Five Tips for choosing the best paving for your project

You’ve been studying gardening magazines and scouring websites for ideas, but will the designs you’ve seen work in your own garden? Here are five tips on getting the results you really want when you start that landscaping project.

Look at some samples first

You’re going to be looking at that paving for years to come, so it’s a good idea to do your research before you have it laid.  You’ll find that most garden landscaping companies are happy to give you a few samples; it’s in their interest to let you see the product so that you can imagine it in your own garden.

Once you’ve looked at them in-situ, you can pick your favourites and see how they’ll fit in with the existing garden, the colour of your walls and so on. You can also visit the companies’ showrooms and see displays in many cases, to give you an idea of effects and designs.

Think about texture

If you’re looking for a cheaper solution, riven stone works in most situations, although you need to be careful to choose the right tone. For sharper edges and a smoother finish, a more contemporary choice might be sawn stone which can look really great in a well-designed garden area. Check whether the slabs need sealing after they’ve been laid, especially if the shade is a really important consideration for you, because sometimes sealing stone can change its colour.

How thick is thick?

You’ll need a different thickness of stone for a driveway or anywhere there’s likely to be parked cars than you will for a garden area. If you’re trying to stretch your budget, before you decide on your perfect stone, be aware that some budget stone is only available in a depth of around 25mm – for a driveway you really need at least 40mm for it to last. If in doubt, ask expert advice.

Natural or concrete?

If your budget won’t stretch to natural stone, there are some great concrete products too. If you choose a concrete product, make sure they are laid by an expert or at the very least take care to make sure that any cuts are hidden so that you can’t see inside the slab.

Textures
It’s fun to add a bit of interest to a paved area by mixing up the textures. Different textured stones can be used to define different areas in a larger expanse of paving, so you can mark out the seating area or the main pathway for example.

If you’re not sure about whether any particular stone, style or technique will work in your garden, speak to an expert at John Lessels, we’re always happy to give advice!