If you’re wondering how to lay a patio for beginners, the process is simpler than you might think if you plan ahead and have the right materials to hand. A well installed patio will last a lifetime, and look fantastic.
It adds a clean, practical outdoor space for seating, dining, or entertaining.
This step-by-step guide will walk you through preparation, laying, and finishing, so you can handle anything from a full garden installation or simply just knowing how to lay a small patio.
Things you’ll need:
Must-haves
Paving slabs
Sub-base aggregate (MOT Type 1 or similar)
Sharp sand
Cement
Rubber mallet
Trowel
Shovel
Rake
Spirit level
Tape measure
Optional
String line and pegs
Wheelbarrow
Cement mixer
Jointing compound
How to Lay a Patio On Different Sub-bases
How to lay a patio on grass
If your chosen space is currently turf, strip it back to bare soil. Dig down around 150mm, ensuring the ground is firm and level. Add a 100mm compacted sub-base, followed by 40mm of sharp sand mixed with
Knowing how to block pave a driveway serves a number of purposes. You might need to maintain your existing block paving, want to lay new block paving on your drive, or simply just want to know how to block pave a path; regardless, it’s all a similar process and understanding how it’s done is a solid skill to have.
The process may seem daunting if you’ve never done it before, but with this guide, we aim to simplify it for you as much as possible, and give you all the best industry insights.
Read the benefits of a block paved driveway, with a step-by-step guide on how to complete one yourself.
What is Block Paving?
Block paving is a popular form of driveway paving that looks fantastic, but isn’t quite as easy to install as typical slab work for example. A block paved driveway is made up of multiple blocks, which can be individually lifted out and replaced in the event that they are mucky, broken, or simply just need to be swapped out.