The Brew Cabin

I have had an outside loo/shed knocked down just outside the back door and want to patio over the top. the house is a semi and the area to be covered is HUGE so I am intending to deck the half against the house (better for the damp proof course I thought??) and patio over the other half. The problem is that there are a few differnt levels now.... how do I go about levelling it off to patio over? Can I just put a deeper level of sharp sand to bring the levels up? Oh and while I am here... I am right that decking would be better on the bit near the house aren't I? Thanks :-)

To prevent differential settlement with a patio (that's where one bit settles more than another bit and the whole lot ends up looking wonky), you need a bedding layer of a consistent depth. So, what I would suggest is that you build up the lower areas, using either compacted sub-base material or a cement-bound material, such as the 10:1 bedding mix described on the website, and get the area that's to be paved more or less level before laying the actual patio flags. The type of paving you're planning to use for the patio will determine the best type of bedding to use, but for the usual patio flags, a 10:1 bedding mx, approximately 35-50mm thick, is a good option.

As for the <spit> decking, I wouldn't have it anywhere near my property. It's a nonsense in this soggy nation but then, there's no accounting for taste! ;)