What paving should I use in my Essex garden?
Paving options are almost endless! There are also many considerations to take into account when choosing paving. We’ve broken down these key considerations for you below…
Choosing the right paving for the style and age of the property
This is often overlooked but is critical to get right. Getting it wrong will mean the garden just doesn’t feel right, it will lack cohesion with the house. For an older property, let’s say Victorian era, porcelain is simply too modern and shiny and often doesn’t fit. A natural stone slab like sandstone, or clay pavers almost always fit much better.
Is the paving going to be in sun or shade?
If it will be in shade, natural stone like limestone etc will suffer from more algae build up, making the paving slippy and require more cleaning. Porcelain would be a better option in this situation. Whichever choice you opt for, all paving will have a “slip rating”, the minimum one for outdoors should be “R11” whic you should check before choosing.
What is the best paving for a small budget?
The trick here is to use large slabs rather than bricks/pavers. They are normally cheaper per square metre, and the cost of labour to lay them is usually less as it is much quicker. Porcelain and sandstone are usually amongst the cheapest options but can look great. If you did want to go for pavers (a slime block paver) you can get concrete pavers that are much cheaper than clay or limestone pavers.
What is the best paving for low maintenance?
Simple - porcelain! Natural stone like limestone, sandstone, granite or clay pavers are all porous meaning they absorb water. This results in algae build up. It also results in staining from drink spills and falling/rotting leaves, therefore they need regular cleaning and sometimes treating. Porcelain is not porous, so you get far fewer of these issues. If you do need to clean them it is a simple task.
We offer garden consultations to empower you to transform your own garden and can help you choose the right paving options as well as other materials. We can also create planting plans for you so you get the right plants in the right place for your garden, and as a bonus you benefit from our trade discount on plants which can save hundreds or thousands of your hard earned cash. So if you need garden design or landscaping in Southend-on-Sea, Essex or London, get in touch to see how we can help.
