The Brew Cabin

I'm a total novice, and for a gardening project I want to lay slabs in a small area - about 6'x8'. I've read through the laying slabs page, which is great, and it looks like screeding with a border is going to be a good way to do it, I was thinking about a brick border anyway. My questions are

Is there a guide anywhere for a complete novice on how to construct the brick border?

Am I right in thinking that for this project I don't needa sub base?

The screeding page says the pre-compacted method is good, does that mean I have to hire one of those 'wacca' machines, or are there any other good DIY methods for the compacting bit?

Thanks for any advice/info!

James

To construct a brick border, follow the directions given on the Laying Edge Courses page, and the Laying Edgings on Concrete page.

Secondly, you do not need a sub-base for patios, unless the laying course would be more than 50mm in depth, in which case you should build up the levels using sub-base material.

Finally, it's hardly worth hiring-in a plate compacter (they are sometimes referred to as 'Wacker Plates' because one of the main manufacturers is the German company of that name, although there are many other manufacturers). You can achieve an acceptable degree of compaction for a patio by just trampling the laying course material with your boots. This would NOT be acceptable for a driveway, or any pavement subjected to vehicular traffic, but, for a small patio, it's as good as you'll need.