Bricks and blocks can be laid directly on the sand: paving slabs are put down on dabs of mortar.

11. TOOLS AND MATERIALS

12. Once you have planned the area to be paved, you can estimate the number of bricks required.
13. A useful rule of thumb is to allow 45 clay bricks or blocks for every square meter.
14. Concrete and clay bricks are both suitable and available in many colours. For 450 mm square paving slabs,
allow 5 per square meter.
15. You will need hard-core for the base and cement, sand and aggregate for the foundations, for the edging, and
for holding slabs in, and clean concreting sand for the paving base.
16. Your base surface must be firm and well-compacted before you start paving.
17. You will need either a tamping or ramming tool or a compacting machine.

Activity 4: Answer the following questions in full sentences

1. What is hard-core made of?

2. What is the depth of the hard-core usually?

3. What subs oil must not be used for levelling?

4. What forms the first layer of a patio?

5. What forms the second layer of the patio?

6. What is the measurement of the fine concrete layer?

7. How many bricks is used for every square meter?

8. Which three machines or equipment can you use to compact the layers?