Patios or paved areas can be designed and constructed at any time of the year. A Patio or paved area provides several things to you and your garden: it is a place to entertain your friends, eat your food 'alfresco' or to have a relaxing drink on a long Summer evening.
Paved areas don't just have to be made into patios. We can also build pathways from many different types of paving stone. Paved paths can be built along the side your house.
Paving can also be used instead of block paving to form a driveway. If you do choose to pave your driveway rather than block pave it, then the paving stone you use should always be a thicker, heavier weight paving material, one which is designed to take the weight of a vehicle or vehicles.
Planning your patio
Before you begin building your patio area you should give very careful thought to where you will put your patio and how you want to use it. Also consider whether your patio will be a decorative feature or a functional feature i.e an area where you and your family will eat or entertain your friends.
Normally, a patio will be constructed adjacent to your house, this is so that you can walk directly on to it. Sited close to the house, a patio gives a link between house and garden. However, this may not always provide the best exposure to the sun for the majority of the day, according to which way the back or side of house faces. Think about what you want to use your patio for. It it may be better for you to build a separate patio away from the house and link the two with a twisty pathway. A patio situated at the far end of a garden will have a completely different feel to a patio near the house. A patio at the rear of the garden will serve better as a retreat than an outdoor room.
Sun and shade
The first thing to do is spend a few days in your garden in the summer watching how the sun and shade strike various parts of your garden landscape. You will clearly see that the sun strikes different areas of your garden at different times of the day. You will be able to select the area you want your patio to be constructed in once you have an idea of where the sun is for the majority of the day.Although you may want the sun on your patio for the majority of the day having some shade is also desirable, particularly if you want to eat outside on the patio.
If your ideal site, from a functional point of view is shaded by the house for most of the day, there's little you will be able to do about this. If the area you wish to locate your patio in is shaded by a hedge or bush then you will be able to do something about this, trim the hedge back or remove the hedge/shrub completely, always take into consideration any planning regulations and your neighbours.
If your ideal location for the patio is full sun all day long, then you can provide the patio with some shade by building a screen wall along one side, by erecting a pergola or trellis as a support for climbing plants or even by fixing a folding awning to the house wall. Often a patio forms the transitional area between your house and your garden; it provides both a border and a 'hard area' for you to stand and walk on when the lawn it surrounds is wet.
Patio shape style and size
Patios can be constructed in many shapes and sizes from: circular patios, square patio areas, rectangular patios or hexagon patios. We can construct a patio in whatever shape or size you require. We are also able to add twists to your patio which will make them stand out from the usual boring patios most people have in their gardens. We build patios from paving or patio stones, The choice is yours.
The patio below is built from cobbles, most people would associate cobbles with driveways, in that cobbles are used to edge drives,or turfed areas. This doesn't mean you can't build a patio feature from cobbles, or from any material for that matter. The more adventurous you are with your patio design, the more unusual, eye catching and personal your patio will be to you and your family.
The difference in patio and paving materials is usually to do with the actual thickness of the stone. Certain paving is better suited to areas that you will be putting particuarly heavy goods on i.e a driveway constructed from paving really should be built from heavy duty paving.
Green Onion Landscaping will always are happy to create bespoke patios for our customers, patios which are a little bit different from any other you may have seen. We want to create you a work of art as well as a patio which preforms a function and looks stunning.
We can incorporate sleepers, wood, pebbles, objects, mosaic coloured tiles, and glass into our patio designs and construction. If you have any unusual ideas for your patio just run these by us. We'd love to create your very own personal patio design for you.
The patio below is built into a paved area as a mosaic feature. It's been constructed using hundreds of pebbles and pieces of slate. The owner of this patio wanted an eye catching, unique patio which created an area where her family can sit together. She also wanted the area to be a work of art. The lady who owns this patio is a great collector of pebbles and stones. She wanted to set her collection of pebbles into her patio area so that she and her family have a constant reminder of the places they have visited over the years.
We are always happy to advise on any aspect of your patio or paving design and the choice of materials. We are confident that we can deliver whatever design of patio or paving you require no matter how complicated it may seem.
Patio materials
You should aim to choose a patio material which will be a hard wearing and attractive. A patio stone which is made from a substance that is sympathetic with its surroundings and looks good both when wet and when dry. Sawn Pure stone Sandstone patios look fantastic when both wet and dry.You can see photographs of a sandstone patio when both wet and dry in my portfolio section on this site.
All types of paving are suitable for patios. Surprisingly wood is also a great choice to add to a patio. Wood complements the construction of your patio and helps your patio to blend in with the overall theme of your garden landscape.
Patios can range in style from a simple paved square area to a complex mini garden on various levels. Patios can include features such as a built in barbecue and seating area, raised beds or even ornamental ponds. Many of the principles which can be applied to designing patios can also be extended to a small walled courtyard with great effect, turning your outdoor space into an outdoor living room.
How to choose a patio
Appearance, the finish of a patio is often the first priority for many customers. Modern materials are available in several styles, including: natural stone flags, limestone, sandstone, sawn sandstone, slate, brick, crazy paving, concrete, granite or man-made or even patio packs which can consist of shaped templates. There are hundreds of patio packs available with various designs from dragon flies, stars, butterflies, spiders' webs etc.
We are a professional landscaping company that pride ourselves on delivering quality workmanship which is functional and beautiful. We are always here to help you chose the correct patio or paving materials, plan and design your individual patio or paved area to complete your landscaped garden.
Edge finish, certain natural materials can have sharp, unfinished edges. You should take this into consideration if you have young children playing in the garden. A sharp outer edge on a flag stone can easily graze young knees, so using a man-made patio stone, such as York stone, which is caste in a mould and generally has a smoother finished edge is a better option, or we can create an edge on the patio using cobbles which are not sharp.
We use edging stones such as, cobbles or tegula paving. Cobble stones enhance and beautifully compliment and give a professional finish to patio areas or driveways.
Surface texture, the surface of the material you chose is very important. Both smooth and uneven textured patio stones create beautiful patios. Some materials are best used in certain areas. We will always advise you on which product best meets you and your garden's needs.
It is also vital to us that our customers' chose a patio stone they adore, as well as it being fit for its purpose, durable and pleasing to the eye. With Green Onion Landscaping's expert advice and knowledge we will always ensure that our cutomers' needs are met and that you are well informed. We would like you to make the right choice of patio stone. If you make the correct choices first time round, not only will you be delighted with your patio's look and function from the outset, but also your patio will serve its purpose and continue to look fabulous for many years to come.
The finish of the patio stones plays a key part in its appearance, so don't be too hasty when picking your patio stone, gravel colour and edging stones, the little details make all the difference to the end landscaped job.
Always take your time when choosing your patio materials and edging stones, you may have your patio area for 20 years or more, so choosing the correct materials is really important.
Cost of patios
Cost is often a major factor for many customers. Some can be swayed to chose an inferior material simply because it is lower in price. While choosing a cheap patio material won't matter in some cases, it's always a good idea to consider how long a material is likely to last when considering its cost: cheaper materials really do tend to be less hard wearing than their more costly counterparts. What may appear to be a money saver now could end up costing you more in the long term. We are happy to advise you on the various stones' durability and value and will help you achieve a solution that fits both your pocket and and your style. We firmly believe that if you're going to go to any cost in laying a beautiful patio it is always best to use a good quality patio stone. Your patio could be in your garden for many years and you want it to look it's best and last for as long as possible.
All types of paving are suitable for the job. Surprisingly wood is also a great choice to add to a patio. Wood complements the construction of your patio and helps your patio to blend in with the overall theme of your garden landscape.
Patios can range in style from a simple paved square area to a complex mini garden on various levels. Patios can include features such as a built in barbecue and seating area, raised beds or even ornamental ponds. Many of the principles which can be applied to designing patios can also be extended to a small walled courtyard with great effect, turning your outdoor space into an outdoor living room.
Feel free to telephone us for our advice if you are struggling. We are always more than happy to help our customers and advise on any aspect of your landscaping project which you may be unsure of. Building patios or paved areas is just one of the professional services our landscaping team offers and we know all there is to know about each patio or paving stone out there.
You can always rely on Green Onion Landscaping to professionally advise, plan and construct your patio, driveway or paths to your absolute specification and imagination. We always uses the best quality materials at affordable prices.
Domestic and Commercial patio laying service
- Homes
- Public Houses
- Restaurants
- Bed and Breakfast Establishments
- Care Homes
- Dentist or Doctors Practices etc.
We provide professional patio laying services to all of Teesside/Tees Valley/ Cleveland area, including: Stockton on Tees, Darlington, Middlesbrough, Yarm, Cleveland, Wynyard,Teesside and North East and North Yorkshire.